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Brooklyn Oenology
Category: Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Beer, Wine & Spirits [Edit]
209 Wythe AveSte 106
(between N 3rd St & N 4th St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - North Side
(718) 599-1259
- Nearest Transit:
-
Bedford Av (L)
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 2 pm - 10 pm
Thu 2 pm - 11 pm
Fri 2 pm - 12 am
Sat 12 pm - 12 am
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
26 reviews for Brooklyn Oenology
Review Highlights
26 reviews in English
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Review from Samantha S.
Elmhurst, NY
3/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is so close to Queens (Elmhurst/Astoria/LIC) that if you have a car you should just go.
The vibe is totally laid back and the sitting is scattered and variable like high tables, low, couches, the bar itself. I had the white wine flight and we ordered both cheese (a camembert and something else), their sausage, chorizo, and prosciutto (they love pork like I love pork can I get an amen?!)
The servings were pretty generous for a flight and the oenologist had short bits of information on each wine and what it would pair nicely with. We went on a Monday night so it was a bit dead but it was better that way because I suspect this place could get busy by Thursday night.
They have wine classes and they sell little things like chocolates. We ended up buying their Riesling because it was just one of my favorite locals so far (it is on the sweeter side FYI)
It definitely is a place where you don't have to pretend or put on airs just hang out and enjoy local wine.
I will definitely be back. -
Review from Jess C.
2/5/2012
If you're into wine tasting, I highly suggest Brooklyn Oenology! It's a very intimate place, perfect dim lighting that really set the mood. The bar only seats ~8 people, and I think there were two other small tables available.
Super chill, low-key vibe on a Saturday night. We opted for the wine flight (equates to three glasses you could choose from) with meat and cheese. There were a ton of selection, so I just chose of each category. It was good exposure to the various kinds of wine, and it helped that the bartender explained it a little. Anyways, I would definitely come back just to experiment and try out some more wines!
~20 per person for the wine flight & light food -
Review from Sumit D.
11/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I would give this place 5 stars except for its location, which is across from this shady warehouse that looks like it holds a haunted house and/or a rave party.
Other than that, I used my Living Social deal with my girlfriend for 2 flights of wine and cheese and meat. The meat was so delicious, we took some home with us! Overall, a very nice and inviting place for a relaxing evening out. -
Review from Kayo N.
Brooklyn, NY
5/21/2012
Really enjoyed my visit here. They have a standout New York centric list of wines, spirits, cheeses and charcuterie. Super intimate, and the owner is fantastic!
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Review from Diane M.
Brooklyn, NY
4/14/2012 2 Check-ins Here
A totally relaxed place. Not to busy, so perfect to have a quiet glass of wine on a Friday or Saturday. Knowledgeable staff.
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Review from Carolyn M.
New Haven, CT
4/16/2012
This is a woman owned business, and it supports artists whose paintings you can see displayed. When I was there on Saturday it was not crowded. The other people who were there at the time were women. It is a small, intimate, and laid back venue. I read in the window that they do have WiFi and I thought if I were to do some writing on my lappy and have a glass of wine and just chat with people or write this would be a cool spot to do so. There was some blues oriented music playing and it was very good, and not overwhelming. I chose the Pinot Gris and enjoyed it very much. The owner has experience the wine trade and the selection for the Pinot Gris she picked was not rough. There is wine tasting, but I did not have time to do so.
One of my favorite videos for wine tasting is Wine Spectator's How to Taste Red Wine
http://youtu.be/MDPtrQ...
The best video for Brooklyn Oenology is http://youtu.be/PGl-29...
Not far from East River Ferry N. 6th this is between N3rd and N4th on Wythe. -
Review from Kyle J.
Bronx, NY
10/28/2011
Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.
Just a small Sabbatical...
oK, here's the situation
I know it's been weeks & weeks of frustration but
I'm back for good, fashionably late, see?
