Today we’d like to introduce you to Todd Hurt.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Tapped Athens was a retirement dream that became reality when we opened our doors in January 2021. My wife, Angela, and I have always loved finding new wines and sharing them with friends. During Covid we waited patiently for our monthly wine order to be delivered and we would sip and study for my wine certifiecation through the Society of Wine Educators. We literally drank our way around the world one bottle at a time. With my newly minted Specialist of Wine certification we begin designing our space, picked out wine glasses, and renovated a cozy spot in historic Bottleworks. Bottleworks began as the CocaCola bottling plant dating back to the late 1800’s. We are just one block from downtown Athens and surrounded by wonderful restaurants. Tapped Athens is a great place to learn about wines from around the world whether you attend one of our twice monthly wine classes or by tasting wines through our self-serve Enomatic wine dispensers with 24 wines on tap rotating weekly.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of our closest calls came just one month before opening. There was a misunderstanding between us and the local permitting authorities about the need for a certified land plat. We dodged a bullet. If we were a mere four feet closer to a private school we would not have been permitted to sell bottles of wine retail. Angela and I joked that we should offer a four foot flight of wine to celebrate our near miss.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I had a long career in higher education working for both the University of Florida and the University of Georgia. I specialized in horticulture and professional development of county-based public service faculty. I took my passion for education and embraced a new medium …WINE. Wine is a subject that can transport people back to favorite memories wether it was with a special someone or a lovely trip to another part of the world. We love hearing stories from our customers and sharing new experiences with them.
What are your plans for the future?
Tapped Athens is now in its sucessful fourth year of existance. We have a refined menu of wines and small plate offerings. We have embraced the need for diverse wine selections and alcohol removed beverages to meet the needs of our customers. We meet with several wine distributors each week to sample new and exciting things. We offered our first customer wine tour to Napa Valley this summer and have plans for a customer trip to Italy in April of 2026.
Pricing:
- The cool thing about Tapped Athens is customers can try an one ounce pour of 24 different wines starting at just $2 for a pour.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tappedathens.com
- Instagram: @tappedathens
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tappedathenswine#
- Yelp: tapped-athens-wine-tasting-market-athens
