Tappahannock business owners Bob Culley and Greg Huff believe that sometimes you have to be the ones to do something simply because no one else is doing it.
When Culley first began looking for a space downtown to put a wine shop, that was merely phase one of his overall plan. In September 2023, Act XII Wine and Provisions opened on the same day that Huff and his wife opened 1710 Tavern a few blocks away. And while Act XII carried some provisions, Culley and his wife, Corrie, always had more in mind. “Phase two was to have food and drink consumption on-site,” he says. “We wanted to ask Greg and Jen about food, so we met and hatched our plans over dinner and wine.”
Sera Petras Photography
Corrie and Bob Culley, owners of Act XII Wine and Provisions, and Greg and Jenn Huff, owners of 1710 Tavern, pooled their considerable talents to create the market.
The wine shop was housed in half of a building that was also home to a countertop showroom. When the showroom company moved out, Culley jumped on the opportunity to take over the entire building, which, in the late 1950s, had housed the first Black-owned gas station in Tappahannock. “The owner’s name was Mr. Gaines, and we plan on placing a plaque to honor him and his business,” Culley says. “The historic ties to this town are very important to us and we don’t want that history forgotten.”
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Now, instead of a lube or a fill-up, customers can have a glass of wine, something to eat and a place to socialize before shopping. The market carries charcuterie as well as sandwiches and salads made by the 1710 Tavern kitchen to be enjoyed on- or off-site. “We want to bring people downtown and maybe they’ll walk around and shop afterwards,” Huff says. “We want people driving through town to their vacation homes to stop, so Tappahannock isn’t just a pass-through.”
The goal of the European-style market’s inventory is simple: to save locals from having to drive to Richmond or Williamsburg for items the local grocery stores don’t carry. Newcomers to the area frequently comment on missing the food availabilities of larger cities. “It’s tough for people to see us as a river town when there’s no fish market,” Huff says. “So, we’ll carry high-quality steaks and fish for customers to cook at home. My kitchen guys can prepare any cuts, and if it’s something we don’t carry, we can get it here in a couple days.”
Out of respect for local markets, they won’t carry produce. The emphasis will be on Virginia-made products such as cheese, crackers, pasta, chips and high-end baking mixes, plus gluten-free and lactose-free products. “We want it to be a healthier-style market, with food that’s high quality and tastes good,” Culley says. “We recognize the cost of food and want to keep high-quality and healthy food costs affordable.”
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Because this is a marriage of a restaurant and a wine shop, they’ll also offer premade dinners to go. The market is geared to locals, vacationers and second-home people—who may not have all the ingredients for a dish at home—who can pick up wine, dinner and snacks in one easy stop. “We want local residents to feel that this is their home market and that they can come in and order a turkey for Thanksgiving or a prime rib for Christmas,” Culley says. “We’re trying to make it so you don’t have to wait until your next trip into the city to get great cheeses and meats.”
Act XII Wine and Provisions has a market feel, but with tables and chairs tucked into cozy nooks, it’s also become a place to hang out and socialize. The former countertop store left behind walls of multicolored granite that Culley and Huff have repurposed. Narrow shelving on the walls holds sauces, drink mixers and other products not available in the area. “We tried to use everything that was here because we didn’t want it all ending up in the trash,” Huff says. “We’ve created a space that’s accessible and added more parking to make it easy to drop by.”
Culley’s emphasis at the wine shop has always been on affordable wines and now customers can chat with the knowledgeable staff about food and wine or have the option of trying a flight of wines from all over the world to discover new favorites.
Sera Petras Photography
The European-style market offers high-end to-go meals, charcuteries and snacks, quality meat cuts and dry goods not readily available locally, with a special focus on Virginia-made products.
The market has already attracted locals who now have the ability to pick up food options they used to have to drive for, while those with second homes can score steaks or crabcakes, cheese, charcuterie and snacks as well as wine to get them through their stay. “We’re offering fresh food and high-end to-go meals for people who don’t have time to cook,” Huff says. “It’s the things you can’t get elsewhere that make us distinct.”
With the opening in May of the market portion of Act XII Wine and Provisions, Tappahannock is on its way to becoming the destination Huff and Culley are determined to make it. “Opening 1710 Tavern has created an environment where people are choosing to come here,” Culley says. “The market extends that.”
Act XII Wine and Provisions I Wednesday-Sunday 11am-7pm | 221 Church Lane, Tappahannock I 804-925-6045 I actxiiwineandprovisions.com
