UPDATE. Got a message from the staff at Urban Grape regarding my review, which is always impressive and appreciated. They said: "...about 50% of the wine at UGSE is in the $15 range, the reason being that we want everyone to feel they can stop by for a "daily bottle," not just for special occasions. So please make sure to let the salesperson helping you know that you'd like something in that price range and we will make sure to find you the perfect bottle." Score! read more

Great store. Except they close way too early. There are very few liquor stores in the south end and it's unfortunate that they close hours before other stores so you're forced to go elsewhere. read more

I'm neutral at the moment, on Urban Grape. I wanted this place to be my new go-to wine and beer shop, a la Social Wines in my former hood. I've found the staff to be knowledgable, to a point, but when pushed it is clear they're not passionate about their wares. Their beer selection is just OK and I find the layout of the wine area to require a guide if I'm to make any sense of it. Maybe I'll warm to it, but for now I think a packie will do just fine if I'm not making the journey to Social Wines in Southie. read more

I stopped in last week looking for a bottle of prosecco. I'm very new to the wine game and had no idea what I wanted other than bubbles! A very sweet young lady instantly greeted me and was happy to help me with my search! In just a minute we had picked out a reasonably priced and super tasty option. The store was super cute and all of the staff very friendly. I will definitely be back! read more

A huge, beautiful, new, win-o-riffic space in the South End for all your gettin' sloshed needs. You can taste several wines from the futuristic wine dispenser, and even more libations are available during the tastings they hold regularly. The annual rose tasting drunk-a-rama is coming up in May -- sign up for their newsletter, and you'll be notified of fun special events and "Tuesday tweets," which are specially discounted wines each week. This is the Toys 'R Us for adults. For beer and hard liquor drinkers, there's plenty of selection and tastings for you, too. One of the best parts is that the owners treat their business like a democracy, in which you're free to ask questions without every feeling some of that old school wine snobbery BS. read more

A particularly well laid-out boutique liquor store with quite a selection of wines, spirits and beer. As a couple of others have noted, the beers are organized by locality, season and staff picks as opposed to by brewery. On that note, the staff here are very helpful and take the time and effort to point out favorites and answer questions to the best of their knowledge. Additionally, they can create a profile for you in their system to keep track of your purchases in case you come across some bottles that are especially delicious. read more

Excellent customer service here! My husband and I went to Urban Grape recently looking for a bourbon to bring to a friend's new house as a housewarming gift. Neither of us really drink whiskey, and Jack saw us struggling to choose and helped us out. We picked up the bottle he recommended, and he even gift-wrapped it for us. To our delight, the bourbon was a huge hit, and the couple raved to us about it more than once. The layout of this shop is nice and open and well-organized. They seemed to have a pretty wide selection, and the location is very close to several T stops. We'll definitely be back! read more

The staff know their stuff. They do tastings all the time and the staff know everything you could want to ask about the wine (beer probably too). I went onto the website of the wine that I bought later and it was only $2 more at the store, so the pricing is great. read more

We had a 30+ person holiday party at the Urban Grape. Our group is very varied in their likes and dislikes, but everyone agreed that the wine tasting could not have been a more fun event for us. As the organizer I was so pleased with the quick communications and suggestions I received form the Urban Grape team. Everything went flawless and the professionalism of the staff allowed me to really enjoy the event, despite being the organizer. I highly recommend the Urban Grape for corporate events that almost everyone will enjoy and appreciate. read more

I remember walking by this place one time on my way to Giacomo's and I have wanted to try it for a long time! I finally found a change to go recently and I really like this place. First off, they are open until 11PM which is pretty late for a wine tasting place. Second, I really like that they don't charge for tastings from the machine... A lot of places I've been to always charge. I'm sure they charge for wine tasting events, but I haven't had a chance to attend one. The staff are super friendly and knowledgeable. Their selection of wines, beer, champagne is so vast! I'm sure I can find a good amount of things I want! I would definitely return next time I'm in the area. read more

Nice selection of wine. They do wine tastings there. The time I went, they also had a beer tasting which was a nice addition before the wine tastings. Staff was very kind to us. So much better than Bacco's Wine (though they have the cheese) but I still like Urban Grape. Price is reasonably for wine and located in a great location! read more

I scheduled a private tasting for 8 people for my sister's bachelorette. The event was reasonably priced and by far the highlight of my sister's weekend! Julie, the sommelier, and Chelsea, the event coordinator were incredible to work with. The store is beautiful and spacious, and the wine was diverse and delicious. As an added bonus, we were able to pick the text and picture to be placed on the front cover of the tasting pamphlet. We picked a picture of my sister in a wedding gown as a little girl. It was perfect. This is actually my first time leaving a review on Yelp, but I felt strongly about recommending this shop to other consumers. read more

