Staying Small is Just Right

Like many people who sat around the Thanksgiving table on Thursday, my family and I shared something we are thankful for from this year and something that we want to take with us into 2026. I said that I was thankful for the people at the table with me, for their love and friendship, support and kindness, and for the abundant spread on the table in front of us. As I thought about what I want to take with me from 2025 into the new year, it struck me that the most important people in. my life and the food and wine on my table have come to me by way of my shop.

Is it possible that I opened Newport Wine Cellar eighteen years ago? It seems like a life time to me now. So much has changed! I have changed, the shop has moved three times, I have evolved from a retailer to a winemaker, opened and closed a café, down sized, upsized, and down sized again, pivoted, and landed in the basement of a warehouse down a bumpy “off the beaten path” side street. Your tastes have changed and your menus have changed, and your children have grown up—a couple of them work for me now! (Thankful for them, too.) That said, a couple things remain constant, and it is those that I want to take with me into the new year—that is the people, all of you, and the exchange of ideas that happen in my small shop. Yes, I celebrate brick-and-morter for this very reason.

My vision has been able to remain constant because of you. It has always been my intention to create a space where people will linger while they shop, sharing menu ideas, stories about their lives and the wines that they love, the places they have traveled, and the people with whom they share those experiences. A place where there is an exchange of ideas while you select a bottle to enjoy over another experience with friends and family, or sip on with a good book. Is there a perfect pair? I don’t know, honestly, but I love thinking about it. I never tire of the challenge. Thank you for that opportunity to make my living thinking about food and wine. (I do, by the way, think Gamay pairs best with good, dense fiction!) In the end, it isn’t the pairing that matters, it is the people.

The people that I support are the small wine producers, importers and distributors of this crazy business. Theses are the farmers and winemakers who keep it small with intention even though that is harder—physically and financially—because that is the best way to make delicious wine, honor the earth, and contribute to a culture that cares about the culinary. It is also about the small importers and distributors, who choose to sell wines that are lesser known labels, lesser known varietals. They make their job harder because it is the best way to do it—artisanal, sustainable, and exceptional. That’s it, but we cannot do any of that without your commitment to that, as well.

The people that support me believe in the brick and mortar experience, the value in supporting the local shops and restaurants because they contribute to what makes our town uniquely Newport. After the busiest of days in the shop (like leading up to the holiday), I am not tired; on the contrary, I am energized by the conversations and the appreciation that everyone shares with me. Both as a retailer and now, as a winemaker, when someone enjoys a wine and comes back for another, I feel a great sense of satisfaction and joy.

Thank you for taking that turn down Merton Road filled with potholes and obstacles to get into our rugged parking lot. Truly, I am grateful for your efforts. (Still, I wouldn’t mind if the city would repave it!) Your consistent loyalty and commitment to shop small allows me to stay small with intention.

I am also grateful for my staff, two of whom I have known since they were in their teens. I am honored to have Lianna Panaggio managing the shop for me, and to have Kelsey Hagberg, Zach Sousa, and Matthew Rose on board to help you make selections for your table. They bring an energy to the shop that elevates my tired metaphors and allows me to follow a dream.

Yes, all of this flashed into my head as I took my first bite of turkey (which, coincidentally, wasn’t dry at all!) and a sip of Chenin Blanc—it was a perfect pair.

Enjoy shopping small today and everyday. I look forward to taking our shared commitment to shop and stay small with intention in 2026 because it is just right.

Cheers, your wine lady, Maria