I gotta say sorry to Christina Y. and Kat(i)e B. :(
To my fellow Elites, I apologize
If this weren't on the web, you could see it in my eyes.
Now back to the lecture at hand...
Brooklyn Oenology
All the fruity without the snooty. This "urban winery" has that laid back Billyburg feel. Very Gen Y, very chill, just come in and make yourself at home - perhaps an "if it tastes good, drink it" approach to wine.
They actually have their OWN wines, folks, and they are priced to sell. I mean compared to your average NYC wine bar, the pours are generous and present a lot better value.
As any winery worth it's salt (or grapes), they provide a variety of flights ranging in color, vintage, or seasonal theme.
My friend Hope told me to meet her and unbeknownst to me we were part of some random meetup group of 3 other people. i mean super random! But thanks to some social lubricant in the form of some tasty vino and the conversation piece that is the tasting room of Brooklyn Oenology, that often awkward transition from stranger to acquaintance was as smooth as a Napa Chardonnay. They let us take our time and marinate - and major points: there was absolutely no subtle pressure for us to buy a bottle, although a bottle or two was indeed purchased.
I was there on a humid summer Saturday, but will be back in the winter to warm my tummy again. Who new a place with the acronym B.O. would be so damned inviting?! :) -
Review from Thao N.
Manhattan, NY
11/21/2011
So, to be completely fair, I didn't get to go here, but I had two really bad experiences with the staff, therefore, will not ever be coming here.
I had a Living Social deal for two wine tastings, so my boyfriend and I showed up here on a Sunday night, which was the night before it was supposed to expire. We tried calling before, but we later found out their phones were down. There was a private event going on, so the employees told us we couldn't use our vouchers. One of the women said she didn't know if they were going to honor them to next evening, since it was the last day to use it. She suggested calling the next day.
I called the next day at 5 pm and asked to make a reservation. The guy that answered said they didn't take reservations. I told him I wanted to use my Living Social deal tonight, he proceeded to tell me that they were completed booked. I asked him how they could be booked if they didn't take reservations, and he seemed really confused. He just said that he wouldn't bother coming, as they'd probably be too busy to accommodate us.
I guess we'll be drinking at Brooklyn Winery. Ah well, no big loss. -
Review from Ben G.
Brooklyn, NY
9/5/2011
Da Liquor shop with that New York attitude!
That's right, all Empire State crafted wines and distilled treats in this spot. Situated on the road less traveled in the Burg, BOE hits the spot for a fun afternoon of wine tasting and some wonderful snacks to accompany. With an array of and liquors from riesling to chardonnay, merlot to pinot, port to ice, and vodka to apple jack; BOE has it going on in tasty local selections. Also, these bottles make for some pretty core gifts for family and friends, not for just whats on the inside, but the labels on the bottles are all stickers that you can pull off and tag your favorite street lamp with.
Rules of the game:
1) If your a first, second, or third timer here.... or just in for a standard afternoon at the shop... Wine or liquor flights are key. What better way to sample the goods than with samples. Each wine in the flight is roughly a full glass, so a flight of three can easily be shared with 2 or 3 people.... and for about $12, its about four dollars a glass. Great affordability.
2) See those interesting looking cheeses and charcutterie on the chalkboard. Well they come in handy after your first glass. Tasty morsels that pack a punch.... they change often, but are pretty delicious depending on your cheese and meat preferences.
3) Strike up conversation with the employees. Really, I mean they're half bar tenders and half human. So indulge in some convo. They are extremely knowledgeable about the products and are top notch servers. Granted they're Williamsburg Hipsters, but they unlike other hipster proprietors seem to actually like their jobs and pay attention to the customers...
Major disappointment!!! Last time I was there, they told me they stopped carrying one of the most incredible Gins I've ever had (COMB 9... Gin distilled from Honey AWESOME!!!). But they have a private stock at the bar to taste, but now I have to go and find it elsewhere.... God I hate having to work hard.... Ask them if they still have it for a taste. It doesn't disappoint.
