Ken and Sandy Winge of
Galena River Wine and Cheese
Galena
River Wine and Cheese fulfills dream,
offers unique food,shopping experience
by Daniel Hines
Publisher
America's Seniors/TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com
There is something special about the
charm of Galena that has been made possible by the fact that many of the
owners of the boutique stores and restaurants have a love affair with the
village.
Such is the case of Ken and Sandy Winge,
proprietors of the Galena River Wine and Cheese shop. The highly
personable couple has operated the store at its location near the Gateway
to the village's main street for more than 20 years.
Their 'love affair' with Galena started
a short time before they made the decision to move to Galena and open
Galena River Wine and Cheese. As Sandy recalls, when the then-younger
couple visited Galena and first saw its setting in the rolling hills, she
"knew this was where we were meant to be."
It had to be a huge leap of faith for
the Chicago-based Winges. Ken had a successful career as a mutual
fund salesperson and manager. Galena at that time was not the
successful tourist destination it has since become. Many of the
buildings, including the one that Ken and Sandy purchased, were 'shells'
that would require gutting and reworking.
But after their initial visit, two years
later, the Winges acted. They purchased a home in Galena, bought
their building and started an extensive project. Ken works with wood and applied his skills to a massive restoration of
their new project. Sandy joined in, and the spirit of the family
cooperation that marks the current operation was launched.
While one workman reportedly told
friends that the Winges would be out of business in six months, the unique
offering of gourmet cheeses, sausages, great wine values and specialty
food items, proved to be a hit. The shop is located by the Galena
River, providing the Winges with the inspiration for the name of their
shop.
Galena River Wine and Cheese has
expanded to include the entire bottom floor of the three story site (Ken's
wood working shop occupies the third floor). This has enabled Ken
and Sandy to expand their selection of fine food products to include a
selection of carefully chosen wines that represent a variety of offerings
from around the globe, enlarge the cheese and meat counter, and to add a
large number of food items that will not be found in the corner grocery
store.
That's because Ken and Sandy insist on
uniqueness of their products. "I don't want something that our
visitors can buy at a convenience market," he explains.
"We want our visitors to have a totally unique shopping
experience."
Today, Galena River Wine and Cheese
offers more than 2,000 products, including a number of the best in locally
prepared food items.
There are so many fine food items
included in the selection of Galena River Wine and Cheese that it would
take many visits to the store to review all of them. But, during
each visit to Galena, we have made sure to include an excursion to buy
some of the excellent cheeses.
On this most recent visit, we were especially impressed with an imported Roquefort
cheese and absolutely the leanest and best salami we have ever
tasted. Ken recommended a Rhone-type wine from South Africa that was
easily the equivalent of any we have tasted from France.
Most importantly, the love affair that
the Winges have had with Galena continues. Visitors to Galena River
Wine and Cheese are the beneficiaries.
Now,
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