There are a few wine stores across the country that I have always hoped to visit. Chamber Street Wines has always been one but its not really that easy to access if you don’t live in NYC. I was staying overnight in SoHo so I ventured over there this morning. I was aware of there strengths before hand
so I went in and asked for some help with growers champagne and cru Beaujolais. I met Just really knowledge salespeople who new a lot about the wines they sell. They seemed really enthusiastic about the wines they have to offer and had the appropriate level of wine geekiness, with no hints of snobbery. Unfortunately, I did not get the name of the primary gentleman who helped me as I was really under time constraints.As I was walking out the gentleman came after me to remind me that I should let the beaujolais sit for a while as its just"off the boat". Maybe I haven’t eloquently conveyed why the visit made me want to post here but I guess it was nice when expectations are met sometimes.
There are some really nice and knowledgable people at that store.
And what a selection!
Best, Jim
Jamie and his crew are the total package.
Hard to beat!
I agree, they are great. I’ve been to the store about three times, twice for tastings which were well done. Their online ordering works very well (the website is set up so it’s easy to search, and has other good features) and the service is very quick. They send out the wine the same day or the next.
I very much enjoyed the time I spent working there and feel it’s as close to “one of a kind” as one might hope for. David and Jamie do a good job of finding staff who fit the store’s intended vibe.
I also have to agree. I have gotten some very nice old gems from them and have always gone out of their way in terms of customer service.
I had an issue where I received a package that got “lost” in Florida for a day with some of my 97 Muscadet, when it arrived, two bottles inside were broken. I called them to let them know and that I did not feel comfortable taking the 4 remaining bottles. They told me they would credit me the entire order and to keep the 4 bottles. I told them that I would be happy to pay for it when I open it and it is deemed acceptable. They told me NO, just keep those bottles as our gift and we will have a credit on file for you when you make your next purchase.
Now that was class.
I also bought a 67 Oderro Barolo on their recommendation and it was outstanding and in perfect shape. Unfortunately I went back to buy more and they were sold out.
They never steered me wrong on their recommendations. Other than their pricing is a bit high (heck its NYC and near Wall St) I cannot say enough good things about these folks.
I’ve visited there once and called a few times. They are extremely nice and low-key. The Piedmonte and red burgundy offerings are superb and sometimes stretch back quite a few years with great provenance.
Kudos.
Best,
Doug
To quote Tom Hill “I’ve been following them from the very beginning” and they’ve never been anything less than stellar. Even now when I’m on wine buying hiatus I’ll just stop in and browse a bit. You never know after all…
They have become my favorite wine store. A lot of that is because my tastes have gone directly to most of what is their strength. For instance, I would imagine you are not going to find much, if any, Aussie reds in there. If not for my back issues where I would be in a better financial position, I would be buying as much as possible from them. In fact, I wish I was buying from them 6-1- years ago. I would be loaded with wines I now love.
And to add to positive stories from other people, I bought a case of older muscadet from them a few months ago, and had a weird string of 4 corked wines. They immediately credited me with ZERO questions asked. I LOVE this store. Wine Library is similar in how they deal with these types of issues. And they are also my favorite store, just a different category of store. I would bet that they would handle the stories above exactly the same way, and with ZERO questions.
I seldom get a chance to just stroll around the store, but when I do the knowledgable staff is great. I tend to order online, and then pick up (I call when I’m outside and they bring out). Service is fantastic, and they have dealt with the few problems I’ve had with class.
would love to visit. I’ve bought there, but never been there.
alan
Hey, even before the beginning!
It’s unanimous 
Well, I was defining “very beginning” as before the store actually opened. Of course talk about bad timing for a store opening in that neighborhood…
John Truax at Chambers Street and Jason Hyde at Acker are the most knowledgeable, nicest and most plugged-in wine salespeople in the country. People are well advised to seek out their guidance.