CoolVines

Despite its wine-​centric sounding name, CoolVines has a really good selection of craft beer (in fact, beer lines the shelves of at least a third of the store). Very good variety of both local and not so local (even foreign) offerings at reasonable prices: I have found prices to be largely in line with Wegmans and Joe Canal’s (occasionally higher, but only slightly if this is the case). Reasonable pricing is a shock in largely overpriced downtown Princeton.
If the beer guy is in, the service is pretty good for beer recommendations and general brewski discussion. The other folks tend to concentrate more on the wine, but are eager to help, even if they don’t always know the specifics of the beer.

Easily the best wine shop around. The employees are always very nice and knowledgeable about wine, beer, and spirits. I feel confident going there with limited knowledge and always finding a fantastic choice.

Boyfriend and I have been looking for Crème de Violette for over a year and THEY HAVE IT for $ 28. So excited to finally get to have a real Aviation Cocktail! We also snagged some Lavender Bitters. Thanks!

Love CoolVines! Went to a tasting they did that focused on Spanish wines that was very informative — and delicious! High quality wines, great selection, and knowledgeable staff.

We purchased wine here last year it was a great experience today we came in the three guys there were embroiled in conversations, no offers to help, no sampling, we left.

This place is amazing I highly recommend going here if you want some real high quality wines or beers. The staff is really knowledgeable, helpful, and very kind; I was able to spark up a conversation with the man behind the counter. He told me a lot about the beers I was purchasing and shed some knowledge on me. This has now turned into my new place to purchase any alcohol.

Great selection (starting at ~$ 10/​bottle and up) and even better service! Staff is knowledgable and friendly, and will help you select the perfect bottle with no air of pretension that you may find in other shops.
Other benefits/​tips:
–They can flash chill a bottle for you in ~5 minutes
–Give your name at check out and they will keep a record of your purchase history so you can remember your favorites
–Free wine tastings on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons where you can learn about and try 2 – 3 wines, and then buy your favorite (s) for 10% off

one of my favorite places!
great tastings thurs — saturday!
staff always helps you out so you aren’t overwhelmed and they ALWAYS have a range of offerings & prices!
a weekly stop for sure!

Not being from Princeton I’m not sure what the standard is for liquor stores. Please keep in mind the staff was incredibly accommodating and friendly to us so the review for this is based on selection and price. We were out for dinner and looking for some cheap wine options for the byob place we were at… this was not the place to try to find that. No big bottles of wine at all, and all the small bottles definitely seemed like premium prices. I looked at a few and they all seemed in the $ 15 – 19 range-​we just wanted some wine not an experience. The guy working suggested boxed wine which was fine if it was our only option… the manager then suggested tetra packed wine… aka wine juice boxes. He dropped the price from $ 9 to $ 8 for us and we left with two wine juice boxes of Malbec. It wasn’t very good but it was fine for what we needed. This place definitely have ambiance and if you are a wine person this is probably a good spot for you. Just wasn’t a good fit for us considering I live around the corner from one of the best liquor stores ever.

Of all the liquor stores in Princeton, this place has the best selection and prices. Though the selection is not extensive, it’s fairly well ‘curated,’ and the staff is very friendly and knowledgable. Frequently, they offer tastings, which is always a bonus.

I’ve been to CoolVines dozens of times and each experience is excellent. This is clutch: they will flash cool your beer and white wine in a whirlpool condenser: FOR FREE. Takes 5 min while you browse in their elegant shop. This has seriously saved many a party/​dinner.
Wines: Great selection and each bottle I’ve tried here has been in the range of solid-​excellent. There’s also a very useful section of under $ 10 and under $ 15 bottles. Staff offers great advice on what wine to get with what food. This is especially useful as it’s a prime location for getting the libations for a BYOB dinner. Also, I love their afternoon tastings –great time to stop in and relax a bit.
Beers: Especially love their seasonal offerings. They had the best selection of pumpkin beers in the area (highly recommend the Elysian Night Owl) and now they have a nifty offering of winter beers!
Liquor: Of all the liquor joints in Pton, CoolVines has the most unique and useful assortment for all price ranges. You can get your stodgy $ 17 bottle of Old Overholt, you can buy specialty gin (try The Botanist), you can even find Crème de Violette! Very neatly organized and non-​overwhelming. Favorite place for liquor in town.