I go here because it's conveniently on my way home from work. Unfortunately over the years I've found the employees to either not be helpful (I end up buying a wine based on their recommendation that turns out to be the complete opposite of what I like, and yes I was very clear I don't like jammy wines) or, most recently, the abhorrent wine snob, taking pleasure in telling you that "here our Barbarescos start at $50." Hire people that appreciate folks that want to learn about the wine. Not just name drop wine makers of vineyards they themselves have never been to, while you have. What would recommend instead that might be close? A classic Nebbiolo perhaps? Or convince me that I should go for the Barbaresco anyway, it's the weekend after all. It's really too bad. Such a great location, but as much as I love wine I can't stand wine snobs. There are some gems, a Burgundy that I love is the Domaine Ragot Givrey Premier Cru. Great value for the money! (IMHO) But I always think twice about coming to Urban Grape based on the experiences I've had. read more

Great wine and premium liquor store. There is a wide range of good wine and brown liquor as well as other liquors. The staff is very knowledgeable and can converse and recommend on all types. When searching for a bourbon, the owner let me taste test before I bought. read more

The Urban Grape - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I have purchased several cases of wine from UB over the past few years and have found the staff to be exceptionally knowledgable and helpful. I also enjoy that the selection is expertly curated to include great value and selection at many different price points. I must also commend TJ and his staff for how they handled a recent issue I had with a case of wine that had purchased from the Chestnut Hill location that exhibited some spoilage. In my view, service after the sale is what differentiates the good from the great. Thanks Urban Grape. read more

Amazing shop! Great selection of all the best spirits and beers and wines you could ever want. Beautiful presentation. And they have lots of in-store tastings! They even carry this wine called "The Oyster" that restores 100 oysters per bottle! read more

The Urban Grape - Cool oyster wine! - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Seems more owner driven now. Great employees tend to leave, I miss the service that made this place special. Great concept, turned Walmart. And now, in the age of trump, sadly this is normal. Service has been replaced with greed. I like service. Stay away from the greed driven monthly samplers! They are designed to deceive! A reason to whine. Wine . read more

My all-time favorite wine store, period. I truly miss this place now that I moved to SF and can't find a wine store that comes close to matching what Urban Grape has to offer. They have free tastings every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and the range of offerings is unbeatable in terms of regional variety, quality and price point. I used to live 1 minute away from UG and would always go to their free tastings, and I was seriously the happiest to be able to just drop by, chat with wine dealers and staff, and pick up a few bottles. I also have gone to company-hosted events at this place and the quality is top-notch as well. Staff is always friendly and I never feel pressured to buy stuff. Seriously recommend this place. read more

Impromptu whiskey tasting after talking with the awesome staff and helping a young man find a nice bottle of Scotch for a party he was going to. This place has everything for the eclectic wine, scotch/whiskey, vodka, etc. drinker. They even have stuff for you craft beer drinkers! Knowledgable staff, great atmosphere. Wish I lived in Boston, this would be my spot for purchasing libations! read more

The Urban Grape - Drinking at the hotel! Thanks Urban Grape South End! - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

No need for a lengthy explanation. They are great. They have an incredible amount of wines and a respectable collection of beers and hard alcohols. They are very knowledgable and even keep a record of you past purchases so you can repeat a bottle. Love em! read more

I just stopped by this amazing place on a very random, off chance that I could find for a gift for a friend who I thought might enjoy a bottle of scotch. A few quick questions and I was directed to what is apparently the second coming as far as Scotch is concerned. He spoke of it's incredible popularity at a recent tasting that had sold out all they had but one bottle, the one that came home with me. The gentleman's knowledge was incredible, down to some amazing details and flavor comparisons. What I love is that there is a story to tell which makes the gift that much more interesting. Packaged beautifully, I was out the door in about six minutes. So hats off to the Urban Grape- easy, approachable, vast selection and a staff with a knowledge bar none. read more

Urban Grape has a great selection of high-end wines. Excellent for special occasions and those willing to drop $40 on a bottle for a weeknight. For those looking for something under $20, there's not much selection. Another review claims that 50% of the store's selection is in the $15 range, but that is simply not true. I typically stop here when looking for something special. For everyday wine, not so much. The store is well organized. Bottles are priced with computer printed labels affixed to the back. This forces you to pick up every potential selection and roll it over. Wines are arranged vertically by price with the cheap bottles on the bottom. Everything at eye-level is expensive. So if you're looking for something reasonably priced be prepared to browse the store bending over. read more

