Cabrini Wines

One of the better places in the neighborhood. Just moved their location a few steps away on Pinehurst ave.

The place is fine and I shouldn’t complain — I live right across the street. But you’d think that would make it easier when you need a last minute delivery. Nope. You get a call center answering and they want your full name, address etc. before they event take your order. And you better know exactly what you want because they can’t suggest anything over the phone it seems. Additionally, it’s possible that the person who answers the phone is more fluent in Spanish than in English.

Cabrini Wines is one of the better quality wine shops in Washington Heights due to the size of the shop and the variety of wines they carry. Only downer is that they carry just one brand of Lambrusco.
Staff is touch and go depending on the day. Most of the time, they are friendly and informative.
They take cards with no minimum and will deliver if you need it.
Cabrini Wines won’t replace TJ’s wine shop in my heart, but they’re my go-​to when I don’t feel like going downtown for my vino fix.

They are just SO RUDE. If you can’t speak English you probably shouldn’t take phone orders. No one helps you when you’re in there. They act like you’re annoying them with your business. Go up to the place on 187^th. Better prices, selection, service

I am so hideously lazy. I like to pick up the phone, call Cabrini wines, and have the stuff delivered to my front door. There are shops that deliver who are closer to me, but none of those shops is as with-​it as Cabrini. I call, they recognise my name, my phone number (from the caller ID, I hope), my address, my credit card info, and everything else. They come within an hour (seriously, it’s a schlep to get to my place from Cabrini Wines), bearing my booze, and cheerfully go off with their tip, and everyone’s happy. There are times when they may not have a specific brand, but the lady on the phone will generally direct you to something similar.

I almost wish I lived in Washington Heights just to enjoy this wonderful little wine shop with its friendly staff and regular cheese and wine tastings. There’s a large selection of all kinds of spirits… the place is deceptively large… and the expertise and recommendation of the owners/​staff is greatly appreciated.

I don’t claim to know about wine. I really, really don’t. I know Merlot. I know Pinot Noir. I know that I like to buy bottles of red based on their cute labels. I know it tastes pretty damn good. I know it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside after I drink it.
Cabrini Wines is a well stocked establishment with more bottles of wine with cute labels than I can shake a stick at, a good selection of liquors, and friendly and helpful staff. If I need specific help, they are there to save the day. If I’m just looking for a bottle of Sav Blanc with a quirky label, they’ve got that too.
What more can a girl ask for?!

What a shock to walk into what I thought was a tiny hole-​in-​the-​wall wine shop to discover it stretched on and on, stocked floor to ceiling with every brand, type, and vintage of wine you could want! It’s the best selection in the Heights, I’m convinced. And they were happy to let our dog in with us. They even gave him treats while we were paying. High five for good customer relations.
I’m going to try to make this my new go-​to wine shop, even though I live 20 blocks south. Nothing down there compares.

Nice

They carry a vast assortment of wines here. They have pretty much any kind of wine your heart could desire. The staff is knowledgeable (which is always helpful to me when dealing with wine).
They deliver for free to a limited area if you make a purchase of $ 150+. If under $ 150 there is a delivery fee.
Last time I was here I got a bottle of Mario Bazan Cabernet. A new label that I never heard of before but a great choice nonetheless.
Check them out if in need of wine. You won’t be disappointed.

In the past two years, some of the knowledgeable staff was replaced, there’s much less merchandise and often one of the senior sales persons has been snapping at me. When I needed a gift for a client, a specific (expensive) whiskey, he did not have, he told me I should be grateful they had the cheap version as I perhaps did not have the money to buy the one I wanted.
Another time when it was my time to pay, the girl on the register kept talking on her cell phone through the payment procedure. I used to love the store, the people that worked there and the great assortment. Now, the store is half full, and it seems the sales people don’t give a hoot.
I found another wine store where they know me, my taste and preferences, no more Cabrini Wines for me.

