The 25,000-square-foot vacancy left in Wareham Crossing by the bankrupt Borders book store will be corked with more than 3,000 types of wine and 1,500 varieties of craft beer when Wines & More celebrates its grand opening on Sunday, October 30.

"We're so excited," said Sara Slahetka, Advertising Department Administrator for Wine & Spirits Retail Consultants, Inc., which franchises the Wines & More brand. The Wareham location is owned by John Caprio.

In addition to the large selection of wine, beer, and spirits, Wines & More will offer free seminars aimed to help customers develop their palette for wine, beer, or both.

"Everybody [who works at Wines & More] has been in the industry and has been educated. ... They're constantly informed on new and upcoming trends and techniques," Slahetka said. "If you say, 'I want to have two red [wines] and two whites and I have 50 people, how much do I need?' They can help."

Four wine tasting stations are located throughout the store so customers can try a particular variety before making a purchase. Customers are issued tasting cards to keep track of the wines they've tried.

An area in the back of the store referred to as the "wine cellar" will offer rare, hard-to-find selections of wine for collectors and connoisseurs.

"Our saying is 'service, selection, education,'" said Slahetka. "Those are the three main focal points."

Customers wanting more common brands will find those at Wines & More too, Slahetka noted. A self-serve "beer cave" (which Slahetka said actually resembles a cave) will house everyday beers, chilled and ready to take home. (At the grand opening celebration, shoppers can watch a sculptor use a chain saw to carve a bear out of a tree stump. That bear will then live in the "beer cave.")

The store also offers specialty gifts and gift baskets and a gourmet food section with cheese, crackers, jams, and more.

Slahetka said the old Borders is an "ideal location" for Wines & More. The company has been looking into scooping up other former Borders locations as well, due to the store's large size.

"We love the plaza," she said, adding that a Wines & More location that opened in Mansfield Crossing, operated by the same company as Wareham Crossing, has been very successful.

The grand opening celebration will begin at 12 p.m. on Sunday and will feature wine and beer tastings, raffles, and food from local restaurants, including Cosi, Gourmet & Gourmand, and Minerva's.

Wines & More will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.