Slope Cellars

This is a great neighborhood spot. Most of the employees are very friendly and knowledgeable. The reason I give this place only 3 stars is because of the mean old lady with short hair that works weekend days. She is so rude to other employees and customers, I’m surprised she works the counter when she should stick to stocking the shelves.

So, I kinda get that knowing your wine is the craze today. And somehow we are all expected to become oenophiles (Wine Connoisseur) overnight without having any accidental misinformation or figuring out to do. And as if in a supposedly recreational activity (AKA drinking leisurely) that wasn’t already introducing enough stress, you gotta walk into Slope Cellars to experience the next level. Because then you have to deal with the condescending and patronizing sommelier/​shop staff whose tone and suggestions make the process of buying wine onerous and unpleasant. It left such a horrible feeling in my mouth, that as soon as I walked out with the wine that I bought, I decided I’d rather not come back ever. By the time I was home, I had decided to forgo consuming what I had bought and rather use it as a gift.
If you can’t help those who are lost; at least don’t make their exploration process unpleasant. As someone who is very knowledgable in his own field, I can firmly say that I would never use my position of information and knowledge with arrogance and condescension. And if that is your take of salesmanship or stewardship, I am sorry to have allowed you the privilege of serving me as a humble customer

I had a great day at work and had a driving test earlier in the day, which I passed without making a single mistake. It was a day to celebrate, and I wanted to buy a bottle of wine and drink it with my husband. But stopping by Slope cellars made it a sour experience.
The least you can expect from a business is a welcoming attitude toward your clients. But being condescending toward your guest, disrespecting them by cutting them short in every sentence, smirking at every inquiry they make, not trying to understand what they are looking for, and making them feel silly for asking the questions that they ask (and must as customers), is a sure shot way to lose your client forever.
I think sometimes people have a way of appearing to be polite on the surface, but being downright nasty and arrogant between the lines. That’s how the staff here is. I am no expert on wine, and my husband and I were just asking around for advice to make our choice. But the way we were treated was something we will not forget. It was a gentle way of asking us to simply leave.
The staff at south cellar might be knowledgeable, but they should understand that people want to buy that bottle of wine to have a great experience. What’s the point of insulting their intelligence? What’s the point of making them uncomfortable to the point that they can’t articulate what they are looking for? The least you can expect from a business is basic manners and respect for your customers. Otherwise why are you serving them?
The bottles we purchased are still lying in our car’s trunk and we will certainly give them away. Even the thought of returning them wasn’t welcome. No point going back to that store for another episode. Seriously sir, is that what you are in business for?
We weren’t surprised to read reviews where many other people, many from marginalized communities, felt violated. Speaks volumes about the people behind your business.
By training I am a digital arts journalist and what I learn everyday at my job is that culture is born where there’s true knowledge, an open mind, and sharing.

Went in, looked around a bit, was approached by an employee. I told him what we were looking for, taste-​wise and he instantly led us right. The prices were fair, the wine was good, his knowledge was impressive. Overall a good, fast, and easy experience.

Fair pricing on wide selection of unique wines. Friendly staff and welcoming environment. Conveniently located next to a cheese shop so you can buy the cheese first and then buy a pairing of wine or vice versa.

An ideal wine store with fantastic service. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, with no snobbishness or rudeness. Every time I’ve come in, someone has asked if they could help me, and every time they’ve recommended something that turned out to be just right for the occasion… and often at a lower price than I’d been willing to pay.
Oh, and when I bought a bottle as a present, they gift-​wrapped it for free, too.
There’s a wine store across the street from my apartment, but I’ll happily walk 15 minutes to Slope Cellars for the selection and service… that’s how much better they are.

I don’t pick my own wine anymore. I usually ask one of the friendly and knowledgeable staff members what they recommend, based on (1) region (2) budget (3) what I am pairing with (hangar steak, for example). Then they will pick the best wine that matches the criteria. I appreciate that they don’t try to sell you the most expensive wine within your price range — that was often the case with many other wine stores I went before. Now I don’t go to any other wine stores, because so far whatever the wine they picked had all been wonderful.

