Soho Wines & Spirits

Shocked at the less than stellar reviews here! This is by far my favorite wine shop in soho. It’s huge, great service (the staff doesn’t follow you around annoying you, but they’re still helpful when asked questions) and they have a great selection at many different price points! I’ve had multiple $ 5 bottles here that were delish! Additionally, they have a decent selection of alcohol, also fairly priced.

Decent wine store that has taken over the distinction of being closest to my apartment. That means it is the #1 candidate for last-​minute booze runs.
They have some nice bottles from the Old World, and a nicely distributed selection from other regions. There are some explanatory notes and stuff like that, and the owner seems like a nice guy. Prices are fine, and you will occasionally get a nice germ in the value shopping cart (just don’t get the $ 4 Italian table red it’s filled with).

This place has a pretty good selection of wines from everywhere and the staff has been very good with recommendations.
On the spirit side, the prices are over 10% lower than most NYC shops.
I’ll be back for sure.

Most unpleasant people.

I rarely write bad reviews. I’m leaving a bad review for the attitude I received over the phone. I ordered 2 bottles of wine to be delivered to an office about 8 blocks from this store. I really didn’t any questions because I don’t know about wine so I’m not sure why this person was so annoyed. I finished my order, gave my credit card info and then he adds «oh and there’s a $ 9 delivery fee» I said «Oh, you didn’t tell me» (at this point I’m not annoyed and very courteous) He goes «well I’m telling you now». Really nasty. and that’s one thing I can’t stand. I let it go because I was in a rush. I was told the delivery would be sent within the hour. Over 2 hours later I called to make sure it was delivered and they said they had a problem but they’ll uh… send it now. Okay. thanks for letting me know. The recipient office is closing soon. They had the correct call back number for me by the way. They need to learn what service is.

The wine selection is weak.
The spirits selection, however, is very good.
the staff is a little pushy and not as knowledgeable as they think they are. That said, if you know what you want, just smile, decline the «help» and be on your merry way.

The three most important questions one must ask when reviewing a liquor store are: 1) whether there a wide selection, 2) whether the employees/​owner were knowledgable and helpful, and 3) whether the prices were reasonable. This store excels in all three, especially in staff knowledge and help. The staff was incredibly helpful in selecting a wine and a grappa.

I kinda sit here wanting to give Soho Wines & Spirits 3.5 stars. But because I believe in the benefit-​of-​the-​doubt and I’m a glass-​half-​full kinda person, I’m settling on 4.
The reasons I like Soho Wines & Spirits:
–lovely, lovely atmosphere in which to browse and meander over your next bottle o’sumthin. Very relaxed, lots of space, no one bothering you.
–very decent prices of wines, in general. I saw at least 5 bottles of $ 5 wines on my last visit. Not that I would be drinking these alone with a slice of parmiggiano, but heck, I’ll pour it in my pasta sauce.
–an extensive selection of spirits, including my sometimes hard-​to-​find favorite rums (Mount Gay and Pampero Aniversario), several gin selections (though no Tanqueray Ten, which is a shame), and apertifs.
Things I’m indifferent about:
–helpful service. While I had my questions answered (re: Argentinian wines and the new limey-​style Tanqueray), I would not say the service was friendly. Perhaps this is because I’m not as regular as some of their other clientele; I overheard several conversations with customers that implied a long-​ish relationship, and staff was friendly to these people. Not that I’m expecting to be treated like you’ve known me for 10 years, but smiling and making eye contact would be a start, rather than a general gesture in the direction of the wine I’m looking for.
Things I don’t like:
–most of the world’s wines are grossly under-​represented here. This is massive issue for me, someone who likes to drink representations beyond the USA and France. I mean, don’t get me wrong — California and Cote du Rhones have supplied the world with some beautiful wines. But when I walk into a wine shop — especially one this size — I expect some VARIETY. Go elsewhere if you like wines from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile (yes! Chile!), or South Africa. Seriously, including no more than 4 wines from each of these countries is a BIG mistake, IMO, as there are some beautiful wines from these places.
So, clearly, Soho Wines & Spirits is not about turning your average Manhattanite into a wine connoisseur. Rather, they’re about providing «staples» (being, in this case, mostly French, Californian, and substantial Italian wines).
For wine variety *and* friendly service, go to Spring Street Wine & Liquor. For some wine variety, no helpful service, and an NYU discount, go to Thompson Wine & Liquor. But if you’re looking for standard table wine and a bottle of tequila, and want to take your time being left alone browsing, head to Soho Wines & Spirits. But remember that if you give away a smile, don’t expect one back.

This is a great little wine shop — they have a good variety of bottles and great deals. It’s a really convenient place to stop if you are headed to a party or a BYOB dinner.

GREAT SERVICE, GREAT PRICES
Stopped by Soho Wine & Spirits to pick up a few bottles for my BYOB dinner at La Sirene. I was generally pleased with the selection of varietals from California, France, and Italy. It’s isn’t the largest collections I’ve seen, but what they lacked in quantity they made up for in quality.
Kudos to the staff who I were very friendly and helped me to find an excellent $ 10 bottle of Pinot Blanc from Alsace which my dinner companions all thoroughly enjoyed. Also, bonus points for scratching off the price tags on all my purchases without even being asked so I could pretend that my $ 10 bottle was actually much more expensive. Nice touch!

I like this shop, it is one of the more versatile spots in the neighborhood for liquor, champagne and wine. They often pick up new varieties and have specials. I once picked up a bottle from recommendation that was spoiled, they took it back and replaced it no problem.