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All Star Wine & Spirits
Category: Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Beer, Wine & Spirits [Edit]
Latham Farms579 Troy-Schenectady Rd
Latham, NY 12110
(518) 220-9463
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
13 reviews for All Star Wine & Spirits
13 reviews in English
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Review from Steven P.
Upper Saddle River, NJ
3/11/2012
I've never been to their retail store, but I found them on the Internet while trying to locate a bottle of Argyle Pinot Noir (2009 or 2010). Found it here, and by the way, their price was outstanding. I called the store as well, and they spent a good deal of time for me on a wild goose chase, trying to find me a bottle of wine I had at a local restaurant. Bottom line is that the service was great, I bought eight bottles of wine and had them in New Jersey the next day at prices far better than any local store. I only wish they were close enough to me so that I could just browse the aisles.
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Review from Colleen M.
Latham, NY
12/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I usually go to Spirits of Troy but on several occasions I've stopped into All Star. I haven't seen the dog in a while, I hope he's okay.
The wine is a few quid cheaper here than at Spirits (and the selection is massive compared to Spirits, but I'm not that sophisticated so the selection doesn't do much for me as long as ya got a few South American wines).
The booze is significantly more expensive here than at Spirits.
They sell locally distilled spirits.
The staff was super friendly and helpful. -
Review from Amber F.
Troy, NY
11/23/2011
I usually go to Exit 9 or Spirits in Troy due to proximity to work/home. I had stopped here after a hair appointment in Latham on my way to a friends house.
I had been here once in a rush when they were half the size and left with no pleasant memories.
This trip was a different story.
I was greeted and asked if I was finding eveything okay
(twice!). I thought the prices were pretty on par with Exit 9. I enjoyed the selection and thought the layout was easily navigated.
I should warn you I'm not a wine snob. I like malbecs around 10, fun descriptions and pretty labels but I'm sure even the classiest wino will find what they're looking for.
The only complaint was the Ho-hum cashier. This trip would have been first class if it wasn't for her lack of energy. (Don't get me wrong, I don't need sunshine and rainbows while you're ringing my wine out but at least pretend to somewhat happy with your job)
I'm still rating a 5. When I go out of my way to shop here I hope the cashier is on the same level as the rest of the store. -
Review from Eric B.
East Greenbush, NY
11/9/2011
Hate the location, prices are too high for a wine store of this size, and they are frequently out of what I am looking for. And NO, I don't want Yellowtail Merlot instead!!!
Its totally worth it to drive out of my way to go to Empire, who has better prices, selection, and staff. -
Review from Michelle B.
Albany, NY
9/10/2010 2 Check-ins Here
An impressive selection here; All Star offers a wide variety of both the very cheapest and the big name, high priced stuff... all at competitive prices. Plenty of space to browse without standing shoulder to shoulder with other customers.
Staff is very helpful and knowledgeable without being at all pushy. And they are able to special order items upon request... who knew?? The husband was seeking a particular type of wine he had trouble finding, and although he opted out, they said they'd have it to him a week later at a very reasonable price.
All Star also sells a bunch of cool accessories that you don't often find at other wine shops, including stoppers, wine racks, glasses, etc. And they periodically have wine tastings -- the next one is scheduled for Sept 19 -- where they offer samples of dozens of wine that they sell at deeply discounted prices. In fact, I think I may need to clear up some space in my wine rack in preparation... -
Review from Jess P.
Santa Cruz, CA
12/22/2008
This place is pretty awesome, except that it's in Latham Farms.
I try to avoid Latham in general as much as possible because driving in the Route 9 area is inevitably a total clusterfuck. I don't like it one bit!
That said, sometimes I can't avoid a whole suburb. I needed to buy a few bottles for Christmas gifts and I happened to be nearby for some other presents. Having heard good things, I was not disappointed.
There's a nice selection of wines and liquors, and it's spacious with ample room to properly browse. I wish they had a slightly larger selection of South American and South African wines, but I guess you can't have it all in one spot.
I picked up a 10 dollar crianza from their "reds under $12" section and was not disappointed with it. I also had been wanting to try this year's beaujolais nouveau but definitely didn't want to overpay for it as I'm sort of on the fence about bn's. At 6.99 a bottle, it was a chance I was willing to take.
A few brands I buy regularly though, such as Parallele 45's cotes du rhone and El Coto crianza rioja, are still a little cheaper at Empire Wine, which is a far more convenient location for me.
Geography aside, the sales were good and the clerks were helpful without being too pushy about it. -
Review from Daniel B.
Albany, NY
Back where I am from, we had a place called Grocery Outlet. My good friend lovingly called it "Groce Out". But beyond expired meat and wilted produce, they sold close-out wine.
