Ashburn Wine Shop Turned To New Owners As Former Owner Dies Of Cancer

ASHBURN, VA — Brittany Alexander has been a longtime patron of the Ashburn Wine Shop, Wine Bar, and Bistro since moving to Ashburn with her husband, Alan Alexander, in 2015. The couple might not have imagined they would be the new owners nearly a decade later.

The Alexanders officially became owners in May, taking over the shop from former owner Sean Malone, who was battling brain cancer. Just as the sale was being finalized, Malone died after a nearly two-year cancer battle.

"He just had a larger than life personality. I think people really came in to see him," Brittany Alexander told Patch. "He really did make you feel like, the wines that he was purchasing are the ones he had in the shop, ones that he bought with you in mind. And I think that that was special."

"He really brought people together who really came in to hang out with him for the most part," added Alan Alexander. "Even if you didn't like wine, you came to hang out with him."

Alan Alexander told Patch his wife became close with Malone and his girlfriend, Sharon Smith, during her visits over the years. When Malone decided it was time to sell, he approached the Alexanders, who have business experience managing their rental properties in North Carolina's Outer Banks. It was either passing the shop to new hands or closing it entirely.

"He chose us to carry on his legacy that I know he didn't want to let go, and it's really been great so far," Brittany Alexander told Patch.

Brittany Alexander transitioned from her corporate quality assurance job to run the wine shop day to day and manage four employees. Alan Alexander is continuing his daytime job but will assist in evenings and busier times.

"It feels weird that my job is planning parties. That's my job. And drinking wine. I have to try the wine we have," Brittany Alexander said.

Brittany Alexander had been coming to the wine shop even before Malone owned it. She says while previous owner Sergio Mendes offered parties at the business, Malone changed the approach to customers to learn more about the wines.

The Alexanders aim to offer a combination of the two. They plan to tweak the bistro menu, host trivia events on Wednesdays and bring back tastings, which are free from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The couple also wants to expand the shop's online presence and offer online wine sales. Further down the line, Brittany Alexander wants to explore building specialized wine storage.

Brittany Alexander said the transition to owning a brick-and-mortar business has been "scary." But the business continues to receive support from regular patrons. According to Alan Alexander, Malone's girlfriend Sharon Smith has provided invaluable support with her knowledge of how things are run, all while grieving the loss of Malone. Smith is also behind the bistro's menu, which features flatbreads, starters, soups, salads and entrées.

The wine shop doesn't carry much Virginia wine, instead offering a selection from around the world from popular places like California's Napa Valley, Italy, France and Argentina. For those coming in to eat or drink, wine by the glass and tastings are served. Tastings at the wine shop feature vary based on the featured wines for the week. Alan Alexander says the shop will open a nicer wine bottle for tastings on occasion.

"We have to be buying wine all the time, because that's the number one question, is, like, what's new?" said Brittany Alexander. "People like that, so we are normally featuring what's new."

The owners like receiving feedback on what kinds of wines people want to see. They can also curate wine bottles for special occasions and personalize them with things like anniversary dates and names.

Ashburn Wine Shop is located at 44050 Ashburn Shopping Plaza, Suite 159, Ashburn, VA. Seating is limited, so grab a reservation on OpenTable if you want to dine in. Retail hours are 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. The bar and bistro are open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays. Follow the shop on Instagram for updates.