Over this past weekend, my family visited me from NY to hang-out and go to Yelp Harrisburg's first…read moreElite Event. As if that wasn't reward enough, I also decided that I would cook them one of my signature recipes - Braised Short Ribs. As an avid home chef and rather well-accomplished one, there are some ingredients that I am very particular about. The wine I use to deglaze the pots of certain dishes being one of them.
In order to cook them my meal, I needed a good bottle of Chianti that worked as a nice beverage, and for the braising liquid. Historically, I gravitate toward Chianti Classico Riserva, but have had some difficulty finding that exact blend. Fine Wine & Good Spirits delivered.
Service: Unlike many of my reviews, this business does not serve food. So to accommodate this momentous occasion, I will deviate from my traditional rating categories. First-up is service. When I walk into a business - especially one that I have never been to, I catch vibes very quickly. When I walked into this store, it was fresh, inviting, and calming. Helping exude this feeling was the friendly older gentlemen working at the counter.
From the moment I walked in, he greeted me and immediately asked if there was anything he could help with. I appreciate that. I told him that I needed to be directed to the Chiantis. He walked me over there and asked if there was something in particular I was looking for. Again, most appreciated; but didn't need his help as I immediately fixated on what I needed: Chainti Classico Riserva!
Service: 5 / 5
Selection: This leads me to selection. This place has a very extensive selection of wines, liquors, and other such accessories that make this one of the most useful wine and liquor stores I have ever been to. I am not much of a drinker and primarily only use alcohol for cooking. Despite that, this store impressed in selection.
Selection: 5 / 5
Atmosphere: This store 'wowed' me when I walked in. Super bright, vibrant, inviting, well-stocked, modern, and clean. I kind of wanted to live here. Beautiful earth tones coupled with an easy store layout. Based on feel and atmosphere alone, along with how meticulously everything was stocked with labels, straight displays, etc. - I don't think that I will ever go to another wine and spirits store.
Atmosphere: 5 / 5
Price: I paid $18.00 for a bottle of wine that I typically pay 14-15 for in other states. Now, I attribute that to the fact that taxes/fees/etc may be different here than in TX or TN, so I am not going to de-merit them for the elevated cost. If I find this bottle of wine anywhere else - if I choose to go anywhere else - I will be sure to update. For now, I am going to leave the price category as:
Price: --
Final Thoughts: As I mentioned, I very rarely shop for alcohol because the only time that I really use it is in cooking. Rum for fosters, wines for deglazing, and occasionally beers for a wide variety of things. That said, this is the nicest wine and spirits store I have ever been in, so that is saying something. Lastly, I think the store is relatively new as it doesn't even show-up on Google yet. I strongly recommend checking this out.
