MANHATTAN — An Inwood wine shop moving into a former 1920s speakeasy threw its doors wide open Saturday to celebrate its grand opening with free tastings and hors d'oeuvres.
Inwood Hills Spirits and Wine Room, on Broadway just south of 216th Street, will offer more than 300 varieties of wine ranging in price from $7.99 to $299 for a 2005 bottle of Hundred Acre that was imported from South Africa.
Store manager and consultant Rafael Toribio, who was busy preparing Friday afternoon, predicted that the shop’s commitment to customer service would distinguish it from others in the neighborhood.
“I think what we’re filling is the ‘shop’ aspect [of the wine shop niche],” Toribio, a Washington Heights native, said. “There are places to buy wine, but you don’t get the service.”
While Toribio and his cousin, owner Norberto Duran, took over the space from a business supply store, they said the address has a spirited history – having been home to a speakeasy in the 1920s.
Attendees of Saturday’s grand opening festivities, which kicked off at noon, can sign up for wine clubs and weekly wine tastings.
