Off the Bee-ten Path: A Wine Renaissance Uptown
On November 4th, if you were having a house party anywhere above 110th street then this is where you bought the good stuff. These aren’t just shops that are ok for the neighborhood. Any one of them can stand with any wine shop in town, at least. What you get at the first two is an eclectically curated selection in sleek surroundings. At the third, a wine encyclopedia that made GQ’s top 50 in the country.
Now, I’ve gone to parties in many neighborhoods and ducked into the closest alcomahol vendor I could find. Usually their bottles are covered in a layer of dust that would make Edgar Allen Poe take a pass. Not here.
Harlem Vintage: The pioneer in peddling upscale fermented grape juice (and a good selection of top quality liquors behind the counter), Harlem Vintage still rocks it. What they excel at is their smart, community-friendly approach. Each wine that qualifies gets a sticker to note if it’s made from a winery owned by a person of color, a woman, or is organic. Their $100 cases are a well-rounded selection of everything you need for the season. Before parties, here’s where I buy some refreshing prosecco to help get my snack on.
2235 8th Ave (Frederick Douglas Blvd)
The Winery: From the Victorian gothic Lolita décor to the rainbow pride sicker placed inconspicuously to the left as you enter, this place stands out. And it’s not just because it’s sandwiched between a tire shop and an insurance peddler. Calling themselves “a very special wine store,” they live up to the name through the service. You always get a friendly welcome here, which is a good thing considering how tiny the place is. After trying all of their samples and chatting with the store manager I finally found the right bottle for my mood (a South African pinotage) and walked out happy (and slightly buzzed).
2166 8th Ave (Frederick Douglas Blvd)
PJ Wines: When I was feverishly hunting obscure Spanish wines all over, a kind salesperson at a lesser store took pity on me and sent me here. PJ carries over 4000 labels, 600 of the Iberian persuasion, and I wasn’t let down. My oloroso was there, and at a sweet price just shy of a Jackson. While Spain is their strength, this colossal, 14,000 square-foot store stocks pretty much anything that’s worth drinking, and cheap.
Here’s my suggestion: make the hike up to the end of the A train, pick up a reasonably-priced Burgundy, and make it a late-autumn picnic in Fort Tryon park. Better yet, get some friends together and spend $100 on a case to enjoy free delivery anywhere in Manhattan.
4898 Broadway (between 204th and 207th Streets)
Tags:harlem, harlem vintage, Manhattan, PJ wines, the winery, Uptown, wine
25. December 2008 at 8:27 pm :
i like that thanks..