Feeling up for a little wine tasting in NYC? It’s not only a summer activity, you know! With hundreds of venues and experiences always popping up, it can be overwhelming to find the perfect spot to find your next bottle. Especially if you have particular favorite types of wine (we’re personally on the sweeter side), it can be difficult to figure out where to find something that suits your tastebuds.
While we wait for some of New York’s great vineyards to reopen this summer, let’s talk about some places right here in the city to do a little taste testing. So get your wine glasses ready and make sure your taste buds are awake; here’s where to go wine tasting in NYC.
1. City Winery, Chelsea & Grand Central
City Winery combines NYC nightlife with the cosmopolitan flair of high-end wine tasting, making it one of the best places for wine tasting in NYC. This spot located along the Hudson River features an intimate concert venue, food menu, on-location bar, and of course wine tasting and tours!
Open Sunday – Thursday (12 pm – 10 pm) and Friday and Saturday (12 pm – 11 pm), you can taste over 30 world-class wines from vineyards around the country, all while taking in the stunning views of the Hudson River and surrounding cityscape. The Grand Central location is open Monday – Friday (7 am – 10 pm), Saturday (11 am – 10 pm) and Sunday (11 am – 9 pm).
Where:
Chelsea – 25 11th Ave (at 15th Street)
Grand Central – 89 E 42nd St
2. Gotham Winery, Flatiron
This black-owned winery is one of our favorite tasting spots, thanks to their focus on sustainably sourced and produced wines! With wine that focus on fruit and being easy to drink, Gotham Winery appeals to the modern wine drinker, one that enjoys the taste and smell of fine wines.
If you want to try out one of their sustainable offerings (that seems extra flavorful because of it), we suggest stopping by one of their upcoming events like the popular “Yoga & Wine” event or the “Trips to Wine Country” during the summer. Or consider even joining their Gotham Winery Wine Society, an experience that includes education, first-class event access, and tastings.
Where: 115 E 23rd St
3. EVEN Hotel, Midtown
During select weekends days this February, consider this full wine experience that includes not only tastings, but also tons of wine knowledge! Taking place at the EVEN Hotel, this event will walk you through the history of wine, how to pair it with certain foods, wine appreciation tips, and you guessed it… a tasting!
You’ll be able to awaken and calibrate your palate with fresh flavors, all while learning about different wine regions, tasting techniques, and more.
Buy your tickets here!Where: 221 E 44th St, Floor 2
4. The Red Hook Winery, Red Hook
Mark Snyder, The Red Hook Winery’s founder, established this venue back in 2008 as a place to showcase the best vineyards in New York. Working directly with local grape farmers, The Red Hook Winery sources vintages from North Fork, Long Island and the Finger Lakes to provide a truly all-encompassing experience of New York wine!
With a wine-making facility located on Pier 41, The Red Hook Winery team produces all its available wine selections itself and focuses on reflecting the climate and geology of each unique New York wine-making region in every bottle. With tastings available all the time, it’s the perfect laid-back vibe to drink and enjoy stunning views of the East River and Statue of Liberty!
Where: 175 Van Dyke Street, Pier 41, Suite 325A, Brooklyn
5. Hound’s Tree, Williamsburg
With the lofty title of the “first and only estate winery and tasting room in New York City,” Hound’s Tree is an excellent option for wine tasting in NYC. Drawing its inventory from a 30-acre vineyard on Long Island, their Williamsburg location focuses on creating a wine tasting experience unique to the New York area.
Their in-state-produced wine and modern sleek tasting room is the perfect backdrop to expand your tastebuds with some local creations. They also have a Hound’s Tree Wine Club that you can join, which includes quarterly shipments of special vintages, among other things.
Where: 335 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn
6. Amelie, West Village
Amelie is one of our favorite wine bars in NYC, and it’s a great place to find quality food too! Their European-focused wines gives you a more global perspective of wine as opposed to the other spots thus far, and their “Happier Hour” deals set them aside from the crowd. In terms of tastings, we suggest stopping by on Friday or Saturday until 6 pm in order to try out their $13 wine flights ($18 after HH).
