Not sure which wine will be perfect for that special meal or gathering? What about impressing your colleagues with the hottest new bourbon? And where can you get your hands on that exotic craft brew you can’t find anywhere else?

One quick — or leisurely — stop into the new Fairgrounds Wine & Spirits in Newtown’s Sand Hill Plaza and you’ve got it covered.

Since acquiring the business late last September, owner Paul Moeller, his son, Peter, and a growing, knowledgeable staff have been working reoutfitting the familiar location adjacent to Stop & Shop into a brand-new space.

With all the final touches in place, the Moellers welcome all to the package store’s grand opening celebration Saturday, May 30.

“We’ll have balloons, specials, barbecue from Hog Wild, and all kinds of activities,” Paul Moeller told The Newtown Bee.

The new Fairgrounds Wine & Spirits owner, whose family hails from Newtown, was already experienced in the trade. He has successfully operated another Fairgrounds outlet in Danbury since 2006.

So after a long wait for a local, established liquor store to go on the market, Mr Moeller said he was excited to finally open a second location close to home.

“I eventually wanted to open a store in my home town. But it’s so difficult to open one from scratch that we decided to wait for an established location,” he said. “It’s like a barber, or stylist; once you get used to going to one, you tend to keep going.”

Mr Moeller observed based on his own store records, that in good times and bad, customer traffic to his stores appears to be pretty steady. And while any small business has its challenges, the retail liquor business is not extremely complicated.

“It comes in a cardboard box through the back door, gets displayed, and goes out the front door in a paper bag. No cooking, nothing complex, and to a great extent, owning a liquor store is recession-proof,” he said.

What is most challenging is balancing a staff who bring a broad knowledge of wines, beers, and spirits, while keeping an eye on trends, whether it is in a new novelty or long-established product that is making a fast and huge comeback.

“Luckily, our staff is well rounded with equal expertise across all the varieties and brands we carry,” Mr Moeller said. “And while it’s challenging to try and keep up with trends, we are always willing to depend on our own customers to clue us in on what’s hot — and we honor that advice by stocking what they want.”

That means expanding a craft brew selection from an original 50 to more than 350 in-stock brands every day — and being willing to inventory 370-plus different vodkas.

“Our whiskeys and bourbons — that did nothing for years — have also quadrupled in sales in the past three years,” Mr Moeller said.

Fairgrounds Wine & Spirits is open from 9 am to 8 pm Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 pm every Sunday. Both locations are only closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

For more information, call 203-270-6500 or visit: fairgroundswineandspirits.com.