Going to a fine liquor store should feel like the first stage of your celebration, and that’s just what customers had come to expect at Stone Ridge Wine & Spirits, lovingly curated by Tim and Laurel Sweeney for almost three decades. And when it came time to pass the torch, the Sweeneys found the ideal successors: Jamie Cobb and Gene Fina, talented partners in work and life whose love story began at one of the shop’s very own wine tastings.
Jamie Cobb and Gene Fina are talented partners in work and life whose love story began at one of the wine tastings at Stone Ridge Spirits & Wine.
Cobb, a Rondout Valley native, had found a professional home at the store for 15 years, honing her gift for customer service alongside her informed fascination with wine. Fina grew up in Yonkers, but spent summers and weekends in Tillson, just outside Rosendale; his career in retail design took him all over the world, and when it was time to stake out a nest in the 2000s, he chose Stone Ridge.
The couple bonded over their mutual fondness for the fine wine shop that first night, and when they were offered the opportunity to take it over and keep the magic alive, they didn’t hesitate. The store—rechristened Stone Ridge Spirits & Wine to mark the changing of the guard—became theirs in October of 2023, and from the first, they’ve known exactly how they wanted to blend their carefully crafted cocktail.
“We want to be the best wine and spirits shop in the whole Hudson Valley,” says Cobb, “with the best selection, finest customer service, and most beautiful shopping environment. We really want to make sure you have an exceptional buying experience, and we do that with our education and experience and the welcome you get. We offer lots of local, small-batch, and hard-to-find products; we’re proud of our unique selection, and excited to share it with everyone who comes in.”
They’re always exploring. “This industry is forever changing, and we love to learn new things every day,” says Cobb. “We’re passionate about all aspects of wine and spirits. Plus, we love hearing from our customers how much they loved a product—or didn’t. There’s always more to be learned.”
“We want to be the best wine and spirits shop in the whole Hudson Valley.” – Jamie Cobb, co-owner, Stone Ridge Spirits & Wine
They’ve expanded the shop’s legendary wine and spirits tastings, adding Friday night events to the traditional Saturdays by popular demand, bringing in still more variety from all over the planet. (Lest the reader forget, it was at one such event that Cobb and Fina found each other and a life path. Your mileage may vary, but that’s a high-proof evening in anyone’s book.) “We love trying new products with staff, family, friends, and customers,” Cobb says. “We get such a great mix, from the local regulars to the visitors who discover us, and there’s a trust-building process that happens.
We listen, really listen, and get a sense of what special item might be just the right thing for their taste and their occasion. We—everyone who works here included—pride ourselves on wonderful recommendations.”
“We're looking forward to many great seasons of growth, expanding your experience as our own gets wider and deeper.” – Gene Fina, co-owner, Stone Ridge Spirits & Wine
Cobb, of course, knows the business inside and out, having helped it grow and expand and weather the pandemic. Fina brings his three decades of design and merchandising. “I understand the aesthetics of retail, and the ways in which customers interact and connect with a space,” he says. “We’re both working harder than we ever have in our lives and loving it. We're looking forward to many great seasons of growth, expanding your experience as our own gets wider and deeper.”
At press time, the website of Stone Ridge Spirits and Wine was under construction; give them a call and get on the email list to stay updated on the latest tasty offerings.
stone ridge spirits & wine
3853 Main Street, Stone Ridge
845-687-7125
