Altura Wine & Gourmet

Found this place on Unilocal with good reviews and just a block away from the Pita House where we ate. Didn’t want to purchase their surcharge on wine despite it would have went well with dinner. Edgar, I’m assuming is his name helped us out and got 2 bottles of wine, a red and a Spaniard Sparkle. Good prices and, didnt feel overwhelmed by a huge wine section and have to figure it out for yourself. Cheers!!!

I have visited this fine wine store on multiple occasions and continue to come back for the great service provided by the manager and owner and because of the unique wine selection offered. Edgar, is extremely customer service focused and ensures that his customers leave the store satisfied with their wine selection and purchase. He is very knowledgable on the different wines and pairings and has an ease to recommend when hearing what the customer is in search for.
This place if in King street off the corner of Patrick and the wines you find there are not easy to find in any other places in the area. He has bottles for great prices and all different tastes. The environment is very inviting and the service offered and expertise is what makes for an extremely pleased customer, me!
If in the Old Town area, don’t pass up on making a stroll into this gem, you will be very satisfied you did!

Great local wine shop. Each time I’ve been in Edgar has found a fantastic wine wine within our desired price range.

Altura Wine & Gourmet is a gem in the DC area. Located right off of King Street in Old Town Alexandria, it’s convenient to get to and spot. They have a wide variety of wines, from all regions and at different price points — in addition to a smaller, but great craft beer selection.
Edgar, the owner and manager, is an expert in helping you find exactly what you are looking for. On the weekend, Altura has tastings, and the staff is extremely helpful and warm. I always look forward to visiting, and always learn quite a bit on each visit! Highly recommended!

Edgar is great. You can buy a great bottle for less than $ 10 or if you please you can spend $ 50. The selection is interesting and thorough. Old Town has needed this place for a long time!
What is better than supporting a great local small business!

This shop has a very nice selection of wines that you can’t find elsewhere. The owner of this shop is very knowledgeable about wine and offers great suggestions. The shop’s monthly wine club is a fun way to learn more about great wines from parts of the world you likely wouldn’t have tried otherwise.

Stopped by on a whim on a Sunday afternoon. Told the nice gentleman (whom I presume was the famed Edgar) what I liked and asked for his suggestion. He suggested a Malbec and a white. I trusted his judgement and purchased both. Opened the white that night with dinner and it was wonderful! Great little shop. Great customer service. Reasonably priced. Will definitely be back!

To echo the previous postings, Edgar, one of the two proprietors, is really a nice guy; friendly, approachable, and lacking any pretension too often associated with buying wine (have not had the opportunity to meet his partner, Ana). Although the place is not expansive (think Total Wine) because of space constraints (it’s located in an old town row house), what really stands out is the exceptional selection of both wine and beer.
Moreover, while the prices are higher than if you were choosing wine from a discount warehouse or grocery store, they are only slightly so. The value here is that you will find an excellent wine or beer at a reasonable price that you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere while experiencing great service, as well.

Fantastic selection of international wines you won’t find at your grocery store. Support your local wine shop. Edgar, the manager, is fantastic!

I love this shop — it’s quickly become our go-​to place for wine. The owner gives helpful recommendations, and we have discovered several wines we love as a result. They also will keep track of your purchases if you want, so you can remember what you liked or didn’t like.

This is by far the best wine shop in Alexandria, and definitely in Old Town. My husband and I first visited shortly after his opening, and have been frequenting his shop ever since. The owner, Edgar, is insanely knowledgeable and passionate about quality wine ranging in price and varietal from both old and new worlds. He’s dedicated his career to the restaurant and service industry, which is evidenced in his ability to not only remember faces, names and intimate details of his guests, but also the wines they have experienced and enjoyed. This allows him to uniquely customize each experience for the guest. You’ll never be disappointed by his recommendations, especially since he’s constantly bringing in new stock. He also holds tastings and allowed our golden retriever to visit, so really, it doesn’t get any better. If you really enjoy good wine, visit this store. If you’re looking for your run of the mill Francophile wine shop, go elsewhere.

Since it opened Altura has become my favorite wine shop in Old Town. The owners are very laid back and friendly, and my husband and I enjoy chatting with them over weekend tastings. They carry a great selection of grapes and regions at very reasonable price points, many under $ 20. We have never picked a bottle we didn’t enjoy. Location on Rt. 1 off King Street is very convenient. They also carry craft beers and a small selection of artisanal food items (chocolate, charcuterie, etc.). If you are looking for a great selection of wines at good prices with friendly (but never overbearing) service, this is your spot in Old Town. (They also have loyalty program for regular customers, where you earn reward dollars, they will email your receipts, and keep track of what you purchase, which is a nice touch.)

Great recent addition to Old Town. Friendly owner (and family) who is great at suggesting new wine to try based on your preferences. Plenty of gourmet cheese, meats, jams, etc to go with your wine/​beer. Altura has a nice selection of beers ranging from breweries in Alexandria to Belgium. I generally scope out the beer while my wife picks the wine. Seems to have wine tastings each weekend.

Very friendly owner who seed very knowledgeable and happy to help us pick out a wine based on what we like. My husband and I loved the wine he recommended! Lovely array of wines from around the world at a very decent price! Will definitely be back for more recommendations.

Edgar is great! He’s called me by name since the first time I popped into the shop, remembers my preferences and always has good selection/​suggestions at a great price. If you want to support a fantastic small business I highly recommend shopping at this one.

One of my favorite finds in Alexandria. A great selection of wines, helpful staff, and regular in-​house (free) tastings. The atmosphere is relaxed and unhurried. Mostly small producer wines you won’t find at the grocery.

Edgar Salinas is running a gem of a store here in Old Town. I came in to get some Ribera del Duero, happened to find some delicious Aecht Schlenkerla marzen and the Stone Enjoy By IPA. Add some beautiful triple cream cheese and I’m a very happy camper! You won’t be disappointed.

Spotted this place on my walk home from yoga yesterday and had to walk in, I’m a sucker for a wine store! Very large selection of wine (and plenty off $ 10-​$ 12 bottles for those of us that like fancy wine stores but not fancy wine prices) and there are some interesting beers and delicious snacks as well. Very pleasant and knowledgeable owner who appears to be very passionate about his new store. I love supporting small local businesses in Old Town and this one gets an A-​plus from me.

Knowledgable owner with a great selection from different regions. It’s great to find good wines, but even better when the owners share the same appreciation for it.
They are able to keep record of your purchases so if you forgot the name of something you liked in the past they can easily recall it for you.
I’m excited to see them in the neighborhood!

After getting my hair washed & blown out (I am the queen of that indulgence, believe me), I learned that TLC’s next door neighbor was a wine shop!!! Although the vintage shop that did occupy the space was nice, I spent more at Altura in 15 minutes than I ever did at that store! Altura is a much better retail store.
Yesterday, I immediately went inside, all giddy & excited. Anna greeted me and told me all about the store. She is very friendly and knowledgeable about the gourmet store’s offerings.
Christmas was still in the air because they were doing an Italian wine tasting in the back room. I couldn’t walk there fast enough. The representative told a lot about the wines and I bought three of them, along with 2 great cheese spreads that were being sampled. The prices are very reasonable as well.
This is a wonderful addition to Old Town and Edgas Salinas was very kind and welcoming. He is the Manager.
They just opened so they will continue to expand their selections of beers, wines, gifts & foods.
I look forward to the upcoming tastings and becoming a regular there!