[Insta Walk] Josu and - How About a Bottle of Wine on the Way Home?

Songpa-gu 'Josuwa (A Slightly Suspicious Wine Shop)'
Marketer at an IT company by day, wine shop owner by night
Passion for wine led to opening the store

"Pairs well with tteokbokki, soy sauce marinated crab, and roasted ginkgo nuts"
Korean dishes recommended to pair with wine

The exterior of the bottle wine shop 'Josuwa,' which opens at 6 PM./Photo by Hyunju Park phj0325@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] When the sun sets, by some mysterious magical power, cowboys and Egyptian pharaohs displayed in natural history museums open their eyes (movie 'Night at the Museum'), and in the Beast's castle, household items like teapots and clocks come to life (movie 'Beauty and the Beast'). The Arabian Nights, famous for Aladdin and Alibaba and the Forty Thieves, also take place against the backdrop of the dark night. Thus, night can be a mysterious time.

In Songpa-gu, Seoul, there is a suspicious place that only opens its doors when darkness falls. During the day, it is hidden behind white curtains, but at night it lights up brightly, capturing the footsteps of Instagrammers. This is the bottle wine shop 'Josuwa' (short for 'Jogeum Susanghan Wine Shop' meaning 'A Slightly Suspicious Wine Shop'). You can get there by walking about 2 minutes along the main road from Garak Market towards the Police Hospital, then turning into an alley and going up.

The owner who founded Josuwa last July is 'Heather' (she has a real name but prefers to be called that). She is a 'N-jobber' (a person with multiple jobs) who goes to her company during the day and to the store after sunset. Rather than making money, she opened the shop because she wanted to enjoy wine, and her passion for wine permeates the entire store. Upon entering, you are first greeted by a subtle yet deep woody scent. The warm interior, furnished with wooden furniture, enhances Josuwa's uniquely cozy atmosphere. Clever one-line reviews that can only be seen at Josuwa, such as 'When explaining the taste of dongchimi to foreigners' and 'If it were a perfume, FRESH!' catch the eye.

Wines displayed in the store.
Photo by Hyunju Park phj0325@

Wine, once considered an expensive and luxurious drink, is now threatening the dominance of beer. With the rise of 'hon-sul' (drinking alone) as a trend during COVID-19, interest in wine, which can be enjoyed lightly, has exploded. The 'Insta vibe'?various alcohol contents and pretty labels targeting the tastes of the MZ generation (Millennials + Gen Z)?is also a major factor in wine's popularity. According to an analysis by E-Mart of liquor purchase records from January to April this year, wine sales among people in their 20s and 30s grew by 53% compared to the previous year, showing the highest growth rate among all age groups. Customers visiting Josuwa are mainly women in their 20s and 30s, as well as young couples and married couples.

Josuwa's suspiciousness is not only in its business hours. When you see recommendations for Korean food pairings like 'Goes well with tteokbokki!' and 'Great with various Korean dishes~ even soy sauce marinated crab is OK!', your eyes widen. These combinations are personally tasted and recommended by CEO Heather and regular customers who love pairing drinks with food. Although wine is often thought to be paired with luxurious cheese or steak, Heather hints that it surprisingly goes well with Korean food too. Customers who were skeptical about these unusual pairings reportedly left very satisfied. Grilled ginkgo nuts and butter soy sauce rice are also representative wine pairing menus recommended by Heather.

If you still worry about pairing wine, you can visit Josuwa's Instagram or blog. There, you can find Heather's friendly wine introductions along with a recipe book serialized by S (a pseudonym), a graduate of the French culinary school Le Cordon Bleu. The recipes introduce dishes that pair well with wine such as △Beef Brisket and Bean Sprout Hot Pot Rice △Carrot Rape Sandwich △Natto Soba △Dried Persimmon Rolls with Butter and Cream Cheese △Green Seaweed and Shrimp Pancakes. The recipes are simple, usually requiring only 3-4 steps. You can also read drinking essays by B (a pseudonym), a true connoisseur who advocates 'Seonju Hubo (先酒後步)', meaning 'drink first, then walk'. The three of them used to share drinks and talk about wine together.

Wines displayed in the store. Unique one-line reviews catch the eye.
Photo by Hyunju Park phj0325@

Tannins, rich aromas, vanilla nuances... If you visited the wine corner out of interest but felt intimidated by difficult foreign terms and fancy labels, or if you have ever left holding only an expensive recommended wine, you can find CEO Heather at Josuwa. She holds a WSET Level 3 wine qualification but once wandered around department store wine corners relying solely on staff recommendations. Especially when she first encountered natural wine without proper explanation, she thought, 'What is this? Does it taste like poop?' Therefore, Heather only recommends wines she has personally tasted and carefully selected. Listening to her explanations, even wine beginners will soon find themselves nodding along.

Perhaps that is why Heather set her goal when opening the store to popularize wine and lower the barriers to it. Just as beer, a foreign drink, is loved by many, she hopes wine will naturally find its place on our tables. "It's perfectly fine to buy wine simply because the label design is pretty. I think I was also drawn to the visuals at first. Because the visuals are unique, I became curious about the story behind the wine." The course Heather most recommends is to buy wine at Josuwa and then visit Garak Market. She even shared a customer's review on the store's Instagram about enjoying 'Russian Jack' wine purchased at Josuwa together with freshly sliced sashimi from Garak Market.

According to regular customers, Josuwa is 'a place to occasionally stop by after work to stock up the pantry.' Is there a more satisfying and heartwarming sight for drink lovers than a few bottles of wine neatly lined up in a cupboard? Everyone has nights when their steps feel especially heavy. When you feel crushed by people and tired of daily life with nowhere to run, how about comforting yourself with a glass of wine on your way home? Talking with CEO Heather, who deeply empathizes with the hardships of office workers, you will find yourself one step closer to becoming a wine expert before you know it.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.