Water Tower Fine Wines

My go to place for wine. Very nice and knowledgable staff. If you consider yourself a «real wine drinker», you need to come here. I recommend going to their Friday wine tastings!

Water Tower Fine Wines has it all and it is a true, authentic wine store. Not only does WTFW have one of the largest selections of Champaign and sparkling wine in the country, it also boasts one of the largest selections of red/​white wine in our region. It makes no difference if you are looking for a value-​driven quality wine with a budget in mind, or a superb high-​end bottle for that special occasion (French, German, Italian, California, and et al), you can find it here.
Be sure to attend one of their weekly wine tastings. You will meet many wine enthusiasts in the area and feel welcomed right away. Gourmet food is on hand, which is prepared right in-​house and always pairs nicely with the wine. Come casual, and enjoy the wine, food, and enjoyable atmosphere. In the summer, there is even an outdoor deck to enjoy.
Water Tower Fine Wine is a one-​of-​a-​kind experience. I’ve been to an awful lot of wine shops around the United States, and this one is my favorite.

What an awesome find!!! We had such a wonderful evening at a Wine Tasting event… Great wines and delicious bites! I even asked for recipes and Chef Jan happily supplied…
Be sure to check out all the rooms and nooks overflowing with wines and champagnes… he has a SERIOUS collection… hard to find wines are his specialty!
Great pricing also… can’t wait to go back :)

Looking for a wine to pair with that meal? Love browsing wine? Want a place to hang out early Friday night and a wine tasting (where you can wander, not sit at a «bar») sounds perfect? I’ve been to Water Tower Fine Wines for all three of those reasons.
Plus the owner David has even learned my tastes, and budget, and will put together a perfect case of wine for me.
So come for the wine. Come for the conversation. Heck — on Friday you can even come for the music (there’s usually a guitar player) and food (appetizers are included too). Great place to know about in Cincinnati.

My friend Laura and I kicked-​off our weekend at the Sonoma wine flight tasting the other Friday. It was our first visit to Water Tower Wines after hearing about their Friday evening tastings on WVXU for YEARS! Water Tower offers a very casual atmosphere, age-​diverse crowd of friendly fellow patrons, lovely guitar standards being played live in the «main sitting room,» two fabulous hosts, and some GREAT wines!
We heard a rumor that the business was going to get renovated with a huge new addition from two fellow patrons. This is great news because the only reason I didn’t give 5 stars — was that the building, furniture could use some updating. But all in all, it’s a very cozy, friendly spot to sip some wine with a friend and possibly meet a new friend or two!
Whether you’re an Eastsider or not, come support this locally-​owned, Cincinnati jewel. Attend a future tasting, get your weekend started off right, and discover some great new, wine-​favorites for yourself!
For the full review/​experience visit

Have been to their tastings several times with mixed reactions. They have tastings on Friday evenings 6−8pm. They usually have a red flight and a white flight you can try. One flight for $ 15, both for $ 20– so you might as well do both right. They usually have an early bird special bonus wine for those that get there early enough and often a bonus wine of the month at the end. Sometimes you walk out of there tasting 12 – 15 wines for your $ 20. And on top of that they always have a buffet of hot and cold food to enjoy while you taste. The people who work there are always pleasant and efficient.
Here are the negatives:
1. The shop is very small and can get crowded at times. The last time I went, there were no seats available and anywhere I stood, I felt in the way. They do have a patio that should be open now to help this issue.
2. The food is good but the owner of the store stands there and watches you as you serve yourself. I understand that this prevents people from being hogs, but it just feels creepy to me. It wouldn’t be so bad if he found something to keep himself busy, but still be in the area.
3. This is one of the most expensive tastings I have been to. They do serve better wines than a lot of places and you get a lot of tastings, but if you aren’t «into» wines, I wouldn’t recommend this for you.
So, it comes down to try it for yourself and see how you feel about it. I am going to try it again with the patio open before I really make a firm judgement.

Great local find!
David, the owner, is very helpful & knowledgeable in helping you find a perfect wine to suit your tastes.
They have wine tastings on Friday evenings and pair the wines with great food made by Jan, David’s wife, and co-​owner.
It doesn’t hurt that you can giggle as you pull into their lot & gaze at the sign. WTF wines. :-)

The best selection of any wine store in Cincinnati, especially sparkling wines. And if they don’t have it, they will get it for you. The Friday night tastings with food pairings are always spectacular, and all for $ 15.00. I always leave with several bottles of new «finds.». I attended the Pinot Noir dinner and will definitely watch my emails for notice of the next wine dinner. The owners are very knowledgeable and helpful. Well worth driving past other wine stores to go to this one!

Nestled in an old house in Cincinnati’s Mount Washington neighborhood, Water Tower Fine Wines is a welcome departure from the typical mass purveyors of wine. Water Tower offers an enormous selection of varietals (over 1,200). Proprietor David Lazarus prides himself on finding unique and small-​lot offerings with price ranges that will satisfy everyone from a wine novice to the most discerning oenophile. I was particularly impressed with the extensive offerings of sparkling and dessert/​late harvest wines.
On Friday evenings, Water Tower hosts wine tasting. $ 15 gets you 6 different wines along with a hod & cold buffet of food made by David’s wife Jan. There are plenty of seats and tables in the living room, so bring some friends at the end of the work week and sip some wine while nibbling on terrific food as you peruse David’s hand-​picked wine selections. This is a tremendous find!

What a great group. They have a lot of wines to choose from and the owners are knowledgeable. If they don’t have what you want, they will order it if they can. Top notch in customer service. They do a wine tasting every Friday from 5:30 — 8:30. We always have fun and love trying different wines.