Astor Wines & Spirits

10/22/2007 Posted by kostasg

I bought a box of wine along with several other wines in May and opened it in June. The wine was oxidized although I had kept in a cool air conditioned place. I brought the wine to their shop and they refused to exchange it. I asked them why as the return policy allows for store credit and they answered "because we never exchange wine-only hard liquor"!!

Pros: Wide selection

Cons: Poor customer service, Terrible online return policy

02/02/2007 Posted by vreelander1

The ten under ten selection is one of the city's few real bargains. The only bad thing about Astor is that thye won't guarantee a delivery time, and get abraasive if you try to request one, even if you're call way in advance.

Pros: Good selection

Cons: Deliivery service expects you to wait around for them; only delivers in Brooklyn after noon, forcing you to alter your plans around them

01/13/2007 Posted by suebeelin

Astor actually has a very good selection, and the new location is much more spacious than the old location (tho I miss the feel of the old place!!). They have a substantial single malt selection at reasonable prices (the maccallan 25 is $349, while other places it was $400). I'm also an avid sake drinker, and they have a nice selection appropriately located in the fridge section. The prices are decent-- sometimes it's a few dollars more, and sometimes it's a few dollars less-- so you need to shop around if you're making a big purchase. On the plus side, Astor does deliver for free if you buy more than $75.

12/20/2006 Posted by ansleyvanepps

I have to agree this is the best wine store ever...they were the only store to carry the "Cork Jet" wine opener I have been calling every store around to find. And - only $16.99 instead of $32.00. Hurray!

11/09/2006 Posted by ms_hayley

It seems everyone and their brother is opening up a new wine store these days, but I have to say, the new Astor just raised the bar so far above everyone elses heads it's not even funny. Not only do they continue to stock their massive store with wines that are interesting and unique (as opposed to the usual Parker rated selections that every other store tends to carry), but their treatment of the wines themselves is just remarkable. Their cool room (a feature many other stores have) is not just for the high end wines (as is the case with the others), but rather houses all their natural and biodynamic wines that are sensitive to temperature changes. The store itself is gorgeous, and the sales staff is always ready to help you pick out a good bottle. Anyway, if you're shopping anywhere else, you're undoubtedly over paying and cutting yourself short in terms of selection. Love it, love it, love it.

Pros: selection, prices, general ambiance

Cons: further from the 6 train, so I actually have to walk the whole block to get there.

06/24/2006 Posted by winowino

Man oh man, and I thought the old Astor was great! I'm embarassed at how long it took me to make the trip to the new store - and boy howdy, they've really outdone themselves. The selection of wines is insane. And the stuff in the cool room? I mean, first off, I think it's really neat that the cool room isn't just for fancy high-end wines - it's got a bunch of stuff that mere mortals like myself can actually afford (in addition the the stuff that makes me want to quit my job and and become an investment banker). And as for whatshisname's quip about the sales staff - I have to say, I had the complete opposite experience. Very knowledgable and friendly, and not at all pushy (which is very important to me). Two thumbs up from this here alcoholic!

Pros: Selection, service, prices!!

Cons: signs are a little confusing...had to ask for directions!

06/22/2006 Posted by voneldritch

I like Astor Wines - granted, I'd got used to the old store where I knew where everything was, but I was in the new place the other day and they still have the same great selection at good prices. I'm not a wine buff by any means, but I do know that I like to stock up on Wynns Coonawara, Valdemar rioja, and a couple of spicy Malbecs at around $10 a bottle. I find the staff to be knowledgeable and helpful - they listen to what you're looking for, they make suggestions for food to go with it, and they're happy to help you find what you want. I couldn't say whether it's the place to go if you're looking for a $500 bottle of Lafite, but for what most of my friends need in a wine store (good selection, sensible prices, knowledgeable staff, unpretentious environment, passionate about what they sell) it's ideal. I'm in there probably 6 times a year buying 4-6 cases at a time (what can I say, we Brits like a drink!), and I wouldn't go anywhere else if I could help it.

06/22/2006 Posted by djjhunt

Jendfrank must have his underwear on too tight because I've found the staff to be knowledgeable, professional and pleasant. Awesome varieties of great wine. If you know what you're looking for, you should be able to find it without having to whine to the staff about it.

05/26/2006 Posted by jendfrank

The new Astor Wines on Lafayette is a great looking store with a decent selection of wines. And that is where the praise ends! The place appears to be organized but, if you take a closer look, the wines are not even in the appropriately marked sections. I suppose that is why I found White Burgundies in an area clearly marked "Bordeaux". The staff is useless. I have never found an employee in the least bit helpful. On my first visit, I arrived ready to purchase an expensive White Burgundy. 2 minutes with a dimwitted salesguy and Astor lost the sale to a competitor. I decided to give the store another chance recently and, once again, left utterly frustrated without spending a dime. Astor has all the fancy trappings but it is a horrible shopping experience.

Pros: Selection, Space

Cons: Sales Staff, Organization, Knowledge

12/01/2005 Posted by humdinger

I really want to like Astor wines, but I find them to be lacking a soul and/or feel for their store. Their selections seems to be somewhat random and often I have found their highlighted wines a bit.. dubious? They have a great space, but I find their varieties often disappointing. I have left their store empty-handed more than once (which is unusual for me when in a wine store). I usually end up at Warehouse Wines around the corner.

Pros: big space

Cons: Staff kind of dull, Variety seems spotty