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s u m m e r 2 0 1 7 | 8 3 or rosés from around the world, he finds shelf space for just about any region of the global wine stage, featuring well-known as well as lesser- known producers. Wines are displayed by coun- try, by region and by variety. Pinot Noir takes up six rows (with over 300 Pinots from California, Oregon and around the world); Sancerres, Grüner Veltliners and nichey South African wines find a place; so do boxed and canned wines, and there's a big tribute to half bottles. "Picnic sets are important here in Southern Cali- fornia," Markert offers. "These smaller bottles are for the experimental Millennials as much as they are for the Baby Boomers." Markert, who oversees 100 wine stewards, offers his team training with sommeliers and wine educators every eight weeks—often provided by his distributor partners. The training trickles down to the customer through informative purchase advice offered by the stewards. "I will always find the right store location for the right wine for the right customer," Mark- ert assures The Clever Root. "That kind of research happens on a daily basis." The stores also offer concierge service, helping customers plan parties and events from wine to flowers to food, with a dedicated company chef to help create recipes. Rancho Santa Margarita shoppers have an enviable opportunity at this store, and three other Southern California Pavilions are blessed with the same good looks and inventory: West Hollywood, Newport Coast and coming soon, Irvine. And more stores are already in the plan- ning stages, with an estimate of 25 out of the 354 Albertsons locations earmarked. It's refreshing to see a wine section in the front of a supermarket that is not just an obligatory department, but rather a deserved tribute to the industry. One of the 100 wine stewards employed in the Southern California division, Dan Watters stands before the Wall of Champagne at Pavilions in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. The wine shop is located toward the front of the store, becoming a showpiece that attracts customers with its selections as well as its impressive visuals. ■cr Out of the 800 items that are stocked, from established brands to artisans' local creations, whisk(e)y remains the hottest category for the store.