I like this location more than the Westfield one even though it’s half the size. I would say mainly due to the staff. They are knowledgable and not pushy. I was offered a tasting of three red’s I loved one but I was honest with the girl that I was not really feeling it for $ 23. I try to keep my wines under $ 15 unless it’s something really special. After all I do drink a lot of wine. She was able to suggest a wine ($ 13) to me that was similar to the one I liked. I was not really looking for anything special and I was happy with what I left with. So basically the girl did a good job.

This place has harder to find, more unusual beers and spirits (I don’t know about the wine). I get good craft beers here.
The staff is very helpful and friendly.
This is a great place to get something special.

Purchasing wine often feels like an overwhelming experience, especially given the sea of choices in your typical wine store. But this is where CoolVines shines.
The selection: Vast — I’ve never had a bottle i haven’t liked.
The Prices: (you don’t need to spend a fortune for great wine) so i was told by the staff. The prices at CoolVines are amazing.
The Staff: They are are amazing. I tell them what I typically drink and they give me recommendations based on my taste. they track everything you buy so when i go back all i need to say is «i had an amazing bottle of _​_​_​_​_​last week that i purchased here» and they will tell me what it was and often recommend something even more amazing.

I’ve been a CoolVines customer since they first opened in Princeton and have always appreciated the friendly service and deep knowledge of the staff. As a graduate student, I was on a budget but they always had something wonderful and affordable. Yes, the buyers have specific palates, to refer to other reviews, but they’ve also used those tastes as an opportunity to expand the stock and the reach of the store. So not only will you get good, rich reds in the winter and roses from May to August, but now they’ve got a well-​selected bourbon and bitters selection, and most recently, a beer selection that I hope will change what is typically found in Princeton. I’ll miss this place when I move!

Cool vines has a great selection, and it is a very good choice if you want to get a recommendation from the staff. Most of the time, I prefer to browse and make a selection on my own. The staff is consistently very assertive about offering help, and sometimes there are a lot of them on the floor in a small space. A couple of visits ago, I was offered help five times by three different staff in the span of ten minutes. Perhaps most people feel welcomed by this practice rather than put off. In any case, Cool Vines is not my first choice of wine shops in Princeton.
S

Great wine shop and a welcome addition to the Princeton downtown scene. Since the opening of this larger, new location we now buy most of our wine here. The staff are friendly and seem to know their wines well if you need a recommendation. They have an interesting selection of wines that go beyond what you will find at mass supermarket type places (Wegmans, Jo Canals) and offer regular tastings. My favourite thing is actually how the wine is arranged by type with helpful signs like «medium bodied white» or «full-​bodied red» but different grape varietals within the section and helpful descriptions.
For people who drink stuff other than wine (why would you?) they also have a great range of fancy beers, boutique liquors, and so on.

CoolVines is a great place to get out of your same old, same old rut, as they stock many excellent wines from smaller producers. They’re always having wine tasting events, an easy way to sample something new.
We really like their new location a lot. Super convenient with FREE 30 minute parking in the Spring Street garage if you want to grab something quick.
We frequently stop by CoolVines for a CoolBottle to enjoy with dinner at nearby Mo C Mo C.

Original retail location is Westfield. This shop is on the small side. Staff is helpful. Wines are split into three sections, the $ 50 plus Cru section; the $ 15 or less Everyday section; and the main display area with wines arranged by style. Personally I prefer wines to be displayed by country of origin or by state. My guess is this shop will succeed if the high end selection proves popular.

The store has started stocking growlers of Climax beer for $ 10 (usually 6 at a time); we bought the last Hellas they had tonight – a perfect summer beer.
It’s obvious that the wines are from a distinct palate, and I can’t say that I agree with some of the choices. Still, they have a great selection of well kept wines and a knowledgable staff.