The Wine Buff, a chain of franchised wine stores, has opened a new store on New Street in Killarney, with franchisee KD Evans at the helm.

The outlet is the chain’s 11th store in Ireland and stocks wines sourced directly from family-owned vineyards who are committed to producing wines from sustainable viticulture.

Evans, from Mallow, worked as a solicitor and tax consultant for over ten years in Dublin and Cork before opening the shop.

His passion for wine led to him completing qualifications in wine with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, and he says that  travels to over 30 countries enhanced his knowledge of and appreciation for viticulture and wine-tasting.

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“I’m absolutely delighted to bring The Wine Buff brand to Killarney,” says Evans (above). “The support we have received has been phenomenal, and we’re really looking forward to becoming an integral part of this wonderful community.”

Daragh Moore, co-founder and Wine Buff franchise director, commented: “It’s great to have KD on board as a franchisee. One of the key things we look for in our franchisees is a passion for wine and for discovering new wines from different regions of the world, and KD has this in spades. Killarney is a vibrant town and we couldn’t think of a better location for our newest store.”

Moore believes that customer habits have changed due to Covid. “Our home delivery and online shopping has continued to see strong growth,” he explains. “The online side of our business has seen massive changes and the need for us to be in contact with our customers through social media rather than the traditional face-to-face.

“We are always challenging ourselves to improve our offering and the pandemic has not really changed our motivation to strive to be the best we can possibly be.”

Photo: Daragh Moore (left) and KD Evans. (Pix: Don MacMonagle)