I want to agree with a previous reviewer, that "this place looks fantastic from the outside, but not so friendly on the inside". I also want to begin by saying that I was so excited to go to this wine shop on each occasion that I've gone, in spite of the poor service that I've received. I've been to this wine shop on at least 3 occasions. On the first visit, I went with a friend. She and I were going to be doing a wine tasting a couple of weeks out, and we were looking for wines in the region that we would be tasting to try out ahead of time. As soon as we arrived one of the wine salesmen greeted us and asked if we needed help, I spoke up and said, "yes". His response was a little bit audacious and sarcastic for my taste, but he said something to the effect, "I guess I can help you". He turned out to be really nice and knowledgeable, but his initial interaction with us was a little rough. I brushed it off, not to take it so seriously. So after we'd chosen our wines strolled around browsing, he'd already walked our bottles to the check-out counter. Meanwhile, as we were browsing the store we noticed one of the salesmen giving a very detailed spiel / demonstration of an intricate wine bottle opener to a woman. As we were approaching the check-out counter there were 3 salesmen. As you approach, there were two on the right hand side chatting with one another and one on the left hand side. The phone happened to ring as we walked up too and he (guy on the left) answered the phone. So now we're standing at the counter and the two guys talking never stopped talking to acknowledge us. That was so rude! We brushed that off! The person that helped us, was coming over to check us out when the salesman (we later was told was the owner) asked him to check the woman with the "wine bottle opener" out first. Mind you were standing there waiting patiently first before her. I didn't appreciate that! That pretty much was the end of our 1st visit. Not totally bad but not totally good either! The second experience was ok, we went for a wine tasting and Umberto (wine owner) & Jackson were nicer than some of the salespeople. However, the second visit was by far more pleasant! The third visit was on 5/8/2015, and it was by far the worse experience. We were snubbed! My friend and I (same one from before) walked in was greeted by a young lady at the check-out counter. We let her know that were there to check-out the wines for the wine tasting. She let us know that it was to the back. We approached the table and there was a man standing with the wines for the tasting. My friend approached and began looking and talking about them with me. He never said, "hi ladies" or anything. However, another woman approached that was not even interested in the wine tasting and he immediately said, "hi, how are you?" Also, while in there, I noticed the same owner (the man) helping someone else intensely. He's never spoken to my friend and I on any of the times that we've visited. On each visit, I've noticed that his spoken to other customers. I mention it because we've gone into this shop on 3 separate occasions within a 2-3 week period. I believe that you'd notice your customers, especially the ones you care about and it shows. I didn't feel welcome on my third visit. I felt out of place, and like no one wanted me there or cared if I purchased anything. Needless to say we walked out last night, and I don't think I'll return! Even if you don't remember me (not saying that the owner should, but it would be nice if he did), it's pretty sad when you can't even get a greeting from the one of the owners, a simple "hello or welcome back" would be better nothing or being ignored. Maybe wave of the hand as a hello to acknowledge that you noticed I've arrived. There are a few salespeople, like "Alex" that are great, but overall this is a very "cold" business establishment to shop in, if you're not important enough to the owner(s) to warrant their attention! read more

Excellent selection of wines, and not your mass-produced garbage water. They genuinely care about their product and have opinions, views, and thoughts. They have stuff in there that you can't find at your local package store. With that said... HOLY COW DO THEY MARK UP THEIR BOTTLES. They smile at you while they bend you over! read more

This is a great place. They organize the wines differently than most shops. Have fabulous tastings and good prices.

The Urban Grape in the South End of Boston, MA is my favorite wine shop. TJ, the owner and his staff are extremely helpful and knowledgeable about wine. Whether its a wedding, Thanksgiving or Christmas, or simply a special occasion TJ's team personally works with me and finds the perfect wines for my friends and family. They cater to all price points so you can even stop by for a fun bottle of wine to enjoy on a Friday evening. They also have weekly tastings which are fun to enjoy with family and friends! I highly recommend to try a wine tasting as that was my first experience with TJ and his team! Thank you so much for your loyal customer service! read more

