Dear reader,

On another wintry walk recently, I stumbled into one of the most unique and refreshing wine stores I’ve seen - Vino Fine Wine & Spirits in Murray Hill.

Only 10 blocks south of Grand Central, Vino Wines feels like a lofted bookstore, but instead of books, the shelves hold wines and liquors from small producers around the world.

I was drawn inside by the colorful mural on Lexington Ave highlighting shopping at local, independent stores - not something you’d expect to see in midtown Manhattan.

“We’re a boutique that features boutiques”

says Alexandra Weaver, the buyer and general manager of Vino Wines for the past three years.

Alexandra works on the buying, designing, and day-to-day operations while the owner, Adam, finances and focuses on broader business development. Adam also owns Vino by the sea - a wine store in the Rockaways.

Pre-pandemic, Vino Wines used to be located on 27th street, where they served the corporate gifting needs of the local offices. Since moving to their current location on Lexington Ave, Adam and Alexandra hope to continue to grow their corporate gifting offerings.

For example, companies can send Vino Wines a list of names and addresses along with some parameters of tastes and budgets, the team then designs an order to be shipped out. The team can also curate cases of wines for parties, meetings, events, etc.

“There's nothing we love more than ‘personal shopping’ based on events, cuisine, etc.” says Alexandra.

A large percentage of Vino Wines’ inventory is unique from other wine and liquor stores as it is all carefully selected by the team, with new wines added each week. The store has been recognized by New York Mag for their unique offerings and the knowledge and friendliness of their staff.

Plus, the store offers free in-store tastings every Thursday and Friday, 5:30-8pm.

Recently, Alexandra’s team has found a consistent cadence for their social media marketing team, which regularly highlights small producers.

Looking ahead, Vino Wines is excited to continue adding selections to their inventory and to grow their e-commerce sales with more efficient logistics and third-party inventory management tools.

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