Off the Vine

I have been here six or seven times before going to see my parents. It’s a small, family store but they have really great wines from around the world. I love that the owner recommends wines from every price range and they are always spot on. Why go anywhere else?

I love, love, LOVE Off the Vine. It’s the kind of place I’ll walk into whenever I pass by just to see what they’ve got going on, whether or not I actively need to restock. Weekends are an especially good time to drop in because they do tastings regularly, putting out a selection of probably 4 – 6 bottles in addition to a significant spread of meats, cheeses, and baked goods provided by the owners’ mother :)
If you buy anything offered for tasting (which usually range in price from ~$ 20 to ~$ 35), they give you a 10% discount, which I’ve taken advantage of at least twice now. They also offer discounts like most places do for buying in bulk 6 or 12 bottles.
Overall wine selection is good with plenty of options around $ 10-​$ 20, and very neatly organized so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. The staff is also knowledgable and ready to recommend a bottle to help you find whatever you’re looking for.
It’s one of my favorite places in the neighborhood, a family business that will make you feel warmly welcomed every time you come in. Check it out for a weekend tasting!

Really helpful staff. Best selection of wine I’ve seen in the hood. I’ve never bought a bottle from this store that I found disappointing.

Reasonable prices on a big selection of wines. My wife is in heaven here. They have a smaller selection of spirits as well, a few interesting liquors and liqueurs I haven’t seen elsewhere. Also wine/​liquor accessories and mixers. The owners are very friendly, and the service is great; they can recommend a good wine for just about anything.
They also have tastings and events which are fun. Last time we tasted a white chocolate almond vodka that is made locally. My wife wouldn’t let me leave without a bottle. Good times.

This is a great local business! I live right across the street and was so impressed by the owner. I think that a lot of wine and liquor stores give off a «wine snob» atmosphere which makes me intimidated to ask for recommendations but not Off the Vine. I feel so welcomed every time I come in and the owner provides great affordable selections. Came here several times during the holiday season and he wrapped all of my bottles as gifts at no extra charge. He also hosts wine tastings a few times a month.
Off the Vine is a great example of why we need to support local shops in the neighborhood!

Love this local business. You don’t know exactly what wine you’re looking for? Well guess what — JP knows what wine you’re looking for and it will be excellent. We have never been steered wrong by his suggestions and while the stock does rotate fairly regularly it is a good excuse to try something new.
They have a great selection of small batch bourbons and whiskeys that you won’t find at the corner liquor store.
The Saturday night wine tastings are a great way to try new wines out so you aren’t blindly spending money on an unknown commodity.
Do yourself a favor, stop in and discover your new favorite shop in the neighborhood.

This place is great to find liquors and wines you can’t find elsewhere. The staff is exceptionally friendly, and the tastings are awesome. The only drawback is that they close earlier than the other liquor stores in the area, so I often times end up walking there and then have to turn around and go somewhere else. Maybe I’ll check the hours next time.

I’m a good Catholic woman that attends Saturday mass each week at St. Joseph’s, in Astoria.
One of the highlights, after church, is a visit to Off the Vine.
Seriously, they usually put out quite the spread that involves, at times, a multitude of samples. From wine, cheese, and charcuterie, I never would have realized my love for Prosecco, if not for my this place.

The owner is amazingly friendly and helpful and the selection is good. The prices are fair and this totally beats my other liquor store option, which is on Broadway and makes me feel like I’m going to be robbed because of the bulletproof glass.

Came here quite some time ago with my guy on a Saturday evening for a wine tasting he suggested we go to here after hearing about it from the owner during one of his random jaunts to pick up some wine…
Normally wine shop wine tastings leave lots to be desired, but Off the Vine completely exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds. I could be wrong, but I felt like this place was family owned… if it isn’t it still has that cozy, close-​knit, neighborhood staple kind of vibe.
The owner was super friendly and the tasting itself was fun, educational (no, seriously — it was) and very well laid out. They served a few cheeses (a smoked Mediterranean cheddar if my memory serves me correctly…) and sliced meats plus homemade meatballs… made out of LAMB. Now I love baby lambs and I’m sure there’s a nice, warm seat reserved for me in hell right now but, I love lamb — this was an unexpected treat, lol.
There was a station for white wines (5 different varieties, all Italian), one for red wines (also 5 of Italian and Spanish decent) and a random vodka station for a brand that was domestic/​family fermented and they showcased their 3 flavors (regular, citrus and lemon). The boy and I ended up purchasing a Tempranillo that appealed to both of our palettes.
I’d definitely see myself returning here some time during regular business hours. They have a really nice selection of wines from all over, nicely laid out and presented in a classy, no frills way that would appeal to both an educated wine conisseur and a casual wino. Stay classy, Off the Vine! :)

Is there anything more magical than an extremely friendly man who helps put liquor in your stomach? Now… what if that man is also very knowledgable… and helps put just the right liquor in your stomach? That is beyond magical my friends… like a unicorn made entirely of rainbows and childrens’ dreams. Or a newborn baby dwarf comprised of high quality French chocolate. You should patronize this establishment.

