Half Wit Wines: The Only Half-Bottle Wine Shop in the Country

Two years ago, Gordon Uhlmann and Wendy Van Dyck, two wine-loving San Franciscans, noticed that most shops have an abysmal selection of half bottles. Thus Half Wit Wines—the sole half-bottle-only wine shop in the country—was born. With a dazzling 1,300 bottles, Half Wit features everything from fine and rare Burgundies (a 2002 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet “Clavoillon” for $130) to wonderful everyday drinkers (a 2006 Hahn Cabernet for $10). Uhlmann, whose motto is “Drink less and enjoy more,” says his customers often use the half bottles to sample around without wasting wine. There’s no storefront, so all ordering is done by phone or over the Internet. And Uhlmann’s current offer of free shipping makes the half bottle irresistible.