This is my go to spot for that affordable gift wine for holidays and birthdays...
Happy Drinking!Listed in: Shopping In Williamsburg
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Review from Patricia S.
New York, NY
10/11/2011
My friend and I stopped here before a show at MHoW. We sort of just tripped over it and we thought we should kill some time with some drinking and we weren't too hungry, so this was perfect.
On a weekday night, this place was warm and inviting. Not at all crowded, with a very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Actually, one of the servers said she works there because she had gone with a friend once and loved it so much, she HAD to work there. I understood the sentiment.
Try any of the wine tasting sets. They are very interetsing, mostly local and can fit any palette. I believe they do meat or cheese plates, but not really substantial food.
Also, there seemed to me a tiny crowd of locals that began to gather as we were leaving. For a specialized wine bar, that is rare. -
Review from Dimitrios D.
New York, NY
9/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Surprise, surprise- this place has a hipster aesthetic to it (it is in Williamsburg after all). And I like it!
The staff were polite and friendly and the wine was nice. I don't know anything about wine admittedly, though.
We each got a four-part wine sampler. I believe ours was called the Seasonal.
The accompanying potato chips added a much needed component of savory snack! -
Review from Demetra M.
Long Island City, NY
2/14/2012
Very nice atmosphere. I love wine, i love happy hour, wine happy hour? I'm in. 2 for 1 wine during happy hour M-F (until 7). There were not many people there which was fine by me. Our server gave us chocolate samples. Truly the way to my heart.
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Review from Franz K.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Like Jen, I also utilized my Living Social deal here and forgot my wine glasses. How they gonna serve you wine and expect you to remember your glasses . . . I dunno lol.
We had the place to ourselves one afternoon and not being from NYC the area was ALOT different from the Brooklyns and Manahattans I was around during my stay. Quiet neighborhood, the train station is quite a bit a ways but we found it.
Our server did a good job of explaining all the wines we had, gave his recommendations on wines and gave information on location and what foods to pair with and chilled or unchilled. Very informing. He also went out of his way to look up what bus we needed to take to get to downtown Brooklyn from this area and how to get to the bus stop. He really didn't have to do it, but he did and that was real helpful.
The meat and cheese plates was indeed small but it did the trick, and they tasted good . . . went great with the wine. We also got some sort of chocolate as well. Since we were olo in there I wonder if he has to explain the wines to others when they are sitting in or is it like a group gathering with the flights. Ended up buying a bottle of wine, a little bit expensive but a momento for the stop so it is cool.
Had a great time, good social place it seems, probably a one time thing for me but check them out if you get a chance . . . friendly servers and the wine wasn't bad at all. Good experience. -
Review from Jen G.
Howard Beach, NY
8/1/2011
Came here Saturday night utilizing my Living Social deal. The deal was a wine flight, w/ meat/cheese plate for two with wine glasses. I forgot to ask for my glasses but I won't fault them for that... I'll take some responsibility!
The guy working the bar was very nice. He accommodated some changes to the flight for my BF who prefers wines a little sweeter. We had a total of 4 or 5 flights (but since I had to sip my BF's I got to taste some more). The meat/cheese plate wasn't huge but it was good as a first course before we headed elsewhere for dinner. If another deal came up for this, I'd do it again! Nice place. A little too quiet maybe but it was Saturday at like 11pm... maybe this just isn't the type of place to get busy at that time? -
Review from adam g.
Brooklyn, NY
9/3/2011
I recently went to Brooklyn Oenology with my wife and some friends. We had a great experience at Brooklyn Winery so we thought we would give it a try and to be honest, I don't know why there are so many positive reviews. Here are a couple of quick thoughts:
1. Wine: The wine was OK. I think I liked one wine in my entire flight. Between us, we tried almost every flight and there were far more misses than hits.
