Some local wine enthusiasts are out money and searching for answers after a popular Kitchener winemaking shop appears to have closed its doors. Customers of Wine Butler on Madison Avenue South were initially told in an email that the business was being acquired by a local competitor and their orders were safe. Instead, customers arrived to find a notice on the door, disconnected phone lines, and no way to retrieve the batches of wine they had already paid for. For Goderich resident Karen Waterfield, who has been bottling her own wine at the Kitchener location for a decade, a single bottle of Shiraz sitting on her counter is all she has left. “All you get when you bottle them, you get this little label, and when you bring them home, you just stick them on,” said Waterfield, who, along with her husband, claims they are out more than $260 total. Over a month ago, Waterfield was preparing to pick up her latest order of nearly 30 bottles when she received the company’s email promising a smooth transition under new management and even offering a complimentary batch. “Rest assured, your wine is safe. Over the coming weeks, the new owner will be transferring and inventorying all stored wine. Once that process is complete, they will contact you directly with next steps,” read the email. But now Waterfield said they aren’t getting back to her. ‘They’ve just disappeared’ “Their website is no longer there. Phones are no longer—it’s like they’ve just disappeared off the face of the earth,” Waterfield said. The situation isn’t unique to Waterfield. Dozens have also responded on social media groups about Wine Butler and how they are also waiting to get their wine or money back. Matt Fraser, a customer from Waterloo, is also out roughly $130 for a batch of nearly 30 bottles he had ordered for a family trip. For Fraser, the financial loss and lack of wine to show for it takes a back seat to how the situation was handled. “It was more so just the deceit that kind of went along with it,” Fraser said. “It was very clear that this guy went out of business, and he was trying to sort of delay us and placate us from looking into this any further by saying, ‘Hey, everything’s fine.’” Fraser said he later spoke with a former employee at Wine Butler. “He said June 1st we went into work and it was basically, ‘Hey, everybody’s laid off.’” Landlord posts notice Despite the email’s claim of an acquisition, a legal notice posted on the door of the storefront tells a different story. Dated June 15, the notice states that the business owes outstanding rent and has failed to respond to repeated contact attempts by the landlord. It warned that if the rent problem was not remedied, the landlord may legally take possession of the premises. “The Wine Butler at this location has not responded to repeated attempts by the Landlord to make contact regarding outstanding rent and tenancy-related matters,” the notice reads. “At this time, the status of the business operations at these premises is uncertain. We are actively attempting to resolve this situation; however, due to the lack of communication from the tenant, there may be interruptions affecting access to the premises.” Customers who have products at the location were encouraged to monitor the situation. “Times are tough for everybody,” Fraser said. “And for someone to take advantage of people like this, it doesn’t need to be done.” Seeking refunds Waterfield filed a dispute with her credit card provider and has successfully received a refund. Fraser is currently pursuing the same chargeback process through his bank. CTV News reached out to Wine Butler for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
