Two South End women fulfilled their dream to be their “own boss” and in the process they brought fine wine and cheeses to Langley.

Laurel Davis and Linda Shafer have opened 2nd Street Wine Shop and tasting room. It’s the newest business to hit Langley. The shop moved into the former home of Joe’s Island Music on Second Street.

Davis said opening a wine shop is something she wanted to do for a long time. Finally the time was right.

The focus on local wines seemed to fit into a town like Langley. The wine shop specializes in Washington state wines exclusively, with the focus being on boutique wineries that are self- distributing, she said.

The doors opened Jan. 23 and the business has already become quite the popular spot, the owners said.

“People have been very excited,” Davis said. “They watched the progress and now they come by to see what it ended up being.”

Guests can spread out along the 14-foot bar, peruse the tasting menu, sample wines and indulge in organic Willamette Valley cheeses. The wine tasting and cheese pairing selections are rotated on a weekly basis.

Pairing food and wine is right up Davis’ alley.

Davis has been a chef for more than 25 years and her simple approach to food and wine is to take the time to always enjoy what you eat and drink.

“I am self-trained. I bring a different perspective. My background is in food,” she explained.

She added that she enjoys asking people what they’ll have for dinner and helping them find the right wine to match the meal.

Does somebody who works with wine for a living have a favorite?

“I’m heavier on the reds,” Davis said. “But we do drink whites and a beer once in a while.”

While growing up Davis and her family spent years vacationing on Whidbey Island, so it was only natural that she and her husband spend their honeymoon on the island. They found their dream property on South Whidbey, built their home and have been there happily for the last 17 years.

Davis’ business partner, Shafer, has a family history in the dairy business. Her father designed and installed milking parlors for the local dairymen in Salem, Ore.

Now her nephew Rod Volbeda and his wife Melissa own and operate Willamette Valley Cheese Company. The award-winning, family-run organic dairy has produced some of the finest cheese in Oregon and now South Enders can sample these cheeses at the new shop.

2nd Street Wine Shop is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday for tasting and purchasing.

They will be hosting special events once a month on Sundays to showcase winemakers.

Their first event will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, to introduce Bob and Mary Broderick of Chelan Estate Winery. Space is limited. For more details or to sign up, stop by or call at 221-3121.