Vinifera Wine & Spirits

This review concerns the online wine business which Vinifera conducts under the name of
. As
, this outfit is running nothing short of a slimy scam, the likes of which would do Bernie Madoff proud. (In this regard, in addition to C.T.‘s review herein, and now mine, there are, to the exact same effect, no fewer than 10 other exclusively one-​star reviews of «Vitis​.com» appearing under that name on another web site.)
In my case, I placed an order in July 2014. My credit card was charged immediately. Sometime in August, I asked about my order, and was told it was in storage, awaiting a proper shipping time (weather-​wise). When this period extended into November 2014 — over 3 months later, I again e-​mailed them, and was told the wine would be shipped the following week (November 24). On November 25, I saw that they had changed my order status from «pending shipment» to «completed.» But when I failed to receive it, I e-​mailed them several times further, and they finally answered, telling me, again, that shipment would be made the following week (December 8). This also proved to be patently untrue. In short, I have never received the wine I purchased and paid for from them.
In retrospect, I think it’s fairly inescapable that they never actually possessed the wine they purported to sell me (phantom inventory); and thus, their line about storing the wine pending a suitable shipping time was obviously a lie, a specious ruse to avoid admitting they simply didn’t have the wine in question. And, second, when they promptly changed my order status to «completed,» after falsely promising shipment, it seems equally unmistakable that this plainly indicated a conscious decision that they were never going to obtain/​ship the wine they sold me, while nevertheless retaining my payment. These sleazy scoundrels should be investigated by the authorities.

Vinifera are also the owners/​operators of Vitis. They have repeatedly failed to ship me the wines that I purchased online, and when I requested a refund (which they agreed to over the phone), they disappeared and have not replied at all. Now the order history says «order completed», yet no wine or refund has yet to appear.

This is an exceptionally good wine shop. The owners are friendly and very knowledgable about the wines they sell. They also have an interesting variety of artisan spirits. It’s a safe bet that you’ll see products here that you won’t find anywhere else.
Without a doubt, one of the best wine shops in Westchester.

I really like wine and I like to talk about it with staff in the store. Vinifera is great for this — a friendly place where you’re treated with respect. The prices are excellent. You don’t need to go to a bigger store.

.Great place for wine and spirits… only the best. No hard sell and unpretentious salesman. Has everything for the casual wine drinker or sophisticated oeniphile. Definitely check it out.

Before Vinifera, this space housed an expensive and unwelcoming wine shop. This is a huge improvement — my go to favorite wine store. Sure, I like it because it is two blocks from my apartment, by I recommend it strongly enough that you should consider driving by, or making it a stop when you visit the rest of what’s good in Mamaroneck.
This store has a very well curated selection — you can tell it is stocked by people who like wine and care. There is something for every price range, and a nice range of varieties, from tried and true Merlot to lesser known blends. Vinifera also has a pleasant shopping experience, It is small, quiet, well lit, and there are often afternoon and evening tastings.
What sets it apart from other stores in the area is an honest, knowledgeable staff. In the past, when I would go to certain other stores, the staff would just say «Yeah it’s good» about any wine, or worse, would just shrug. At Vinifera, the staff will tell you whether they have had the wine or not (most of the times, they have) and in their assessment, how good it was, if it was worth the money, and what it tasted like. They have helped me buy wine for others, which is so appreciated (I have friends who like very different wines than me). This type of advice is really helpful, and it also makes it fun to buy wine, rather than just an errand.
The selection is a lot smaller than certain wine stores in the area, and there is no liquor, but the selection is very well curated, and it is always possible to find something new and different at the price point you want.
So in short: knowledgeable, friendly staff. unique, smart selection of merchandise, appealing looking store, great location, and good value.