Grand Wine & Liquor founded in 1933 is a family owned retail store; it is located at 30-05 31st St, Astoria, NY 11102 and is a large neighborhood store which offers a variety of wines as well as a full selection of spirits.

On arriving at this shop after getting a little lost I met the Store Manager Jamie Anulawicz who had given me an appointment on receiving my email. She was very informative and went the extra mile to make sure she answered all my questions. She has been in the wine business for 6 years and still enjoys every moment of it, she did a course called WSET course at the International Wine Center to advance her knowledge of Wines.

I asked her many questions like, what wine was most popular now? She mentioned that Mionetto Proseco was the most popular wine that was selling, on asking her the reason why it was so popular she mentioned that it was a big brand with national advertising. She also mentioned that Bordeaux’s were also in demand and a hot selling wine among most people and they were willing to spend anywhere from $20 to $50 on a bottle. Their top selling wine was Coppiere Pinot Grigio that cost $8.99 a bottle and was light –bodied and refreshing; it would pair well with delicate white fish.

She showed me around the store which was I think well organized with wines from various countries like  Spain& Portugal, Germany & Austria,  Italy, South Africa, Australia & New Zealand, France, Argentina, Chile and American regions like California, Washington, and Napa Valley. There are racks of sparkling, red and white wines on display. They have a great selection of wines which are presented with prices along with tasking notes and best food pairing. They store wines which are not on the main floor in the basement and attic which are temperature controlled to 55 degree F. Red & White wines are stored together since they sell quickly. There is a section for kosher wines Dry Red Wine, Dry White Wine, Dry Rosé wine bottled by Greek wine cellars D Kourtakis S.A. Near the entrance of the store they have a table displayed with Rosé from different regions and ranging from different prices which they call “Rosé Avenue Station”.

Since most of their customers are regulars they introduce new wines to them. They cater to their customer needs and also have wines from Greece, Croatia, Georgia, and Romania it’s like almost impossible to not find what you’re looking for. The store carries one 750ml bottle of their most expensive wine from France Leroy LesBoudoi Nuhs St Georges 2005 which cost only $1300. To end the evening I embraced my inner oenophile and purchased a bottle of Rose.

1. Shelf Talker

Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Sub-Region: Brunello di Montalcino

Grape Varietal: Sangiovese

Type: Still wine

Classification: DOCG

Brunello di Montalcino is a wine made with 100% Sangiovese with Italy’s highest DOCG classification. This is the Sangiovese that most wine critics cite to be the best in all of Italy. –  Wine Folly

2. Red Wine from Spain

Country: Spain
Region: Jumilla
Grape Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon,Mourvedre

Type: Still wine

Tasting Notes

Intense and dark cherry red color with purple edges. High layer. Clean and bright. Dense tear that lightly dyes the glass. On the nose it is powerful, very intensefresh. Initially, the elegant notes of the Crianza appear, toasted and balsamic. When opened, exploits the black fruit touch of very ripe red fruit, almost jam, at some point liquorice with spicycreamy lactic. Fine floral tobacco touches. In the mouth it is powerful, well- structured, fresh and very sweet. Surrounding entry with a smooth and rich taste.

Wine Maker notes

Selected vintage from low production vines of more than 40 years old, located at 900m altitude. It is hardly harvested in 15 kg boxes at its optimum ripening point, going through the selection table before the vinification. We conduct separate vinification processes for each variety. The malolactic fermentation is done in French and American oak barrel. Once the process is completed, the wine settles for 18 months in those barrels.

3. Sparkling Wine from Spain.

Country: Italy
Region: Veneto
Sub-Region: Prosecco
Grape Varietal: Prosecco

Type: Sparkling

Tasting Notes:

Light-bodied, with crisp acidity and flavors of green pear, melon, fleur de sel and lemon zest. Clean and fresh, with a modest, lightly floral finish. – Wine Spectator

4. Red Wine from Plenkovic Hvar Croatia

Country: Croatia
Region: The Coastal Region

Sub-Region: Dalmatian Background

Grape Varietal: Non-Varietal Red Blend

Type: Still wine

High-quality dry wine Plavac Mali from the localities of Sv.Nedjelja. This wine aged in large wooden barrels (volume 40, 96 and 130 hl) and stainless steel a year and after filling in the bottles another 4 months. Dark red in color and has a rich structure and a long persistence. The wine is dark ruby in color, with a rich and layered, pleasant, and deep aroma that has undertones of Dalmatian herbs, spices, minerality, saltiness and dark fruit. The wine is warm and comforting on the nose, which is typical of Zlatan’s wines and has given them a specific identity and cult-following in Croatia and Europe. It is immensely structured and balanced and possesses a refined, complex, and an exceptional presence on the palate that is followed by a long and persistent finish. It is said that Zlatan’s wines are traditional drink of fishermen, farmers and the inevitable detail of the best restaurant tables. – Wine & More

On October 15,Monday afternoon, while I traveled through the streets of NOHO I stumbled upon a small wine store called Taste Wine Company. I decided to make my assignment based on this store since it was located in such high volume area. Upon entering the store I introduced my self to a young lady behind the register. I explained to her the purpose for my visitation and asked if I was able to speak to a manager. At the moment it seemed like the only manager who was available was busy, but she gladly accept my offer to ask her a few questions. My first question to her was; which wines did her customers showed most interested on and at which price points. She responded by mentioning some of the more common varieties of wines such as Malbec, Merlot, Carbernet franc, Sauvignon Blanc and so on. She said that when it came to a price point customers rarely went looking for the higher priced bottles, but never the less they were still available. She also mentioned that there was a demand for organic and American wines. American wines specifically from the Napa valley region of California. One of the other questions that I asked was, how do they promote new wines introduced to the store? She said that they send out emails to their regular customers, and post on their social media, and also host their wine of the week and display by the window where customers can easily see it. The store is only about three years young, so they are still making a name for themselves.

Walking around the store was very interesting, I got to see and recognize wines by their regions and grape variety. I also got to see wines from interesting regions such as South Africa and Austria. The most interesting to my self was reading tags of some of the organic labels and to find out where these practices are being performed. Organic wine does not only cover a small percentage of the wine industry, but instead it is practiced from Italy, to Oregon, to many other places.

Red wine from Italy

Sparkling Wine from Spain

Red wines from the Napa Valley, California

Red Carbernet Sauvignon from South Africa

ME, proving that i actually visited the store……