2. Small plates: The cheese was great. The meats left a little to be desired and the "bourbon, coffee and Bacon" caramel corn tasted like stale cracker jacks.
3. The service: One of the most important things that I have learned while dining out is that customer service can remedy almost any bad situation. We had a wonderful waitress. Very sweet and knowledgeable. The bartender (?) was similar to a bad Williamsburg stereotype. Beard, cut off jeans with paint stains and responded to most order placements with "cool". He may have just been having an off night, but he just looked less than thrilled to have use there.
There is a lot of competition in the Williamsburg wine bar arena and unfortunately, Oenology just doesn't match up. -
Review from Carey T.
Brooklyn, NY
4/15/2011
Coming from Toronto, within daytripping distance of the Niagara wine region, I was curious to check out the state of New York State's equally underappreciated offerings. BOE is on a tagged-up block of Wythe between N 3rd and 4th in Wburg. We walked in and sat at the bar. TJ was friendly, knowledgeable, passionate even, about the BOE wines, and not pretentious at all, as so many winery staff can be.
We tried the red flight ($12 I believe, but we had a $7 Groupon) which included an excellent rose (I am not a fan of rose generally), a blend, a Pinot Noir and a 2006 Merlot. In between the last two we ordered a taste of the Cab Franc. All tasted great, and are obviously made with care. The bottles feature artist designed etiquette labels that you can peel off to remember for next time (this is genius for people like me who always forget winery names). Gently buzzed, we took home a bottle of the rose for $15. With tip it was about $30, and we were generous with the tip because the service was great.
The place is has a fresh, clean vibe (no old booze smell) and was warm and surprisingly quiet on a Saturday night, with two other groups of four hanging out, in quiet conversation. While it's nice to know you can always get a seat at the bar, I'd like to see the place get a bit more business. -
Review from Ilan M.
Manhattan, NY
6/16/2011
I came here with my lady friend to kill about an hour or so before dinner. Really glad I found this spot. We each had 4 tastings (and shared each others). I'll get it out of the way now - the wine we had was pretty crappy. We couldn't decide on a favorite, but picking the ones we didn't like was easy. Having said that, the atmosphere was amazing, quaint, tranquil, interesting decor. But most of all, I must say the bartender we had was great. He was super knowledgable and really explained the different wine making processing, differences, and went into a lot of detail. It made for very interesting conversation and we both appreciated it.
I'd definitely come here again to kill some time, perhaps try their cheese platter, try different wines, and hope that the bartender is there to engage us in conversation. -
Review from Jennifer C.
San Francisco, CA
4/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is a hidden gem in Williamsburg with a hot ass bartender. He looks like a 19th century man. What do you call someone who works in a wine tasting shop. Surely not a bartender, but whatevs.
I love that they only source things from New York State, and that they feature their own wines, which are REALLY good. This is a perfect place to come on a date for some wine/small plates, or with a group of friends for a relaxing evening and good conversation. -
Review from James H.
Brooklyn, NY
12/15/2010
As Williamsburg gets hit with wave after wave of trend following restaurants and bars, it become difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff. Brooklyn Oenology (BOE), however, is pure, New York grain, so to speak.
From the moment you step into this inviting space, it's clear that it is run with care. I didn't realize that BOE only sells New York products, which initially made be a bit wary, knowing nothing about New York wines. However, the knowledgeability and friendliness of the staff immediately put any worry to bed, as they guided me through tasting two great BOE wines (a Riesling and a Cab-Franc Rose), and a delicious Jamesport Vineyards Pinot Noir. I also enjoyed the wonderfully complex McKenzie Rye (also a product of the empire state)!
Perhaps the most notable aspect of this unique business is that one can taste (I believe) ANY wine they might want to buy a bottle to run off with.
This would be a great place to have a party, bring the folks for a calm moment in the chaos of this area, or just relax with a date. -
Review from Marshall H.
