Blackstone Valley shoppers will be able to expand their gourmet palates as WineNation, a wine and gourmet food lifestyle store opens this weekend at The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley kicking off with a grand opening and ribbon cutting beginning at 11:00am tomorrow, Friday, July 30.

The 33,000-square-foot shop, which will occupy the  former Linens ‘N Things store, will feature an incomparable selection of wines and gourmet food at exceptional values, as well as a 54-seat classroom for wine education programs and community events. The store also will bring some 40 to 60 new jobs to the region.

“We’re delighted to open our first location at The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley,” says Tom Trone, president of WineNation, and a former executive for CVS in Massachusetts. “It’s a regional destination and we are confident WineNation will be a great complement to the vast retail mix that already in place.”

Wine Nation will offer the lowest-priced selection of more than 7,000 wines, 800 microbrews from around the world, gourmet foods, wine-related gifts and a dedicated wine team that has been through a rigorous wine education program and trained to work with shoppers to them help build their cellars.

“Exceptional customer service and the most competitive prices in the region complete WineNation’s advantages,” Trone adds. “Our goal is to invite browsing and encourage the shopper to learn more about wine.”

Trone and his son Taylor, who will be in a management capacity at the Blackstone Valley store, plan to become involved with a number of programs and charities in Millbury.

“We expect that Wine Nation will bring an entirely new customer base to The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley,” said David Fleming, director of corporate marketing of Chestnut Hill, Mass.-based WS Development, The Shoppes’ owner/developer. “With its educational programs and its plans for community outreach, Wine Nation will add a new dimension to the center.”