Bottoms up! Joel Sullivan opens new wine store in Marion
MARION — Elegant rows of rosé, stacks of craft beer and wine tasting are just a few amenities offered at Rochester resident Joel Sullivan’s new wine store, J. Sull Wine, located in Marion.
Sullivan grew up in Wareham and ran the family-owned Sullivan Wine and Spirits for over 20 years before the store was sold to Smit Patel of Maabhadrakali, Inc in December 2024.
He described the new wine store as “a good opportunity” and that he wanted to “downsize” after managing the last store.
“It’s more manageable and I want to say easier and better paced than a full liquor store,” said Sullivan.
His business partner Niki Ashley worked at Sullivan Wine and Spirits for 18 years before joining Sullivan at J. Sull Wine.
“When his family was selling [the store], this was all we knew and most of our customers are Marion and Mattapoisett so we decided to do beer and wine,” said Ashley.
Renovating the store space took about four months in addition to waiting for state and town license approval. When creating the store, Sullivan wanted it to be a “small and customer-based operation.”
“[I’m] looking forward to just seeing all our old customers, our relationships we built over 20 years at the other store we worked at,” said Sullivan.
Sullivan and Ashley both emphasize the importance of customer service within the wine store and meeting the needs of their patrons.
“It’s a fun, cozy environment and our customer service is unmatched,” said niki.
The store offers a diverse selection of wine and beer.
“We have a lot of local beer, lot of craft beer. We do special orders, deliveries. We have a loyalty program,” said Niki.
Bottles of prosecco, pinot grigio, merlot and riesling line the aisles and walls, with Ashley providing recommendations for eager customers.
“Niki’s Picks” include Les Haunts Bordeaux White Organic, 90+ Cellars Prosecco, Diora Rosé, Raeburn Pinot Noir and Chalk Hill Chardonnay, according to the J. Sull Wine website.
For those just beginning to explore the vast world of wine, Ashley suggests to “start with something light, easy drinking.”
