Our Story
Opened in 2011, Vino Etcetera is the culmination of the vision of Bill Winkels and the passion of Corienne Winkels, Bill’s daughter-in-law. A staple in the Oconomowoc community, Bill’s Accentuate store has helped Lake Country residents add style and pizzazz to their homes for almost 20 years. Holding the second longest tenure of any downtown Oconomowoc business owner, Bill recognized a huge void in the area was the lack of a quality, destination location to enjoy a glass of wine and relax with friends. Running with that thought, Bill and his team set about the task of converting the lower level of his historic building on Wisconsin Avenue. into a one of a kind location for wine enjoyment. Bill’s vision is to give his patrons a truly unique experience upon every visit. The ability to purchase over 100 different high quality wines, sit and relax in private lounge rooms or secure that perfect wine related gift, all the while receiving personal attention, are a few of the reasons patrons enjoy coming back to Vino Etcetera on a frequent basis.
Corienne, an MBA in Business Management and one of only several women Sommelier’s in Lake Country, further defines the Vino Etcetera experience. When asked about her focus on a daily basis she states, “I want every person who visits Vino to come in, unwind, relax, feel comfortable, learn something new about wine, take home a personal favorite and feel great about coming back to experience something new.” Corienne leads Vino Etcetera’s wine club called The Vineyard Series runs Vino’s social media communications strategy and is responsible for all aspects of the wine tasting, selection and distribution processes. In addition, patrons appreciate the way Corienne personalizes every client experience, “At heart I’m a teacher. When it exists, I want to help people overcome their fear of wine, make it fun and approachable. I find that making a connection with our guests allows me to accomplish those goals most effectively.” Stop by, share a glass, and share a story. Life is too short to drink bad wine!
