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Business & Tech

Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Classroom

Mike Douglass chose to educate on wine instead of English.

Unlike many young adults, Mike Douglass knew exactly what career path he wanted to follow. He attended Alfred University in Upstate New York, graduating in 1964 with a bachelors degree in English literature. Returning to his family's Hempstead home, he enrolled at Hofstra University, intending to get his masters in education, after which he would seek a job as a high school English teacher. That was the plan... until the plan changed. 

"A Peace Corps recruiter came on campus, and I chatted with her," recalls Douglass. "I got excited about the idea." They spoke about it over lunch, and by the time they were done he was convinced. "I applied for the program and was accepted for a January project," he says, "so I left Hofstra after my first semester." 

As a Peace Corps volunteer, Douglass spent nearly two years in Venezuela.

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"Since I had experience working with kids as a summer camp counselor when I was in college," he says, "I was placed on a YMCA sports project there." 

Upon his return to Long Island, he planned to resume his studies at Hofstra. But fate once again intervened, as his uncle was preparing to open up a new business –a liquor store–and asked Douglass to run it for him. He was just going to do it for a few months until the new semester started.  

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"But one of my salesmen had worked at Sherry-Lehmann, a big wine store in the city–the best one in the country at the time," Douglass says. "He took a liking to me and taught me the wine business, and I was really fascinated by it." That was in 1965. By 1969, he had bought his uncle out of the business. "I never did get back to Hofstra," he laughs.  

Although Post Wine & Spirits opened in 1965, the land on which it stands had been in the Douglass family some time before that. On that same property, in a separate building, his parents, aunt and uncle had teamed up to open a discount women's clothing store called Post and Company in 1956. The clothing store closed about 20 years ago, says Douglass.  

Looking back over his roughly 45 years in the business, the humble Douglass admits being particularly proud of two things. "We were leaders in introducing fine wines to the Long Island public," he says. "We hosted wine dinners before anyone else, as well as wine weekends in the Hamptons. Participants would enjoy tastings at each meal and we had wine makers from all over as guests. We were the first to do these kinds of things." 

He is also proud of the mentoring he did.

"You have to be 18 years old to work in a liquor store, and over the years we hired many Syosset High School seniors," he says. "I taught them about wine, and I'd say at least 20, maybe 25 of those young people have gone on to work in the industry."  

Among the most interesting people he has met along the way, Douglass counts noted late wine authority Alexis Lichine, who owned two vineyards in France and wrote numerous books on the subject.

"He was one of the main forces in introducing fine wine into this country," says Douglass. "He was a bon vivant and was also quite egotistical."

On one occasion, the two men did a Bordeaux tasting at the Fox Hollow Inn, which at the time also had a dinner theater.  

The wine tasting ended at the same time the dinner theater got out, plus the restaurant crowd was leaving, so there was heavy traffic getting onto Jericho Turnpike.

"As we sat in the car," Douglass laughingly recalls, "Alexis turns to me and says 'You see what happens, Mike, when Alexis Lichine comes to Syosset? There's a major traffic jam!'" 

Learn more about Post Wines & Spirits at www.postwines.com

 

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