Mira Wine & Liquor

Rude rude rude.
Never going back.
I still don’t understand how someone with such poor customer service and who is just down right RUDE can keep a business.
I will happily walk much farther from my apartment to go to a place where they want my money!

Oh, Mira. I’ve lived in Ridgewood for 10 years and I never shop here because I’ve had some bad experiences way back, but the other day it was poring rain and I got off the train on Forest and wanted a bottle of wine so I stopped by.
First of all, the stench of a dirty cat litter box hit me right from the very beginning – not the best environment to pick the wine… Then, I looked into the wine fridge looking for some white wine and all I saw was an open jar of mayo, and a few plastic containers with dinner leftovers… No bottles have prices on them, so you need to constantly ask about each bottle, god forbid you pick up one from the shelf, you’ll be covered in dust. After I finally picked the bottle, I heard, «You must put cash. $ 20 minimum on cards!» I said I didn’t have any cash, and the bitter lady said to me, «Pick something else then.»
Instead, I left.
It’s a filthy, smelly, shop with a strange, unpleasant owner. Not recommended.

Wine enthusiasts BEWARE. I purchased a bottle of wine which turned out to be corked. The woman refused to refund/​exchange the bottle. Characteristics which should never describe a French Merlot are «sour,» «mildewy» and «repugnant to all senses.»
The woman’s response to my telling her that the bottle was corked was defensive to the point of paranoia. I can’t believe I’m about to recount this, because in what world would such imaginings exist? Her excuse for not accepting the return of a corked bottle was because on several instances, someone poisoned the wine. Seriously?
I’m a bartender and knowledgeable about wine appellations, character and structure. I am also a seasoned customer service veteran. When a customer tells you their bottle of wine has gone off, you apologize and replace it. If you sell someone a broken pair of speakers, they have the right to return it. It’s only right.
Good luck to you Madam, for you surely know nothing about the contents of your own shop. You should be ashamed that your crass customer service skills preclude you from ever calling yourself a «wine merchant.»

A little shop crowded full of wines and liquors, but very few I was interested in purchasing. I managed to find one wine that I knew I liked, but then realized it was $ 2 more expensive than every other Ridgewood liquor store. Also, most items are not priced, so you have to ask the rather dour proprietor over and over to find out what items cost. That’s tiresome. I didn’t feel very welcome here and as Brandon hinted in his review, I clearly am not their target demographic. The best thing this place has going for it is that it sits directly under the Forest Ave M station and a serves a sizable local population of drinkers from the Balkans and Eastern Europe who will pay inflated prices to taste the comforts of home, I suppose. But the savvy shoppers among them will buy the same products anywhere else for less, and where the staff isn’t irritated by the mere presence of a customer.

The first time I went here, I was greeted by a woman wearing an eye patch who seemed less than excited to have a customer. She spoke in hushed tones and watched me carefully as I perused the selection of Balkan vodkas. I have been back several times due to the fact that it is the closest wine/​liquor store to my apartment (and conveniently located right by the train), and the customer service has improved slightly. The woman no longer sports the eye patch, and seems to have a much friendlier demeanor on the whole. I’ve even seen her laughing.
Although the sign outside says they accept all major credit cards, be advised that they have a 20 dollar minimum (so drink up!).

Another small wine & liquor store. Selection is heavy on the low-​end and Eastern European favorites, as you probably guessed. Just fine.