Candlelight Wines

Upper West Side
2315 Broadway
between 83rd/84th Sts.

P: 212.877.7085

A popular Upper West Side shop that sells wine and spirits. These are serious wine merchants who have been in the business for over 30 years but there's no intimidation here. The shop sells over 1,100 different wines from nearly every wine-producing country and they can guide you to make the best choice based on your menu, your palate, and your budget. The wine displays are organized by country, each noted with a charming wood plaque.

What's great:

The proprietor, George Bosler, will periodically check all the wines, including the lowest priced ones, for consistency. They sell kosher and organic wines and have a large and excellent selection of Champagnes and Sake. The shop's selection of spirits include all the most popular brands, plus a carefully chosen number of single malt scotches which if they aren't your area of expertise, they can help you make a successful choice.

What to know:

They will gift wrap your bottle if you're on your way to a dinner or other gift-appropriate event. They keep a selection of white wines and Champagnes chilled, making a last minute purchase easy. While display bottles are set standing up, these merchants know to keep wines and Champagnes stored on their sides to keep corks moist.

Saturday afternoon wine tastings begin in September, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., and they'll feature Champagne at tastings in November and December.

On some items, especially those that are easy to find in most wine shops, it can be a good idea to compare prices because Candlelight can be more expensive than other shops in the neighborhood.