For better for for worse, I have shopped at nearly every wine store in Manhattan, but for some reason, Tribeca and the Financial District have escaped my list.
Tribeca Wine Merchants
The store specializes in small wine producers from California, Oregon, and Burgundy. The decor mirrors the clientele, with cherrywood shelves reflecting the wealthy financial services clientele who live in the neighborhood.
I asked about some region-level Burgundy, and the salesperson was able to provide tasting notes and even winemaker commentary for the three bottles within my price range. After asking him what he thought the best value under $30 was in the store, he pointed me straight to an Evening Lands 2008 Pinot Noir ($24), a solid entry level Pinot for a vigneron whose higher-level wines have scored 95+ on Robert Parker's notes. As an additional courtesy, he even offered to open it so I could taste it. I was floored by the immense generosity, but apparently this is a service customarily offered.
The store does a significant business outside the confines of the shop, so it isn't the most retail-centric place. Most of the wines retail at $30+, but they do have a small selection of wines for under $20 for a drinking or dinner party wine. Nevertheless, many of the vineyards I have not seen in other stores, and despite the higher average prices, you are getting considerable value for wines that have low allocation.
Chamber Street Wines
As mentioned by another wine store in the Financial District, this is where wine owners in the neighborhood shop after they get off work.
The plethora of Old World and New World wine maps decorating the walls gives an indication to the depth of the selection here. Stalwarts such as France (Burgundy/Bordeaux), Italy, Spain, Germany, and California are well represented by very hard-to-find producers, but where this place shines is their deep selection of Loire Valley wines. They have the deepest selection of Muscadet, Sancerre, Vouvray, Chinon, Bourguiel, and Savenierres, I've encountered in any wine store in Manhattan or Brooklyn. And for those with a sweet tooth, they have a solid line of dessert lines from Sauternes and Barsac.
Up front, they have a decent selection of 10-20 wines between $10 and $20, but I would highly suggest asking one of their extremely knowledgable sales reps for their recommendations. After posting this question to John, you could tell his mind started racing. He picked some not-very-obvious selections: a Beaujolais from Morgon, an Pinot Noir from Carneros (after steering me away from a Oregon Pinot Noir twice the price), and a Vin de Table made by Domaine Clape, a rock-star vigneron from Cornas who recently passed. He later regaled me with his disdain for Austrian reds, and his high esteem for German rieslings; some would me turned off by this, but I happen to relish opinionated people, especially about wine.
Downtown Cellars
Formerly the Greene Grape Downtown, this wine store follows the same philosophy of stocking a carefully selected wine for all regions, prices, and dining occasions.
Although the selection isn't large (about 80-100 wines), there is a lot of thought and care put into selecting the wines. Besides the requisite taste profile, there is a lot of pride talking about producers and viticultural methods. However, if you're looking for shiny premier and cru wine labels from Burgundy and Bordeaux, you'll be disappointed.
The strong suit of this store, in my opinion, is not their wine, but their spirits selection. Although not as expansive as Astor Wine & Spirits, the brands were selected by a buyer who read his spirits industry websites and drank his fair share. Their gins spanned the range of flavors from botanical (Brueckelen Gin), to citrusy (Bluecoat Gin), to piny and spicy (Junipero Gin). For whiskey, they had some Old Portero Rye Whiskey, a favorite of mine.
However, the sales associates weren't the most helpful. Inquiring about the difference between a $24 De Forville Langhe Nebbiolo 2008 and a $34 Barbaresco by the same producer (sometimes the less expensive wine from this region is more approachable and has nearly the same complexity of flavor), it was obvious that she hadn't tasted the wines or read the tasting notes for either. I had to follow up with the general manager to satisfactorily answer my question.
Le Petit Cave
Many have praised Le Petit Cave for their affordable wine selection, but Downtown Cellars does a more comprehensive job within the same price range, if you're picking up a bottle of wine after work.
Most of the wines here are between $10 and $20, and cover all the Old World (Italy, Spain) and New World (US, Chile, Argentina) talking points. There are a few outright bargains like an Oregon 2008 L'Ecume Pinot Noir from the daughter of famed vigneron Robert Drouhin.
I'm just not a fan of the lo-fi setup. Wines are displayed in their original packing boxes. Sales prices are marked up hand-written signs used in dollar stores. And the selection of more expensive Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Italian Barbaresco ($50-$150) languishes under bright overhead lights and winter heating that aren't doing any favors to the precious grape juice inside these expensive bottles.
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