Your Guide To Wine Tastings In South Slope
The truth is, you may have finished sampling all the wines featured in Sideways. Maybe it’s been so long since you’ve seen the film that you’re willing to drink Merlot again. Even the most dedicated oenophile needs to brush up on the new wine options available.
You’ll be happy to know that South Slope is a fantastic neighborhood to sample wines. Your nearest wine shop is most likely a short walking distance away, and the wine merchants in the area seem to always be offering a sip — and not just on the weekends. We’ve put together a list of the wheres and whens of the neighborhood’s wine tasting options. Tastings are a great opportunity to get to know the wine experts, talk about your favorite years, learn about new regions, and meet your neighbors.
And with the holidays coming, a great bottle of wine is often a really nice gift.
Acme Wines and Spirits (487 5th Avenue, between 11th and 12th Streets; 718-832-5101) hosts weekly tastings on Fridays from 6:00-8:00pm. They often have a wine representative or maker on hand to answer questions about what is being tasted. They also have tastings all day Sunday (12:00-9:00pm).
Big Nose Full Body (389 7th Avenue, between 11th and 12th Streets; 718-369-4030) has a bottle open every evening. On Saturdays from 4:00-6:00pm, there are three different wines for you to sample. The tastings section of the website lets you know what’s on for the sipping. And everything that is being tasted is 15% off if you buy a bottle.
Gowanus Wines Merchants (493 3rd Avenue at 11th Street; 718-499-9700) is definitely worth the trip if you haven’t checked it out. Wines are tasted here Fridays and Saturdays from 6:00-8:00pm. Additional tastings are available, so follow their Facebook page.
Prospect Wine Shop (322 7th Avenue, between 8th and 9th Streets; 718-768-1232) hosts tastings each week on Saturdays from 4:00-6:00pm. Their tastings page is always updated and has particularly good curating. They will be featuring champagne tastings in December, just in time for the holiday season.
Slope Cellars (436 7th Avenue, between 14th and 15th Streets; 718-369-7307) hosts tastings each week on Thursdays-Saturdays from 6:00-8:00pm. You can sign up for their newsletter to get updates about tastings, and their Twitter feed is very active.
Windsor Wines Merchants (216 Prospect Park West, between 16th Street and Windsor Place; 718-768-2291) consistently hosts four tastings per week — often with different themes. While there may be additional tastings for the holidays, stop by Wednesdays-Sundays from 6:00-8:00pm. Their website provides specific updates for each week, and clearly lays out wine names as well as their prices.