The Story Behind The Oldest Wine Shop In The US

For a business to persist across centuries, pivots must be made, quality must be upheld, and service must be reliable. Such is the case with Acker Wines. While Acker lays claim to the title of America's oldest operational wine seller, Acker's story is also one that represents the American dream. Scotsman Thomas Hope and his son sailed across the Atlantic in 1817 and opened a grocery store in New York. The family-run grocery expanded to include not only groceries but properties, luxury items, and specialized food items. Since then, Acker has cemented itself as one of the dearest wine shops in America and one of the top wine auction houses in the world.

Once Hope retired, he passed the business baton to his clerks John Condit, William Merrall, and David Acker. Business continued to flourish, and the group changed the name to Acker, Merrall & Company. The upper echelon of New York trusted the trio for quality goods, and the business' reputation for carrying unique items — canned products, specialty fruits, and plenty of booze — help establish its legacy. Since the 1930s, Acker's Manhattan store has captivated residents and clientele like Babe Ruth. John Kapon, third generation owner of Acker Wines, told Forbes, "If you could afford it, you were shopping at Acker because everyone knew how quality it was, the reputation was that strong."

Even with changing state laws and regulations on alcohol sales, Acker pivoted business operations to meet customer demand while satisfying government requirements. In time, the business model shifted to selling strictly wine. In 1993, a New York state law allowed retailers to offer samples inside stores, which Acker took advantage of by offering wine tastings and educational events. The law also gave the green light for auctions to be organized by retailers. Acker jumped on the opportunity and began hosting their own wine auctions, attracting sellers with zero commission fees and courting buyers through pre-auction wine tastings.

Acker's decision to take away seller's commission rates helped skyrocket this branch of business, and soon, these wine auctions were impressively profitable. A two-day wine auction in Hong Kong brought in $8.5 million dollars, for example. Whereas buyers and sellers used to pay equal commission, Acker's no-commission auctions put money back into the hands of the seller. Now, not only does Acker have its headquarters in New York but it has also established operations in London and Hong Kong. The wine shop on Manhattan's Upper West Side continues to sell wine, and in 2020, the company rebranded as Acker. It's clear that the company's inclinations to follow market trends has helped the brand endure. We're toasting to many more years of Acker's success.