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POSTED: Tuesday, Jul. 07, 2009

CJ Wijns wine shop a winner in Birch Bay

A visit to CJ Wijns in Birch Bay might best be summed up as a great place with a baffling name.

Let's get the name thing out of the way first, and then move on to the good stuff.

Yes, I know now that "wijns" is essentially the Dutch word for wines, and it's even pronounced the same as wines. But if you've never been exposed to the language, or heard about the place in advance, you might drive right past it without giving it a second thought.

Which is exactly what I would have done, and I'm a quarter-Dutch, with exposure to more Zylstras, Fakkemas and Vander(fill in the blank)s than you can shake a stick at.

Fortunately, I did stop in and was instantly taken by the contemporary interior, friendly staff and the nice choice of wines.

The facility is split into two sections: a full-service restaurant with soups, salads, sandwiches and espresso, and a wine shop with plenty of domestic and European selections. Wines can be enjoyed indoors in the adults-only section, or on the outdoor patio with a view of Birch Bay.

During my visit, I chatted with manager Carol Bouma, a helpful and enthusiastic host who's eager to show you around and offer her recommendations.

I especially liked all of the little promos she has lined up; including the Monday-through-Friday special from 2 to 6 p.m. that gets you $2 off appetizers and any of five wines by the glass.

The selection changes monthly, and during my visit a couple of Northwest choices (pre-discount) included a Kiona 2005 Lemberger for $5 and a Waterbrook 2007 Mélange at $7.

Another great feature is Saturday Sips, from 2 to 5:30 p.m. For a scant $5, you can sample five different wines (tied into a theme that changes weekly), and receive a 15 percent discount if you purchase a bottle or more of any of the five.

CJ Wijns, located at 7714 Birch Bay Drive, is open daily at 6 a.m. For more information, call 371-2658 or go to cjwijns.homestead.com.