New York Vintners
“As a Westchester resident, we appreciated the free on-street parking across the street from the store.”
“The space is great, the instructors were knowledgeable and down-to-earth -definitely NOT pretentious.”
“Dylan York is very knowledgeable and I learned so much about the difference between standard and organic wine.”
New York Vintners
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range Moderate
8 reviews
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I'm torn on my review of this place. For $35 you can take a wine class. You get about a glass of wine at each class.
The first class I attended was okay. There wasn't much food and we weren't offered seconds on the wine. The person teaching us was a bit dry, but overall it was a fair experience for $35.
The second class was the pizza pairing class. Now this is the only class I find worth $35! Ryan was our instructor. He was fun and knowledgable. He ran a great class that served tasty pizza. We liked the truffle salt on the pizza. We ran out to buy some after class! The class was on the main floor. It was a very tight class as I have noticed they often sell more seats than they have room for.
The last class I attended was sensory wine pairings. We were ushered downstairs-all the way downstairs. Once again they miscounted how many tickets they sold and the number of seats so we had to squeeze in again. The wines weren't explained well and because of lack of direction people just loaded their plates with the cheese and meat. Food was a bit limited and additional wine wasn't offered even though the bottles weren't empty. I now was starting to believe that we got what we paid for at $35 per ticket. We left hungry and uninformed. Not to mention after chatting for 15 minutes after class we were told in a dry tone to leave by the instructor.
As I was waiting for the bathroom at the last class, a girl that was attending the noodle class upstairs spoke to me. She said at about $80 for her class she couldn't believe how crowded it was and that it was standing room only. With her disappointment, I decided that paying for a more expensive class wouldn't be worth it then either.
I may return for a pizza class if a friend really wants to go, but more than likely I won't be back. Ryan is a great instructor but there's no guarantee he will instruct the class I pick. Sorry, New York Vitners you lost me and about 8 friends that I have asked to attend classes with me.
I've been here a few times, I always learn a lot and meet some great people! The first time I went I did a wines of Spain class held upstairs in their kitchen/wine tasting room behind the small wine shop and absolutely loved it. The class was about 90-100 minutes and you got to sample 6 wines + a sparkling wine to start. As an FYI, they leave some crackers, olives, blue cheese and nuts on the table to pair with the wine. The second time I took a class it was held in the wine cellar in the basement and was on California wines. The third time I took a class it was a wine and food pairing class where we sampled three different wines and they gave us some freshly prepared food to pair it with. The fourth time I took the class I did a Rare Reds class with Charles, who was an excellent Sommlier. As you can tell, I clearly like the classes. Some teachers are better than others, but all of the Sommliers are excellent teachers. My least favorite was the wine and food pairing class (we ended up in this class on accident, but we complained about it and they ended up allowing us to come to another class for free). In any case, whenever I see deals posted on Groupon or Living Social, I grab two. Now whenever I take a class, I learn some but a but of the class is a bit repetitive. It is a fun way to spend a Saturday or Sunday though! Very unique and hard to find wines too!
I purchased two Groupons for New York Vintners (NYV) two years ago (yes, you read that correctly!) and didn't get to start using them until two months ago, but I figured it was time before NYV decided to not honor 2-year-old vouchers. Thankfully, they did. My first class was called Wine Pairings & Dishes for Foodies; the second was called Korean BBQ Pairing. Both classes were relatively new to the NYV list, but I was excited to try both because of my foodie status and love for Korean food.
The venue itself seems small looking in, as all you see is a wine storefront, but go around the back wall and you'll see two long tables set up for a cozy class of about 32 people with a kitchen behind it. Go downstairs and there are two more "classrooms". Each seat has a pen and paper detailing how to distinguish wine characteristics and where you can write down the details of the wines from the class. It also includes an order form and membership options if you are or want to be a wine aficionado.