Easily the best place to purchase wine. Regular wine tastings, even classes to introduce wine to the novice and curious. The vast selection available can be a bit overwhelming but I’ve never had a problem finding a knowledgeable staff member to help me.
OH and they deliver!

Wow, I’ve read the last couple of reviews and I’m confused. Ive never had a bad experience at this store. Every time I come in, I’m given excellent customer service. I’m sorry to say i don’t know the gentleman’s name, but he’s there every time and always offers great suggestions.
I’ll agree that I don’t understand the layout of the store, but I don’t mind. I enjoy wandering around looking at the different bottles.
I would also get bored out of my gizzards if I drank yellow tail all the time, so I enjoy that they have an assorted mix of labels to choose from.
Overall, I always have a pleasant and successful experience shopping here.
They will also order something for you if they don’t carry it, but be prepared to order a whole case.

It’s hard to find what you’re looking for in this store, especially with the wines. They seem to be scattered all over the store with no rhyme or reason. For instance, the same wine brands but different size bottles are not next to each other, which doesn’t mean all one size bottles are together either… Or wines from a certain region are grouped or red, rose or white are grouped… OH NO… everything is just anywhere and everywhere.
Worse, none of the bottles are priced so it’s anyone’s guess how much you’ll wind up paying for any given bottle on any given day.
I really want to like this place because it’s convenient and very clean but the headache I get from just looking for a simple bottle of Yellow Tail is just frustrating. Just finding a section with Yellow Tail in it does not mean you’ll find the type or size you’re looking for. It may be down the stair, around the bend and on the top shelf… or not. You need to be a sleuth to find it! And the salespeople seem as confused as the customers but not nearly as friendly.
And the prices are higher than most liquor stores in the city as well. How they stay afloat… I have no idea.

No one on the staff spoke to me – literally none of the three people holed up behind the register – while I wandered aimlessly in this pleasant-​looking and empty store. I found this somewhat intimidating and finally settled on a Sangiovese because the label was pretty. The cashier didn’t speak to me while I was paying. Maybe they belong to a sect with a code of silence?
The store seems too big for their selection, and a lot of shelves, the Scotch especially, look like their heart isn’t really in it. The don’t bother to label the domestic wine section at all. The German whites held a few Rieslings and some Blue Nun. I’m not joking.
A few steps down to a lower level, you’ll find down-​market and jug wines. Maybe they saw me investigating this room and decided I had cooties or something.
So why even two stars? Right at the entrance is a charming woman named Samantha who sells homemade guacamole, tomato salsa, mango salsa, and pesto. They’re delicious, there are free samples, and she’s fun to talk to. Note to Samantha: As soon as your business gets off the ground, get out of this place. You can do better.

crappy-​ish prices on liqueurs. Example: I was ignorant and bought Heering Danish cherry liqueur here for $ 36. I thought, guess it’s an import. Then I noticed that at Astor Wine, it’s $ 22, at PJ’s it’s $ 24, in Tribeca, it’s $ 25.
We are hostages as this is the only credible liquor shop in this neighborhood. No competition unless you want to hike to PJs.
I wouldn’t mind the high price if service was exceptional. There is only one helpful non sleazy guy the one with the pony tail behind the counter. Usually though condescending guys are on the floor and are not helpful, are arrogant («oh, the kind of vermouth doesn’t matter for someone like you») and don’t make me feel comfortable. Leave me alone if you are going to make me feel stupid for asking. One woman was not nice but was at least neutral, but she was downright unknowledgeable about the merchandise (did not know where the dry white wine was).
Again, another WaHi business that would not survive in any other part of town. But hey, when you live in a little village, there is no competition.

What a lovely find for Washington Heights! Walking by, the place feels like a comfy nook by the sidewalk. I was struck by their assortment of wines and liqueurs — quite varied. It’s easy to walk around and browse, and you can always find something new to try. The staff is knowledgeable too, so feel free to ask questions.
Definitely the place to go for wine if you live in the area.

