Dispatch Kitchen

Change happened for Tatjana Brown in November. When she opened Meza as a cooking and kitchen accessories store last April, she set out an array of gourmet olive oils, pasta sauces and hand towels. But even with the mock-kitchen display area and grid of shelves, there wasn't enough merchandise to fill the store's long, deep space.

Brown was saving space for wine. But before that could happen in once-dry Westerville, Meza had to establish itself and put a permit on the ballot. After getting a "yes" in November, it became the first wine shop in Uptown Westerville.

"We just really wanted to hit good price points, but really unique wines - we tried really hard [to make sure] they're not typical wines you'd find at Giant Eagle," Brown said.

Ohio and organic wines are two planned emphases. Brown unveiled her selection - and reworked store layout - at a grand opening last week. Here she shares some of her favorites, along with the foods on Meza's shelves with which they'd pair well.

Bonterra Vineyards chardonnay (2006)

Region: Mendocino County, California

Cost: $15

Flavors: More crisp, less oaky than most chards

Goes well with: Simple pasta tossed with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon; goat cheese crumbled on a salad

Tatjana Brown's advice: "This is one of our organic wines. We wanted to have wines that fit ... with the specialty foods we carry."

Sonoma Vineyards merlot (2005)

Region: Sonoma County, California

Cost: $12

Flavors: Medium-bodied, with strong plum and berry tones

Goes well with: Angel hair pasta with marinara sauce; crostini with Rothschild Farm balsamic and onion spread; goat cheese

Tatjana Brown's advice: "We ended up carrying all four of their wine varietals - we just loved the concept, we loved the packaging."

Matua Valley sauvignon blanc (2008)

Region: South Island, New Zealand

Cost: $13

Flavors: Crisp and zingy, with grapefruit and other citrus essences

Goes well with: Blood orange and Meyer lemon tapenades, spread on crackers

Tatjana Brown's advice: "It has a very nice, crisp, lingering finish, so we really loved that one. It's our favorite sauvignon blanc that we carry."