Both classes I took were lead by NYV's executive chef Ryan Smith on the ground level of the store. Chef Ryan's teaching style is very nonchalant: he always explains that wine shouldn't be judged by how others like or score it; rather, it should be suitable to your taste and your palate. In both classes, we got to try about 5-7 varities of wine and weren't limited to just whites and reds. The food presented both times were quite delicious as well. The Foodies class had two dishes – one fish, one steak – and the Korean BBQ had a wide variety of meats and kimchis that were passed around family style.
Aside from the standard $75 classes, sometimes special classes pop up with renowned chefs that cost a little more but give you an exclusive look at different cuisines and even more unconventional wine pairings. For example, there is a ramen wine pairing class ($85) coming up in February that sold out within two hours of its posting. Nevertheless, I will definitely be back for more!
The Space for the tasting was amazing though had to walk down two flights of stairs. The room looked exactly like what it was which is a cellar room for the store upstairs. They had a nice large table which they set up for 14 which gave each person plenty of space for the wine, food and paper to write notes. They stated they could fit 18 if needed.
The first basement where another class was taking place was not as nice as pretty much a bunch of high tops on one side of an office. The upstairs store itself is fairly small though enough room to have all the wines they use for their classes plus some additional higher end ones. The whole space is in tracks so they can expand the back part to hold more people. The night I was there they were doing a full dinner pairing ramen noodles with wine.
I like most people there had bough the class on one of the deal sites so was not paying the retail 75 dollars but instead 35. At 35 it was good but not great as spent 30 minutes talking about wine which is fine since this is a beginners class. It meant we only tasted 5 wines with the paired meats plus an introductory glass of sparkling wine. Since point of class was to show how you paired full body wines with full body food would have been nice to have had both an oaky chard and naked one to pair with the salmon to see how they were different. Same with some of the reds as could have selected a lighter red to show contrast with the full body red. I have taken all these classes and one thing you realize is how few people can smell or taste all those notes you see on wine labels and in magazines.
One thing to beware of is they have a strict no cancellation policy within 48 hours so make sure you will be able to make class.
This is a nice thing to do for date or to get for a friend as a birthday gift. It was nice that if liked a wine in the class could go and buy it upstairs. I liked a couple of the wines which were all reasonably priced between 15-30 dollars. I really liked the paired cured meats and wish store sold those who gave out what they were.
If get with the deal worth the price especially if like tasting wine and becoming slightly more knowledgeable. I might try one of the events on the first floor where a full meal is served though do not think the deals apply to those.
I've attended four classes here and definitely think it's a great place not only to get wine education but also for many sorts of events. I do believe they rent the space out for private events so worth an inquiry. There are three floors, all of which have its own character and well-decorated. The lowest level has a vintage old wine cellar feel and is often referred to as the "chef's table." Smaller and more intimate classes are held down there since I think the table only sits a dozen attendees.
They also have an artist in residence who works on the premise, and his artwork is exhibited on the walls in store. The teachers are all really funny and will make you feel at home even if you have minimal knowledge on wine. Oftentimes there's that one or two overeager students in the class but they're almost always at least a good source of entertainment.
I didn't like most of the wines we tasted; I guess I have a very particular palate, but that's not unexpected. I think the only ones that I really liked were the Graham Beck rose from South Africa (produced using the cap classique method, fermented champagne-style) and a granache-syrah blend from J.L. Chave from Côte du Rhône (so smooth and well-balanced with a full flavor profile, yummy). While you can certainly shop for the exact same wine online for a lower price if you're willing to do the extracurricular legwork, the experience of attending a class and the education you get (and the snacks) will make it a worthwhile fun activity, if wine's your thing.
We bought a Groupon and took Wine 101 last Sunday. After reading the description, that it really teaches you about wine and is not just a wine tasting, I was very interested because there doesn't really seem to be any other class like that out there. I really had no idea what to expect–but I was pleasantly VERY surprised!
