Specialty wine shop with an extremely knowledgeable staff and an impressive selection of fine wine. Not the most organized place around, but does your wine shop have Ornellaia in verticals on the shelf back to 2003? Vickers’ does. At least 7 selections from the Gaja family, including the hard to find Barbarescos like Sori Tildin and Sori San Lorenzo, ready for the taking? Looking for a Premier Cru White Burgundy, or how about a Gold Medal winning GSM from Australia? Look no further. Wine like you read about. A+
Colin R.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Newport, RI
There’s really one and only one reason to shop here — the wine selection. Easily the best selection of wines you’re going to find in Newport, probably even Rhode Island, with some crazy old and expensive bottles around. They’re also good when it comes to spirits, especially the harder to find, high-end stuff like small batch whiskey, etc. Having said that, this place is hands down the most expensive liquor store in Newport. I mean, you could probably expect that given it’s location on Bellevue, but some of the prices are just flat out ridiculous, and their«organization» skills are basically nonexistent, especially when it comes to the selection of single beers. There are some great brews there and they do have a very nice craft beer selection, but it’s also very poorly maintained and you’re just as likely to find a five year old stout that’s WELL past being good to drink right next to a brand new ale. Trust me, there is a hefty amount of beer sitting around that back freezer and on those shelves that are well past any semblance of being good. The two brothers who run the place are however very nice and helpful and it’s easy to see why they have some loyal customers. Again though, the place is a MESS and the prices are insane. Especially nips, don’t expect to find anything for under $ 2 in that department besides the cheapest and nastiest vodka at the counter. As a former employee of the place and someone who’s frequented just about every liquor store on the island, I can say it definitely has some big positives going for it in terms of selection, but the negatives of overpricing and messiness really bring it down.
Scott D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
Bourbon Hunt Success!!! I live in San Francisco and have been hunting down a bottle of Jefferson’s Presidential Select. 18-yr for the better part of a year. A friend recommended wine-searcher because many of the vino shops include their spirits. Within minutes I was linked to Vickers website. I filled out an online form and they got back to me by telephone within 2 days to confirm one last bottle of that precious juice was in stock. We did a transaction over the phone and this rare bottle of sweet elixir is now getting shipped UPS to me on the other edge of the continent. Kudos to these sweethearts for stocking great stuff, keeping up on their inventory, and fulfilling an online request.
Bill T.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Newport, RI
I’ve been to vickers many times over the years despite their prices being significantly higher than other nearby liquor stores, their lack of any price labeling, and complete disregard for dusting/cleaning because of its convenience to my house. But today will absolutely be the last time I bother with this place. I went in to buy a 6-pack for a friends birthday, went back home we crack open 2 and they were both skunked. Having spent 12 bucks and as mentioned before it’s close to my house I went back hoping to get a new 6-pack. Not only was I met with complete rudeness but I watched the manager take the remaining 4 beers, that he acknowledged were skunked having smelled the bottles, out for sale. Don’t go to this place and definitely don’t buy any loose Widmer Brothers beers from there.
Jamie H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Pascoag, RI
Stopped in here on St. Patrick’s day to get couple of things before joining friends. It wasn’t too busy and we quickly found what we were looking for.
Mister K.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Bay Area
Going to Vickers Liquors is one of my touchstones of a visit to Newport. It makes me feel like I’m really on vacation to walk in there. It’s summer, the parking lot is hot, and by golly, I’m on vacation and I’m going to drink! The clientele is also an interesting mixture of beachy people and the aristocracy… well-to-do people walking in already looped, wearing reflecto sunglasses, expensive polo shirts, etc. They don’t care how much the wine costs. The wine selection is interesting, if expensive. If you hunt around you find some deals, particularly in the larger bottles. However, I have not run across a liquor store with a better wine selection in and around Newport, so this is where I go to get beyond supermarket wines. If you are looking for interesting rums, this place has a wide and excellent selection, at least last time I looked. I am a big fan of local microbrew beer, and Vikkers has a good selection. So, another reason to go here. I wish I could go there today!
Lindsay W.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Los Angeles, CA
Convenient location and easy place to get in-and-out of. Nice selection. All good qualities for a neighborhood liquor store.
Barney R.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Brooklyn, NY
Central location, amazing beer selection and good selection of wines. But if you’re looking for a $ 10 bottle of vino, go elsewhere. Most of Vickers’ stock is in the $ 30-$ 50 range.
Josh F.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Washington D.C., DC
As a beer/wine/liquor dork, of any blend, do you ever walk into a store and feel like you’re hearing the hallelujah chorus playing in your head? yeah, me too. I felt like the world was a happier place when I discovered this little gem right in my neighborhood. The beer selection was intense. The local guys here(who are really nice dudes) promised that if they don’t have it, they can order it; yet they already have one of the most impressive selections i’ve found in Rhode Island. Besides the local(newport storm) and the semi local(Dogfish, Double bag) I saw selections from all the way up and down the coast. Too many to list here, at least 4 large fridges full to the brim with the sweet nectar of the gods. The store featured lots of microbrews and imports, and promises the ability to order whats not available in the cooler. We wandered the wine and liquor aisles, and I was very impressed with the variety and class of the selections there. I won’t go anywhere else to get my special needs met. A+.
Ronald v.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Clio, MI
Bought some local beer here while we were visiting Newport on our vacation. The store is pretty cramped and the beer selection was a bit small. But they sold microbrews and imports, so why would I complain? :-)
Chris P.
Rating des Ortes: 4 San Diego, CA
I am a recovered wine snob after having lived in Italy for a couple of years. I will confirm that they have quite a good collection of Italian wines — ones that you won’t find at most other places. Unfortunately that means that the bottles are a little pricier, but they’d be well worth it. One shouldn’t discount their beer selection either, they have more microbrews than any other place I’ve seen in Newport. I dig that the place is homey feeling and there’s more alcohol stuffed into that place than in your grandfather’s moonshine distillery. Worth a walk through when you have time to look through a bunch of the bottles, but bring your wallet(fully stocked)!
Blake N.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Washington, DC
I am a wine snob. If you want a cheap bottle of wine, i.e. Yellow Tail Shiraz, this is not your place. If you want an excellent bottle of wine, including aged bottles, anywhere from $ 25 — 200+, this is the place for you. They have an AWESOME selection of wine of all varietals. Additionally, if they don’t have what you are looking for, you can ask them to pick some up for you. I wanted some«Pyrat» rum, which is about $ 45 a bottle and they were happy to have some in for me the following week. If you buy a case, you will get 10% or more off the price.
Sean M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Westborough, MA
Here’s the deal: Note the address, this is the closest vin store to the«Mansions». They get most of the catering business, they sometimes get over stocks. If you want to buy high-end wine and you know your prices you can really make out here. They have the inventory online and it is searchable, so check it before you head on down. They have«verticals» in many top vintages. 15−20% case discounts. Not all the staff know wine, but they usually have at least one helpful person on staff. It is very tight quarters in the store, with densely packed racks, and most of the foot traffic is beach goers and party folks getting their beer. This can make your shopping experience trying, but if you want to get a deal on the fat bottles this is the place. They deliver too(I think only on Aquidneck Island, but if you buy enough wine…)