Where:
West Village – 22 W 8th St
UWS – 566 Amsterdam Ave
7. The Ten Bells, Lower East Side
This cozy den known as The Ten Bells is an unpretentious space to sip on natural wines and enjoyable happy hour deals! Perfect for a Valentine’s Day date night, or some casual sipping on the weekend, you can take in all sorts of natural wines from their seemingly infinite wine list!
If you’re looking for a wine tasting specific event, be sure to follow their Instagram, where they announce various things, from pop-up events to “Meet the Winemaker” talks. From the wine to the $1 oyster bar, there’s not much wrong here.
Where: 247 Broome St
8. Rooftop Reds, Brooklyn Navy Yard
Since 2016, Rooftop Reds has held the designation of being the world’s first commercially-viable urban rooftop vineyard! Located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard during the summer, Rooftop Reds is a great spot to check out their custom urban planter system that covers the 14,800 square-foot space. Their collection features wines from both the Finger Lakes region and the Brooklyn vines, so you’ll never know what’s on the menu!
Stay tuned to their Instagram, since they’re getting ready to announce their summer 2023 tastings and other events!
Where: 299 Sands St, Building 275, Brooklyn
9. Sauced, Williamsburg
Although there technically is a menu at Sauced in Williamsburg, this wine spot is better done by asking one of the extremely knowledgable staff members for suggestions. Their collection consists of all kinds of European wines, including hard-to-find orange wine! During good weather, the backyard is a great place to taste test different glasses and socialize with others doing the same thing. If the weather is cooler, sit inside and chat with a bartender who more than likely has an interesting wine background.
Where: 331 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn
10. Despaña Vinos y Mas, Lower East Side
Specializing in Spanish wine like Garnacha, Tempranillo, Mencia and many other types, this wine shop offers tastings every Thursday from 5 pm – 7 pm. They also offer a variety of classes that vary by Spanish region that you can book (although they do sell out very quickly). You can check out what they entail here, and be sure to stay on the lookout for more that get announced.
Where: 410 Broome St
11. Corkbuzz, Union Square & Chelsea Market
Corkbuzz Wine has two locations, with their main one being in Union Square. This wine bar and restaurant offers all sorts of great wine offers to tasters, including a blind tasting test (all day, everyday for $20), a happy hour from Tuesday-Saturday (4 pm – 6 pm), and wine classes that cover different topics like “Wine 101” and different regions of wine (New York State, France, etc).
No matter what day of the week you stop in, you’ll surely be satisfied. And if you want even more, check out their virtual tasting classes too.
Where:
Union Square – 13 E 13th St
Chelsea Market – 75 9th Ave
12. Jones Street Wine, West Village
This cute wine shop is always stacked to the brim with affordable and curated wines that are sure to please New Yorkers! Located in the West Village, its great location makes it the perfect place to stop after dinner on the way home! They host wine tasting events on Wednesday nights typically from 7 pm – 9 pm. They are typically hosted by and curated by Jones’ knowledgable employees, so you know it’s a must-hit if you love wine.
Where: 23 Jones St
13. Astor Wines & Spirits, NoHo
Astor Wines and Spirits offers some of our favorite FREE tastings and classes in all of NYC! Learn about everything from Hungarian wines to Naturale Vermouth, all while testing samples and learning tips about all kinds of alcohol. Not to mention, once you’re done with the class, you can enjoy 20% off of any wine from their massive inventory. Check out some of their upcoming events here.
Where: 399 Lafayette St
14. Orange Glou, Lower East Side
Dubbed as the “world’s first and only orange wine store,” this LES outpost offers both in-person and virtual wine tastings! In terms of their in-person tastings, Orange Glou operates in a booking system, meaning an hour session at $65 per person must include at least 10 people. You can check out all of the wine tasting packages here or stop in-store today.
Where: 264 Broome St
15. Temperance Wine Bar, West Village
Last but not least on our list is Temperance Wine Bar, an all-around solid choice for any wine lover. In terms of tastings, they have wine flights for you to test out daily, blind tasting sessions on Wednesdays from 4 pm – 6 pm ($21 for 3 half glasses), and even private tastings hosted by their expert staff (for larger groups). No matter what you’re looking for, you have to stop by and try one of their 100+ wines.
Where: 40 Carmine St