When you walk in, it looks like a tiny retail wine store but then they take you to the back and you see the place is huge. We walked past a pizza and wine class (which looked and smelled like the best thing ever) and I noticed how beautifully everything was set up.
We were then taken down to the cellar and were greeted by 2 awesome people who offered us some sparking rose (from New Mexico as we later learned, delicious–who knew?), they took our coats and then we walked into a room all set up with wine and snacks and awesomeness. I was already super impressed and the class had not even begun.
Then Tom (Tom? Was that his name? I don't remember, my bad but I really think it was Tom…or not) started the class. A few things about (maybe) Tom:
1-He makes you feel super comfortable from the start of the class. Even though he obviously knows his stuff, he makes the subject super approachable which is awesome. He will also call you out if you're doing something stupid and correct you which I really appreciated because obvs I need more help with wine (apparently) than the average bear.
2-He's hilarious! I definitely laughed way more than I thought I would and he kept my attention the whole time (until the last few tastings where I perhaps started to drift off as I can't hold my alcohol to save my life) which is a miracle. But it probably didn't hurt that he's…
3-…pretty darn good looking (to keep it classy). That has nothing to do with anything wine or class related, but it also didn't hurt the learning process either.
There was also a really sweet, friendly, outgoing new person who worked there and observed the class with us. As I am apparently a horrible person who doesn't remember anyone's name, I don't remember hers, but we were sitting next to her and she was awesome.
In conclusion, if you are a fan of wine, learning about wine, drinking wine, and beautiful, awesome teachers/staff, then go here.
I booked a pizza pairings class through a Living Social deal for $30 value of class $75. When you walk into the location, it looks like a wine shop but once you go through to the back it's set up for a class with a kitchen. The decor was really nice, and setting was very elegant…felt like I was at a bridal shower with all the fresh flowers.
The instructor we had was very knowledgable and friendly. He went through every detail of the wine, with the region, taste, proper way to taste wine. As he's going through the wine information, the chef was prepping the pizzas and they cook right in front of you. I thought I was on an episode of the Food Network. The pizza was delicious and each slice had a different taste that paired with a wine. We tried a proseco, rose, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Merlot. I'd prefer to do this wine tasting over the Vineyards tours as you get more of an intimate experience with your group, trying and learning the different wines and can ask questions.
I could not believe the level of detail the instructor provided.. A true wine enthusiast! We even got to go downstairs to view the wine room. I will definitely be back for another tasting and may even book a private event in one of their rooms. What a hidden gem and great living social deal! It was so much fun, I can't wait to come back!
I went to the Malaysian dinner x wine tasting class a few days ago and loved it! Its a very cool space with an open kitchen, which means you get to watch alllll the action. Haven't been down to the lower floors but can't wait to check it out.
The pop up chef, Mei Chau of Aux Epices prepared a variety of Malaysian dishes laced with Thai and Vietnamese flavors. It was my first time having Malay food and I was very excited/curious. TBH, it was a mixed bag for me. I loved certain dishes and was not a fan of others.
The Highs:
– Rice cakes topped with pickled turnip was salty and delish
– Potato stuffed squid with sambal sauce was a table favorite
– Fish mousse sounded daunting but it was tasty
– Pandan (screwpine cake) with vanilla ice cream was AMAZING
The Lows:
– Laksam was weird… I had a few bites and could not finish it. I really do not enjoy coconut milk and that's pretty much what the broth was. Had to eat carefully bc there were some fish bones. Def would've been better if it was spicy
– Purple rice was very bland. Lamb had that gamey taste and smell but the flavors were good
The dinner was very interactive and I loved how the host and sommelier went around the room to sit with each table. I didn't really LEARN much about each wine; think it'd be better to hear about each wine before we tasted it, rather than later. But then again, I'm a wine noob so maybe I was expecting a beginners class type of feel.
I've recommended this spot to so many friends! Will return again and again.