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Impress your friends and loved ones with a new and interesting bottle you pick up from these three local wine and spirits purveyors.
The holidays can be a blizzard of errands and tasks and, more often than not, one slips through the cracks. If you’ve neglected to procure your New Year’s Eve libations, these three wine shops are your ideal destination for snagging the ultimate booze to keep your party roaring.
Folkways Wine & Spirits
3 Front St, Croton Falls; 914.276.0116
Owned by New York City transplants Jonas Andersen and Natalie Gehrels, Folkways shines a spotlight on winemakers from small production and family-owned vineyards. Andersen was previously the beverage director for the famed Michelin-starred Agern and the Great Northern Food Hall, both taking up residence in Grand Central Terminal. Gehrels, an artist, has procured artisanal crafted wine accessories for the shop, such as handmade glasses and platters. “We want to really honor and celebrate the winemakers in everything that we’re doing,” says Gehrels, “We’re looking at the human aspect of all of this and showcasing as much handcrafted and local art as we can.”
The pair are accompanied on the projected by celebrated sommelier Amanda Smeltz, who previously oversaw wine programs at iconic New York City eateries Roberta’s, Estella, and Cafe Altro Paradiso.
Located in the historic Croton Falls train station, built in 1917, Folkways is an experience in wine-buying far beyond going home with a bottle to sip at dinner. The store focuses on being for the people — producers who take care of the land and their employees and every single customer who walks through the door. “We want to be more than a store—a platform that tells the story of the wine and how it’s made,” says Andersen. “We want to connect the drinkers with the producers and give the experience a deeper meaning.”
As for favorite wines on hand, Andersen has his enthusiastic choices. For a rare and fantastic local wine from Southold Cellar & Farm in Long Island, pick up the North Fork Teroldego “Weight of the Moment” 2016. “It has peppery notes and green notes,” says Andersen. “It’s a great Tuesday bottle of red wine.” For something crisper, check out the refreshing Chenin Blanc from natural producer Bruno Rochard, “Les Feuillettes’ 2020.”
If you have time to pop in before you pop bottles, Folkways will be hosting a champagne tasting on 12/30 from 4-7 p.m.
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Crespo Whiskeys and Wines
72 Main St, Dobbs Ferry; 914.219.4935
Brothers Jersom and Janxel O’Sheaf have perfected the fine art of enjoying whiskey. Step back in time — without taking on a criminal enterprise — to this 1920s Prohibition-esque outpost. A half-sized piano inhabits one of the rooms, all of which are lined with French wine labels on the walls. While the shop’s aura will have you looking for a secret door to the bar, its concept was not inspired by the Roaring ’20s, but rather the TV show Boardwalk Empire.
The front of the store showcases the near and far whiskeys that the duo offers, from bourbon and rye to Scotch and spirits from Ireland, America, mainland Europe, and Asia. Stroll into the wine room and immerse yourself in the extensive collection of vino, ranging from approachable $15 bottles that taste well above their price point to niche vintages. And no matter when you stop in, there’s always a bottle open to be tasted. Online wine and liquor shopping with free delivery is also available if you can’t make it to the store.
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Zachys Wine and Liquor
16 East Pkwy, Scarsdale; 914.874.8000
The family-owned wine and liquor store that has made a home in Scarsdale for decades will now be transitioning into a state-of-the-art facility in Port Chester come early 2022. The Zacharia family has grown what was once a simple retail storefront in Westchester to hubs in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and London.
The sprawling new 70,000 sq. ft. facility will bring together the company’s brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, auction space, and storage business units all under one roof for the first time in the company’s history. This consolidation of all Zachys services will bring together each part of the company services in a way that feels more cohesive. Perhaps the most notable part of the transition is an enhanced 3,500-sq-ft retail space, will allow Zachys to display more of the 7,000-plus wines and spirits that will be housed at the location. Plus, it gives customers that much more of a variety to peruse.
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