It was a bargain-hunters paradise.
All Star Wine & Spirits seems to have some of that going on, inside its hollowed walls. They had some of my favorite finds from Groce Out. Except in this case, it kinda seems less honest. With these closeout wines nestled among some really fine bottles of hooch. All Star has some remarkable stuff.
But it's not all remarkable. Let the buyer beware. The 1992 Scharffenberger Pacific Echo Brut is a good bit over the hill. I've never had a bubbly taste sherried before, but I know enough that it's not a good thing. Still, to get an opportunity to taste something that was bottled when I was in college... for $4!... is a special thing indeed.
Sadly they used to have a Beaujolais Cru section, but it is gone. Apparently, the people of Latham just wouldn't buy the good wine that All Star had been stocking.
What a shocker. -
Review from Derick F.
Schenectady, NY
11/18/2007
A very big wine store with some interesting selections, incl. a lot of California wines I hadn't seen in the area at all before, and a 15% case discount. I'm not going into the wine blog game but I picked up a mixed case here last month, mostly in the $10-17 range.
Two notable ones, both on sale: Anne-Marie Gille Bourgogne 2000, which was a disappointment: past its prime, acidic, thin and bodiless.
And a 1996 Cottonwood Canyon Synergy (Cab Sav / Cab Franc blend) that they had for $8-10 or so -- I figured it's an 11 year old Cab, it can't be too bad -- acc. to the bottle only 3300 bottles were bottled & acc. to google it sells for $65-90. So either it was a steal or it hadn't been stored properly & was going to be awful. I think it was a steal & will be back to get a few more bottles to drink when I finally get around to making my elk stew (meat's in the freezer now, from the Troy Farmer's Market).
update - I think Daniel B's review has nailed it -- All-Star has some good stuff, but some of their variety / selection / sale wines come from having some mediocre close-outs.
update 2 - they've got their stock on-line, at the URL above. This was a serious steal - 10 yr old Bourdeaux @ $11.99/bottle - http://www.allstar.cor... -
Review from Ari S.
2/11/2009
It's true that All Star can be hit or miss (but then again that's the name of the wine game). Some close out specials turn out to be past their prime has-beens or never-weres. But that's part of the fun/challenge and when you hit on a bargain there, it's a gold mine.
It's also true that some of the wines can be found cheaper at the All Star up 87 where the prices are generally more consistent but the selection is less eclectic (and hence less fun in the "you never know what you're gonna get" kind of way). And I have a bad tendency of forgetting if I liked a wine or not but only remembering that I bought it. It's a bad habit as I end up buying the same bad wine twice. But I won't be fooled a third time.
I also have to go to this place in disguise. The last few times I went, I was befriended by an overly-eager employee. His excitement about the wine was so cute (not in the way you think but in a little kid kind of way) that I ended up buying a bunch of his recommendations. And they all turned out to be mediocre to bad. I don't think he was trying to mislead me; I just think he has poor taste in wine. Or maybe I'm the one with poor taste in wine. No matter. So now I go with sunglasses and a hat so he won't recognize me and politely demur when they ask me if I need any help. -
Review from Eric L.
Waterford, NY
12/23/2011
Very attentive staff. Terrific selection of everything. I am a tequila fan and they have a ton. All Star employees are very knowledgeable and they also special order for me. Their prices are VERY fair. They are actually outpricing Exit 9 on multiple items now and I love the store. Keep up the good work.
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Review from Alicia R.
Troy, NY
11/23/2011
Disney World for adults! :) A nice selection of bottles in many price ranges. The store is well organized and the staff is always friendly and helpful.
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Review from Lai-Yee B.
Albany, NY
6/19/2008 7 Check-ins Here
How do I always forget about All Star Wine as an option for liquor and wine?
Prices - wow, they are very competitive. And when they have specials, look out! They really do sales well, not just 50 cents off of the normally high retail price. And they do sales on some really interesting items I might not normally have considered.
The staff are very helpful and unobtrusive. They'll ask maybe once or twice if you need help selecting something, but in a librarian way (quietly, and they walk with quiet sure steps) that doesn't make you feel pressured to buy anything.
Bottom like - great customer service in addition to great prices. -
Review from Pete L.
Schenectady, NY
5/27/2010
The best place for wine and spirits I've found so far i the Capital Region. Knowledgeable staff, excellent selection, especially on the top shelf drinks, and prices that are usually a little cheaper than other stores in the region. If you're looking for anything specific, try here first if you're in the area. My only complaint, is that it's no longer that close to me.
They've also expanded recently, practically doubling the size of their showroom, making more room for more inventory.