Yesterday I walked into Slope Cellars and left debating whether or not I would return. Remember when Oprah went to that fancy bag shop in Switzerland and was told that she couldn’t afford the bag? Because they made an assessment of her budget due to her appearance? Well, I was sorta reminded of that whole fiasco after my experience.
When I walked into Slope Cellars, I wasn’t 100% sure what kind of white wine I wanted, so I browsed a bit in hopes for inspiration. The saleswoman asked if I needed help and I told her I was just looking, but then I suddenly decided I wanted a Gruner Veltliner. I told her, she looked around and could only locate one. She said to me, «Well, we have this one, but it’s about $ 30 and you probably don’t want to spend that much.» Ok… Why would someone in sales say something like that, unless the customer specifically states their budget from the onset? So I thought, ‘either she doesn’t think I have the money, which is pretty insulting, OR, she’s trying to find me a better deal, but lacks finesse.’ It was a poor choice of words and let’s face it folks, you can’t say things like that to minorities! If I was someone else, it could’ve gotten very confrontational, very quickly. Rather than get annoyed, I brushed it off, but then she didn’t even try to suggest a comparable wine or save the sale. When her colleague walked by, she asked him if there were any other Gruners. He confirmed that there was and he was able to find it right away. I thought, ‘maybe she’s new?‘
He hands her a $ 13, 1 liter bottle of 2013 Der Pollerhof Gruner Veltliner. She immediately starts to ring it up. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m used to a little bit more effort put into a sale and being provided with tasting notes, meal recommendations, etc. You know why I’m used to it? Because I live in NYC where there are a million excellent wine stores and that is customary. You know why else? Because I actually know a lot about wine, having taken wine courses with a James Beard Award winner who happens to be one of the best sommeliers in the city and I know how wine is supposed to be sold. ESPECIALLY when someone is getting a bottle that they have clearly never tried. I wait for her to tell me anything about the wine, but she doesn’t, so I have to ask her to. Her description? Non-​descriptive. She basically says it can stand up to their more expensive bottles and that it’s good.
At this point, I just want to get out of here and regret that I didn’t go somewhere else. But, I’m also curious about this $ 13 bottle of wine and I want to give this experience one last chance by tasting it, so I’m following through with the purchase. She starts asking me if I have a rewards card and explains to me how it works, though in a very convoluted way, but all the while, never puts the wine in a bag. So I ask her to please put the wine in a bag and I leave.
OK, so I drink the wine. I’m expecting the usual notes of Gruner; green pepper, grapefruit, lime and of course, that acidic bite that defines it. If anything, this wine was more like a Sauvignon Blanc, but it wasn’t terrible. And for $ 13, not too shabby. BUT, and I hope Slope Cellars takes something away from this, I would’ve gladly spent $ 30 on a real Gruner if I wasn’t discouraged from doing so. It was not wise for her to assume that I was looking for something on the cheap and/​or, didn’t know much about wine anyway. I think my experience would’ve been totally different if she thought otherwise. It’s unfortunate for them because I’m a total oenophile, with tons of friends who are also oenophiles (some of whom are sommeliers and beverage directors), and I would’ve liked to like this place. Tonight I plan on having a great dinner with a delicious bottle of Vacqueyras, which will probably run me around $ 30, but I won’t be buying it here.

Called from L.A. to have a case of wine delivered in Park Slope.
Ben, an extremely helpful and informed person, answered the phone. Within a few minutes we had decided on the wine and he said it would be delivered promptly. It was almost immediately delivered.
They were great.

Great liquor store. Maybe a little bit pricey but everything in this store is worth its value. Also, excellent excellent selection in whiskeys. I was planning on making rum balls for new years yesterday and realized that I haven’t bought fancy dark spiced rum since I lived in my Bayridge Apartment. And by ‘fancy’, I merely mean not Captain Morgan’s. I’m sorry, but Church Avenue wasn’t going to cut it. I’ve been in here a few times before with the ex and knew they would have something great. Note to self: They have Laphroaig. Which I personally think is nasty as hell. But the amount of rare scotch and whiskeys in here is delightful and my Dad would be mesmerized. I asked the guy at the counter about dark rums and he pulled out 3 different bottles. I went with the tried and true one that I’ve made all of my rum balls with and drank the rest of: Kraken. It’s hard to trump that one on sweetness and spiciness and even he agreed with me.

