I went to Astor Wines and Spirits for the retail project. Its located at, 399 Lafayette St, New York, just around the shopping areas in SoHo. It was very easy to find the location, it was not far from the train station at all either which is always a plus, they also had a specific wine tasting at the time which was free also, it was from 5pm – 8pm i believe that day. Walking into the store i did not expect it to be so big and organized It felt good walking inside, it almost seemed like i was at a supermarket but for wines and alcohol. Most of the wines were located in sections of regions if not the countries that produces the wines. There were so many sections to look at, the French aisle had all the important regions like Rhone, Loire, Burgundy as well as other countries like Italy. It was a great experience to recognize so many regions, because i study wine. Most of the wine sections had shelf talkers hanging above the bottles, they were descriptive about the type of wine the region focuses on, for example if they are dry, red, the dominant grape variety, what to expect on your palate and a little positive line about the quality to basically sell the wine. They even include a picture and/or description of where the region is located which makes it very helpful for those like me that study wine. Doing research, on their website you can actually have a full google tour of the store as well, i strongly recommend it, if you are planning on going but want to check out the store online.
I also found myself exploring the unknown and looking at the South American wines, wines from Spain and even Sake. It was interesting because i saw countries that i wouldn’t think to produce wines like Australia. Looking at the price ranges of the store most wines were around $13 – $30, some wines from more important regions like Burgundy had wines for around $30 to $60 on the shelf. I saw wines that were new from Portugal, Chile and Spain, they did not cost much either, i wondered if they were just table wines or experimenting with new producers. While walking around I asked an employee that was very friendly and helpful some questions. I asked if they had any very luxury wines that are not available on the shelf, which he replied with a “yes” and pointed at a sealed room on the left side of the store and told me that they have very expensive bottles and high quality mixed wines there. He said they can range from $75 – $100 to thousands depending on the vintage or and producer, like wines from a well know high quality grand cru, some are not presented to the public either unless is asked for. I also ask if they make orders for customers if they want a specific wine that is not in stock, and they definitely do he said. he informed me that they do delivery and pick ups at the store as well. I had a wonderful experience coming to Astor, i even bought a Riesling wine. The only drawback was just the fact that there ware so many options and vast variety of wines and other beverages, it can be difficult to find something to buy unless is something specific that you’ll want, but the employees are very helpful and knowledgeable so they can help.
Argentinean wine from the South American Wines, Malbec and Cabernet Saugvinon dominant.
Burgundy was my favorite French Region, the shelf talker gives the a great description of the region.
French Sparkling Wines made just outside the Champagne region, referred as a “Cremant”
New Portuguese wines, Fernao Pires, Casa De Pacos and Coventual Portalegre 2014.
