A Bottle of Rare Wine, a Loaf of Housemade Bread and Thou

Water Tower Fine Wines in Mount Washington, long known for its impressive offering of beyond-the-usual varietals, is not only the perfect location for hosting life-milestone celebrations but for holding fundraisers focused on assisting those whose lives are complicated by cancer. 

"Wine and food bring people together, and we bring people together to help those facing cancer, so it was a win for all involved," says Michelle Johnson, executive director of Cancer Support Community (CSC), reflecting on this summer’s Sip and Savor to Support CSC fundraiser at Water Tower Fine Wines. "Owners David and Jan Lazarus run a phenomenal business, and their knowledge of wine and their inventory are second to none. They wanted to give back, and by hosting our fundraiser, which was a great success, they have."

People enjoyed tasting Water Tower’s fine wines and sampling delicious housemade breads and other appetizers, prepared by Jan – an accomplished chef and baker – who runs the Flour Shoppe, an extension of the exquisite wine shop. The commercial kitchen was added as part of the facility’s recent expansion. 

Sip and Savor was a fantastic opportunity for the Lazaruses to introduce visitors to their updated shop, and for the CSC to get its name out in the Anderson Township-Clermont County area, Johnson says. A generous percentage of the night’s wine sales was donated to CSC, with the proceeds going toward the approximately 220 programs held each month in a comfortable, home-like environment at CSC’s Lynn Stern Center in Blue Ash and its Northern Kentucky facility in Fort Wright.

According to the Lazaruses, it’s been the goal of Water Tower Fine Wines to be the "Cheers" of the Cincinnati wine scene, where patrons are comfortable coming in to learn about wine appreciation with others who share that interest. 

Similarly, it’s the CSC’s philanthropic mission to provide comfort to their clients through a variety of free professionally-led support groups, educational workshops and healthy lifestyle classes designed to complement conventional medical care for cancer patients.

 A perfect pairing, if you will, of two community-minded organizations. Like a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino and grilled portabella mushrooms over polenta.

Water Tower Fine Wines is located at 6136 Campus Lane, Mount Washington, OH 45230. For more information, call 513.231.9463, email info@watertowerfinewines.com or visit www.watertowerfinewines.com.