Since after meeting Clarke Boehling at Purple Yam a couple of weeks ago[1] I got curious about wines from the Jura region. I needed to get some wine for a formal dinner, and being in the neighborhood I decided to go to Cabrini Wines.
This place is awesome: row after row stacked to the ceiling (and we’re talking very high ceilings here) with bottles of wine, it is almost overwhelming! The staff is very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Moreover, many of the bottles have a little card describing the qualities of the wine.
In my case, they didn’t have much of a choice for wines from Jura, and that’s the only reason why I don’t give it 5 stars (although to be fair we’re talking about a small part of France that produces small amounts of wine). I got a Annie et Philippe Bornard Cremant du Jura ($ 23.99), a dry sparkling wine from Chardonnay grapes. As red I got a Gabbas Lillove’ Cannonau from Sardinia ($ 21.99), a rich, medium bodied, dry red wine with floral notes.
If you are in the neighborhood, spend a minute to check out Pinehurst Avenue Terraces[2]!
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
[1]
[2]

I want to know more about wine then my current label art appreciation.
I don’t know if I have a good or bad palate. I can’t taste the currents or aged figs that accent the vintage or identify the full-​bodied from the swill, but I really want to. I’ve tried to read «Wine for Dummies» but I spilled my starter bottle of Chenin Blanc all over it. I’ve been to many tastings but really what am I supposed to learn from just a taste (and they do look at you funny when you ask them to «fill it up»)? So in the spirit of wanting to learn and drink I’ve decided to follow in the footsteps of the president of the American Sommelier Association Andrew Bell and his picks for «My New York» from the Sunday Post.
He certainly knows something so I figure if I go to all the places he recommends’ then I certainly will pick up at least some lingo and possibly a fellow wine lover or two. So in no particular order I will visit and Unilocal on the experts nine NY winechoices — fist up, Cabrini Wines at 181^st Street.
To start my learning process I decided not to follow my uneducated instincts. I was going to let the pro take me by the hand and I quickly found one. Brian, the wine enthusiast who helped me, asked me about price range, what I usually enjoy and made sure I was on the wine fan club email list. The place is large and roomy and I give it an extra star for their window displays featuring neighborhood artists. I love a good neighborhood store and this place had that vibe for me, even if I live 165 blocks downtown.
After I explained the reason for my journey three bottles were recommended to me:
2008 Coeur Esterelle Provence Rose
2005 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee
2005 Roland Lavantureux Petit Chablis
My favorite ended up being the last one, the 2005 Roland. White wine and I usually don’t go together. I never order correctly and always end up with something too sweet or just not to my liking. The Roland Lavantureux Petit Chablis was refreshing and pleasant. Clearly Brian heard me when I said I wanted it dry and delicate because that is what I got.
My first lesson on being a wine drinker: go to a store where they know what they are selling, love wine and trust their choices.
I described what I thought I liked and Brian picked it out. How wonderful is that?
The other two were very nice as well and full of flavors I had not expected. The Rose was very light and elegant and went down perfectly on the last few days of summer. The Chappellet was a blend that was like a meal in a glass. It was 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. Remind me I like it in January because it will be great with beef stew.
Lesson one and stop one — check and check. Next up Discovery Wine on Avenue A stay tuned.

After living in Riverdale admittedly I never thought I’d be as happy living in Inwood. Little did I know that just blocks away in Cabrini I’d find all the things I was accustomed too and more! Gourmet supermarkets, intimate café’s, and to my delight Cabrini Wines.
About 7 row’s of wooden platforms are stacked high with all your favorite, Sauvignon Blanc’s, Chardonnays, Merlots, Pinot Grigio’s, and my personal favorite Moscato.
The thing about Moscato is most wine stores do not carry more then 2 – 3 brands if your lucky. Not at Cabrini though! I had a choice of about 10 different Moscato’s which were easy enough to choose from following the expertise of the sales girl who assisted me.
I plan to pop that bottle tonight over dinner, but you can be sure I’ll be back at Cabrini’s in a week or so to stock up for the house.