Smith & Vine

Profile

The second incarnation of this Carroll Gardens wine shop is larger but still the type of one-of-a-kind place where early AC/DC songs and a hard-to-find Champagne like Egly-Ouriet can happily coexist. The space itself projects an easygoing nature with flyers taped to the front window, a water bowl for dogs, and walls the color of SunnyD. Working with choosy importers like Robert Chadderdon and Louis-Dressner, owners Patrick Watson and Michele Pravda repeatedly target relatively inexpensive bottles from prominent producers and terrific choices from their low-profile counterparts. Descriptive signs flutter from the racks for each selection, often accompanied by a funny quip, like a few lines from Sideways. The table dedicated to wines costing $12 or less has carried over from Smith-Vine’s former digs, with an even split of twenty reds and twenty whites—all reliably good. — Jennifer Paull

Sales

Cases of still wine are marked down 15 percent; cases of sparkling wines get a 10 percent discount. (Cases can be mixed.) During Monday “happy hours” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., all in-store still-wine purchases are 10 percent off. Dessert wines and spirits are not eligible for discounts.

Wine Tastings 
Frequent tasting sessions are held in the back room around a stocky wooden table.

Liquor Selection
The Scotch and bourbon selection has grown dramatically since the move. As with the wines, you can find lesser-known producers, such as the independent bottler Signatory, and special releases by the big guns. There’s also a notably wide selection of amari (Italian herbal liqueurs).

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Neighborhood Wine Shops (2007)