New York, NY
11/9/2010
This charming new spot opened up last week and upon visiting I was not disappointed. Perched just a few feet above Wythe Ave. is a wine oasis brought to life by a Williamsburg/Greenpoint-based winemaker.
What makes BOE's tasting room such a worthy destination is the staff -- they are all extremely excited about wine and they're willing to tell you anything you could possibly want to know about it. In addition to wines in the BOE arsenal (grown and produced in NY State) there are a few great non-BOE options as well, and soon the tasting room will be serving up drinks made with liquor produced in NY State. With an ex-Whole Foods employee on hand, the folks here can also provide the perfect cheese to accompany your wine.
Although the tasting room's license doesn't allow for customers to buy & drink full bottles on site, you can enjoy wine flights -- really the best way to get your wine fix -- and bottles are available for purchase to-go at much better prices than you can find elsewhere. Wines by the glass here are certainly priced reasonably at $5-$11 per glass.
A crescent-shaped metal bar presents an opportunity for couples & small groups to hang out together in a way that regular (i.e., non-curved) bars simply don't allow. There is a communal atmosphere and the bar shape allows easy service and unique interaction with the bartenders. The room itself is large but rather sparse, with only a few tables (made from old doors found in the basement of the building) and some artwork on the walls (from local Brooklyn-based artists, of course). It's not a stuffy wine bar -- lighting is dim, ceilings are high, and the music is solid -- the vibe here lends itself to a relaxing night out with friends or a low-key date.
Overall impression: Relax here for a couple of hours with a few friends and enjoy some great wine by the glass -- or a flight -- as BOE Tasting Room is a good way to spend a weeknight or start any weekend night. -
Review from Hey T.
Brooklyn, NY
6/23/2011
I went here with a livingsocial coupon, and this is one of the few places that I can actually, honestly say I will return to without the discount. We had a great time, the wine was good, all previous comments about the staff hold true - all in all, a really fun experience. Can't wait to go back!
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Review from RACHEL K.
Brooklyn, NY
3/20/2011
This place is awesome. I went there to redeem my groupon for a wine flight and was not disappointed. The bartender was nice and very informative. The cheese was unbelievably delicious and everything is from NY from the wines to the food. There were only a few other groups, when we went it on early Saturday, so it's not the place to go for a lively scene. But if you want to grab a friend for a casual afternoon indulgence this is a great place to go and a refreshing change from the regular bar scene. I'll definitely be back.
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Review from jessica s.
Whittier, CA
5/29/2011
Awesome wine bar.....very nice and helpful staff, they gave us great recommendations on wine as well as other bars/restaurants in the area. Wines were great and sangria too.
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Review from Nate M.
Brooklyn, NY
12/18/2010
I love that the entire store sells NY wine. Really helpful staff in a great space. I plan on coming back on the regular.
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Review from Josh B.
Brooklyn, NY
3/7/2011
We had seen BOE open for the last few months, but only went for the first time on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Despite the weather, there were two other couples just finishing up a wine tasting.
The space is a nice spacious loft centered around a curved bar with about a dozen seats. The interior is decorated with care and true to the neighborhood- salvaged wooden beams, indsutrial doors, and intricate wooden walls made from oak wine casks.
My wife and I shared one of the red wine flights and it came mixed with both BOE's own lines as well as other NY based wines. The wines were tasty and everything very reasonably priced (the tasting was only $13)- my favortie was the 2005 merlot.
Our bartender- TJ, was super friendly and really took the time to walk us through every wine.
Overall a very pleasant experience and a great addition to the neighborhood. -
Review from Jason K.
Brooklyn, NY
9/21/2011
This is a very odd place. I wasn't able to browse all the wines because with every staff member watching me intently, I just wanted to leave. But it seems like they only sell wine made in New York, and it's priced like wine not made in New York. It's also a brightly lit, quiet, small space. It would be awkward to have a private conversation there. Is it run by the New York Association of Wine Producers? I don't get it.