The Urban Grape has now exceeded my expectations in every way. I had a slightly negative review up before this that mainly had to do with a minor price premium, but after interactions with the staff and the owner I can say that this is one of the most helpful and caring stores that I have ever been to. They care about the customer experience before anything else and you can easily tell that they work hard to ensure everyone is happy with what they are drinking. Isn't that they point of a great wine shop? Are they slightly more expensive that other wine shops in Boston? Maybe. It depends upon who you ask. They sell a premium product in a premium neighborhood of a premium city, what do you expect? What I can say, and cannot say enough, is that the service, knowledge, and care is absolutely unbeatable. To all the college students in the city, all several hundred thousand of you, try the urban sampler. It is a great way to start learning about wine and to drink something that isn't bagged, boxed, or canned at a reasonable price. Get some friends and buy several and get free delivery. I received my first one a week ago and it has shocked me how much I like some of the bottles. read more

Awesome local south end spot. Great wine selection and very helpful staff. Love this place and their new book!

Tucked away in the Back Bay is a unique wine shop that also sells a small selection of ecelectic and hard to find liquor and beers. They even had a Japanese beer I really like called Hitachino White. I had questions about an alcohol I saw and the girl working there was quick to give me a sample from an open bottle. read more

Beautiful store with a great selection of wonderful wines and liquors. The staff is friendly and very knowledgable and had some great value recommendations in the price range we were seeking. Visited twice while in Boston and I'd be a regular customer if I lived there. read more

I went to this location yesterday for a wine tasting as part of a Meetup. They had the Mise Organic Wine event: 3 Reds and 1 White from Italy for tasting that are absolutely SPECTACULAR - even the White, which I don't usually like. I don't remember the name of the guy telling me about the wines, but he was really nice and probably gave me the least ridiculous sounding descriptions wine I've ever heard. I've been to wine tastings before and half the time I'm there thinking they must be making shit up. The man hosting the Mise tasting was not like this at all! I only talked to one other staff member and he was also very friendly and willing to talk to me about the store. They have this really interesting organizational system for the wine based on how heavy the body/texture is, which I LOVE because texture is just as important for me as flavor when it comes to wine. I prefer medium to heavy-bodied wines, and this store makes it SUPER easy to know what you're getting. Sadly, I do not live nearby, but I definitely plan on coming back at some point when I really want to splurge on wine. read more

This place is incredible! They have tastings on the weekends which are always informative, fun, and welcoming! If you give the cashier your your email address when you check out they will keep track of your purchases and make recommendations for you based off past purchases. read more

I am a non-beer drinker, but I like to bring beer back for my husband when I travel. I stumbled upon Urban Grape South End mostly because it was within walking distance of my hotel. As the name implies it is mostly wine, but they have a solid beer selection. The space is clean and inviting, and the shelves are packed with options. One of their employees, I wish I had caught her name, was extremely helpful in picking beer that was worth bringing back to Denver. So far she and I are a combined 2 for 2 in terms of what my husband has tried, but he was especially thrilled with the Mean Old Tom from the Maine Brewing Company. read more

Love this place! Great selection of wine, beer, and spirits. There's also a tasting or two during the week. It's a great opportunity to try things I normally wouldn't, especially when I wouldn't know where to start. The staff are knowledgable, friendly, and super accommodating. A customer for life! read more

Wonderful staff, fantastic selection, fun events. Far exceeds the normal liquor store experience.

A great place, not just for wine, but also terrific for whiskeys. They have a smaller but well curated selection of beers, including a few sour beers. The staff is very friendly and well informed. I was originally apprehensive about going here, but despite the high-end neighborhood, I didn't detect any traces of snobbery in my conversations with the staff, and have returned quite a few times to try out different types of Scotch. read more

One word: awesome. Helpful staff (they are very knowledgeable). I've gone there a couple times, and they always make me feel welcomed and give me interesting wines to sample, which is great. Good selection of wine; an interactive experience. I learn something about wine every time. Highly recommend. read more

Just got off the phone with one of the staff members and received absolutely excellent service for a special order(especially considering I called 10 minutes before closing, was treated like I was the first call of the day). Thanks read more

Urban Grape has been my go-to wine store in the South End for years. The friendly proprietors even recommended great wines for my wedding in NYC (even though we didn't buy them directly from them because we were getting married in a different city! How much more could you ask for? read more

Great spot, great variety of wines! I went here the first time for a charity tasting event this summer, and have already returned since then. Not only is the sorting of the wines unique and encouraging of you to try new things, the friendly, accessible staff is also there to help you find what you need, within your budget! I was also pleased that they had such a variety of prices in their wine, making it good for any occasion. I will happily return to the Urban Grape in the future! read more