Fabulous and extensive selection of wines! Super helpful and knowledgable staff, reasonable prices and a beautiful, bright, welcoming store. I wish it was closer to where I live.

I will not buy wine from anywhere else from now on. Not only is the staff super friendly and helpful, but they offer a punch card! If you buy a certain number of wines you end up getting one for 99 cents on a future visit. They have an extremely wide selection and I’ve bought some really amazing cheap bottles. They are not pretentious and will spend time with you whether or not you’re buying a $ 10 bottle or a $ 100 bottle. Highly recommend this place!

I’ve been wanting to give Slope Cellars its long-​deserved five star write up for some time now. So, here it is…
This isn’t just the best wine store in Park Slope, it’s the best wine store, period. A place where low-​priced, exquisite wines take a back seat to consistently stellar service. Out of the 30 or so times I’ve been here, I’ve been given only perfect recommendations by a staff that seems eager to get everything right. It’s a rare and wonderful combination of greatness on an otherwise unremarkable stretch of Seventh Avenue.
If you need wine, live near Slope Cellars and go anywhere else, you should re-​evaluate the clarity of your judgement and take a risk by coming here. You’ll be most thankful that you did.

This place is awesome. The employees are super helpful and friendly and available, and I loved that since I was buying wine and know NOTHING about it. I also bought a wine bottle opener, and the woman at the register correctly deduced that I had just moved there and welcomed me to the neighborhood. I don’t usually do grown-​up things like buy wine for a gift or party, but if I were, I’d go here all the time.

Almost wrote an incorrect review of this place, because I was at another wine store in the Slope on the same evening. First place, I got a crappy bottle. This place paired us up with a fantastic greek red to match up with our middle eastern cuisine for the evening.
They also have an amazing selection of gin! I can’t wait to try them all.

I really cannot say enough about this gem of a wine store. The staff could not be more helpful or more knowledgeable and they have a fantastic selection.
Let’s see… they’ve made me look good by putting together a fabulous case of select Chateauneuf du Pape and Barolo for client gifts for the holidays. They’ve advised me on the best vodka for infusing. They’ve recommended countless bottles of wine and artisanal champagne for me. EVERY recommend has been spot on.
I’m lucky to live around the corner from this spot otherwise I’d have to travel ALOT.

Simply stated, Slope Cellars is a phenomenal wine store run by a fabulous team of super knowledgeable, cool, fun and community minded staff. Patty & Bob who own the store are the coolest in every way.
I travel close to 20 blocks to get to their store — passing many liquor stores on the way — that’s probably the most telling endorsement of Slope Cellars.
They have a great selection of wines at all price points; they learn what you like and pay strict attention to your budget — getting you the best bang for your buck — and always have new, quirky wonderful wines to try.
So make sure to check them out — it’s fun to shop and the service, prices and selection can’t be matched — and they are very generous in the community, supporting local charities like Celebrate Brooklyn.

Get your wino on!
Tallest man: best suggestions.
Good choices of vodka*
*Tito’s and absolut, amongst many others!

I agree with the previous reviews about the good wine selection and helpful staff. It’s also great for premium selection of other bevs.
What it lacks, however, is non-​premium booze. Cheap, bigger volume options for mixed drinks/​mashups where the premium selections would be insulted as they get lost in blends with colas, tonics, tomato sauces, jello, jungle juices, etc. Sometimes you want to savor a craft bourbon, but sometimes you want a whiskey and coke (or something similar).

This is probably my favorite place to buy booze in the city.
It’s not as huge as some stores, so the selection isn’t as comprehensive as a place like Astor. However, if you don’t know what you want, there’s no better spot to be in. Everything they stock is of great quality, and the selection easily navigable.
Most importantly, the staff rocks. They don’t just help; talking to them is like shooting the shit with a buddy about which scotch he likes best, rather than trying to gauge whether or not he’s just steering you towards the more expensive bottle.
Speaking of, the prices are prominently displayed, which is probably a function of them being completely reasonable. I can’t stand it when you have no idea what a bottle costs until you get up to the counter and then you have to awkwardly admit that you can’t afford to pay their ridiculous markup because you bought a absurdly expensive sword while under the influence of illicit substances, and your girlfriend is never going to let you hear the end of it.
Not that that happened to me or anything.