An amazing neighborhood wine shop.
I give this place 5 stars for mostly the customer service– the guy running the place is one of the friendliest people I’ve met in the neighborhood, and the guys knowledge of wine is outstanding. He’s always full of good tips about his wines, and carries a lot of brands I can’t find anywhere else.
The wine tastings are a great neighborhood event on Saturdays, and it’s a very family oriented place.
If you’re looking for a select wine shop (not your warehouse wine places) I definitely recommend this place.

This guy is AWESOME. Period end of story. He’s never condescending and I never for a second felt timid abt asking a question.
Selection is good, and I’ve never been let down by his choice. Although I have strayed from his suggestions nd he warned me. He’s always on point. Service is great! GO HERE.

Absolutely serviceable wine store with a nice selection, artfully laid out and with clear indications of country and price for each tipple. I checked it out today for the first time because I remembered having come across a 5-​star Unilocal review for it this morning when we parked right in front of the store to pick up some mozzarella across the street. We went in, browsed, and picked up a $ 13 Malbec for which the cashier (owner?) was happy to accept a credit card charge.
A slightly broader selection of good bourbons would make Off the Vine even better, but I’m up for heading back to get another bottle or two of wine soon.

I am regrettably overdue for posting a review of this place.
My husband and I are frequent customers of Off the Vine (what can we say, we like to drink!). The owners are always warm and welcoming, and super knowledgeable. I can honestly say I’ve never been steered wrong. If you go in with an idea of what you like or what you are going to pair it with, the suggestions are spot on! The wines are all from small distributors and are all moderately priced. We absolutely love the selection. I get very overwhelmed in giant wine stores with impersonal service.
The other thing I love is the tastings! While you can never argue with free booze, they really go out of their way to make the tastings a special event. Sometimes, you can even sample liquors such as gin or limoncello, depending on the night. They always have a spread of snacks out to enjoy as well.
In short: everyone should venture east of Steinway. The Trifecta of Awesome that is Sorriso’s, Gian Piero bakery, and Off the Vine can’t be beat. Grab a soppresata and cheese, some cannolis for later, and a delicious bottle of red. Your night is guaranteed to be awesome, and you’re supporting local business, to boot.

Off the Vine has wine tastings about every month in the summer and fewer in the winter. I usually find out about the wine tastings via twitter or just walking around in my neighborhood. I have been to many wine tastings in the past 5 years and Off the Vine has the best wine tastings by far.
I have been going to their wine tastings for 2 years and each time it gets better. They have a good selection of wine offered during their wine tastings and you get 10% off if you purchase a bottle. In addition to their wine tasting, the owner puts out a nice spread of antipasto each time. It is always different each time. One time my boyfriend and I went for a wine tasting and the owner offered us carrot cake since it was an employee’s birthday. The carrot cake was delicious.
It’s never really crowded during the wine tastings. You have people coming in bursts and no one really hangs out until the end, You taste 6 wines, nibble a bit, buy wine and leave. It’s not a place where you socialize with the patrons, this is a true wine tasting.
Everyone behind the counter is very nice and helpful if you have any questions and not pretentious at all. The prices are reasonable and the wine is very good. They have a good selection of European wines and not so much selection of local wines or from the United States.

I have walked in this place once.
The store is clean, nicely laid out and airy… In my opinion this is «wine store» 101.
The little flags on the bottles gave it a nice touch.
It was separated in region/​country and red vs. white. Nice.
The person behind the counter seamed pleasant and willing to help.
The store is limited in space thus there can only be so many countries/​regions represented. There was a nice niche in South Africa wines for people who care about it.
Personally, it did not have variety to my taste.
Zero Greek wines in Astoria to me, is a no no.
I bought a 100% pinotage bottle and have not tried it yet.
I will go back to buy another South Africa wine but it will probable not be soon.

Great local wine shop. Prices are reasonable. Wide selection of wines from all over the world and the owners are very knowledgeable. I really like their wine tastings. Make sure you sign up on their website for email alerts. They go all out and serve cheese and crackers and hors d’oevres at the tastings. If you buy one of the wines featured that night, you receive a 10% discount on the bottle.
If you are an Astorian and like to drink wine, stop by and support your neighborhood wine shop.

I just wanted to reiterate how much I love this place. The owners are really nice, helpful, and not pretentious. They have frequent wine tastings. They have unique wines; most of their wine comes from vineyards that produce less than 8,000 cases each year. Off the Vine is my go-​to wine place.

Support businesses like this!
An owner that really cares about the business he’s in. He remembers you when you come in and is there to make the customer feel happy.
They run tastings a few times a month that expose you to new wines and supply local eats to accompany.
There are too many liquor stores that know you’re going to buy no matter what. Why not go to one that appreciates you being there?
It makes me happy to buy wine at this place. It makes me happier to drink it.
If you can’t tell I’m drinking wine right now.