The wine retail shop I visited is named Off the Vine, and it is located in Astoria, New York. I made the decision to visit them because they are located a block from my house, and whenever I go in there they are super friendly and helpful to me. The owner is John Paul Bucich and his wife, who are very knowledgeable of wine and are a delight to talk to. They also have their sweetheart dog in the store all day long behind the counter with them. Sometimes later in the evening she is allowed to walk around the store. I see John working there more often and he is always willing to talk to me about what I might be looking for and walk around the store with me to provide options. They do their best to make you feel welcome, and the store definitely gives off that mom-and-pop wine shop feel, which is something I love about the place. It is not a commercial chain shop with employees who may or may not be interested in wine or even helping you. The people at Off the Vine express a real passion for it.
The store is intimate and well organized. The layout is incredibly customer friendly and it’s not hard to find what you might be looking for. The room is easy to navigate, with wines set up along the walls and then there are two small islands in the middle of the room. The decorations were simple, yet classic, with fake flowers in baskets, copper pots and grape vines decorating the walls and shelves. The walls also have some vintage wine and liquor posters hanging on them. In the front of there store there are small barrels filled with fake grapes and bottles of wine and sangria. The place has a nice, warm, welcoming feel to it. The front display window changes with each season, so it currently it all setup for Easter.
The wines are organized first by color and then by country. All of the red wines are set up along the wall, while the white wines, including rose, champagne, and sparking wines, are found in the center islands. Above each wine is a little card with the name of the country the wine came from, along with a picture of the country’s flag. I like the flag and feel it is a unique touch that I have not seen many places. The selection of wine was impressive as well. The store offers a wide variety of wines from various regions around the world. The red wines they have come from New York, Washington, Oregon, California, Chile, Argentina, Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, South Africa, Australia and France. The whites come from New Zealand, California, New York, Washington, Italy, Germany, Austria, Croatia, France, Spain, and Chile. There were only three rose’s, from Spain, France and New Zealand. The sparkling wines they offer are from Italy, Spain and France. For a wine shop on the smaller side, it seems they try to have a diverse selection for their customers. Another nice touch is that all the white wines, sparking wines and champagne that are on the shelves also have stock in the back that are cold so that you can buy it already chilled if you like.
The prices are very affordable as well. The owners said they try to be accommodating to the area because they know peoples budget and range. I think it’s very smart and important to do that because to be successful you have to know your customers. I spoke to the owners about how they price the wines for their store and they told me that 80% of the wines are $15.00 and under, 15% are $15.00-$30.00, and 5% are above $30.00. I know for me personally I find the prices to fit perfectly into my budget. Sometimes I want to spend a little more and get a nicer bottle, but sometimes I don’t have a lot of money to spare and I can still get a quality wine for $10.00.
Not only does the store provide excellent wine and customer service, but they go the extra mile for their customers. From February to June they hold a wine tasting twice a month on a Saturday, usually from around 6:00pm-9:00pm. During the summer from June to August time there are no tastings, and they pick back up again in September. From Thanksgiving to the New Year they will do 6 tastings for the holiday season. On their website they allow you to sign up for an email blast that will tell you when the tastings are. There is one coming up this Saturday, April 7, and the owner told me it’s timed to celebrate Easter and Passover and will be a larger than normal tasting for the occasion. Wine tastings are not just a great way to get more business, but a way for the owners and residents to connect and get to know each other on a more personal level too. When it comes to local stores, I always like supporting places where I know the owners or employees and they are genuine, good people doing what they love.
Along with wine, Off the Vine also has a selection of liquor for sale, such as vodka, rum, gin, whiskey, amaretto, cognac, and a few others. These tend to be priced a little higher at around $30-$60, depending on what you are purchasing. During the holiday season, they sell gift packages for both wine and liquor. The owner’s wife told me she likes to do this because she knows at that time of year, her customers are looking for those kinds of things and it helps their business out as well.
My overall experience at the store was excellent. Their customer service is continuously great, and they were especially eager to assist me with answering questions for my analysis today. As for suggestions on the store, I do not currently have any. Of all the wine shops I have been to in New York City, I most certainly like this one the best. I feel they have everything that I look for in a wine shop and I am so pleased to have it in my neighborhood. I look forward to attending their future tastings and speaking to the owners more, as well as other customers and hopefully expanding my wine knowledge even more.
Information on Off the Vine can be found online at http://www.offthevinenyc.org/index.html
I’m loving the flag “Wine a Bit, You’ll Feel Better”. It made me smile.
On a more technical note. Inclusion of the breakdown of their wines by price point is valuable information. Ensuring that you have a broad selection of wine will help bring in customers but ensuring those wines are at the proper price point will bring them back over and over again.