Wine & Liquor Stores in or around Providence?

[Artichoke]

A very close friend of mine who lives near Providence, in East Greenwich, RI, has his 40th birthday coming up. He is a lover of wine and I wanted to send him a case of various bottles. Is there anyone from or around Providence that can suggest a good wine store?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

[speidec]

There are two great ones and unfortunately I don't know their phone numbers, but they are most likely in the book.

Campus fine wines on the east side of Providence and Gasparro's on Federal Hill.

Campus has a more eclectic variety and the owner is wonderful to talk to, never pompous. Just tell him what you are looking to do.

Gasparro's has one of the finest Italian wine collections in the country. Mark is the owner and, again, he is a gracious and extremely knowledgeable guy. He's the one that looks like a football linebacker. Tell him Champe referred you.

[Tonyy13]

Nice to see you on here Champe, how is the Gatehouse?

I would agree w/ Champe, Campus is the way to go if you ask me. Their wine selection is awesome, and they are super friendly. Their wine buyer, Mike recently left, but I am sure that he had a good sucessor.

Gasbaros is nice if you don't mind dealing with the "hey Joey, how ya doin?" (think Sopranos here...) types.

[speidec]

Gasbaros is nice if you don't mind dealing with the "hey Joey, how ya doin?" (think Sopranos here...) types.

I don't think we are talking about the same store.

[Chris Amirault]

Without question, the best wine store in the Providence area is Town Wine and Spirits in East Providence. They do great case discounts and have a crack staff run by Elliot Fishbein. (They also have a single malt scotch selection that was touted for years as the best in the US.)

Campus is great (I go there all the time), and Gasparro's on Federal Hill is the best place for Italian wine, by far. But Town is tops.

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks to jackal10 and oxfordwineroom.com, I found a new place that is amazing: Joyal's Liquors in West Warwick. It's about a two minute drive from exit 10B off 95S (west on 117, a bit past Rt. 2; just follow the signs for 117 west and look for it on the right just after a little bridge). A massive scotch (bigger than Town, for sure), bourbon, rye, and rum selection, plus a surprisingly great wine selection hidden in odd, ugly metal racks. I found everything I needed for my up-coming Christmas dinner there. I'll be back, over and over.

edited to clarify directions -- ca

Edited December 18, 2006 by chrisamirault (log)

[OwnReward]

Thanks to jackal10 and oxfordwineroom.com, I found a new place that is amazing: Joyal's Liquors in West Warwick. It's about a two minute drive from exit 10B off 95S (west on 117, a bit past Rt. 2; just follow the signs for 117 west and look for it on the right just after a little bridge). A massive scotch (bigger than Town, for sure), bourbon, rye, and rum selection, plus a surprisingly great wine selection hidden in odd, ugly metal racks. I found everything I needed for my up-coming Christmas dinner there. I'll be back, over and over.

edited to clarify directions -- ca

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I love Town Wine and Spirits as well... Elliot is great to work with...he is working on ordering me some Kensington Gin...

KV

[NewEnglandSteve]

I couldn't agree more with your praise of Joyal's. Huge selection with really great prices and service. I don't get there as much as I used to now that I'm a bit further up 95. On the bright side, I am a lot closer to Town Wine and Spirits.

Thanks to jackal10 and oxfordwineroom.com, I found a new place that is amazing: Joyal's Liquors in West Warwick. It's about a two minute drive from exit 10B off 95S (west on 117, a bit past Rt. 2; just follow the signs for 117 west and look for it on the right just after a little bridge). A massive scotch (bigger than Town, for sure), bourbon, rye, and rum selection, plus a surprisingly great wine selection hidden in odd, ugly metal racks. I found everything I needed for my up-coming Christmas dinner there. I'll be back, over and over.

edited to clarify directions -- ca

←

[Chris Amirault]

Since diving head-first into cocktail mania a couple of years ago, I've built in my head a listing of where one can find unusual liquor items throughout the state: bitters, ryes, and other odd things beyond the usual massive vodka or scotch selection. I'm starting to worry that I'll lose it as I grow more addled, so here's my first stab at it:

• IM Gan, Cranston: Peychaud's bitters, some Marie Brizard items, Plymouth gin (at $11/bottle!)
  Another Liquor Store, Cranston: Regan's Orange Bitters (on my suggestion, as it turns out)
  Town Wine and Spirits, East Providence: Rittenhouse, Sazerac, and Wild Turkey ryes, Luxardo maraschino
  Joyal's Liquors, West Warwick: Rittenhouse, Sazerac, and Wild Turkey ryes, Junipero gin (and others), Taylor's velvet falernum
  Gasbarro's, Providence: Luxardo maraschino, Punt e Mes, Fernet Branca
  

If you've made any stellar cocktailian finds in the RI/SE MA area, please share. And if you're looking for something in particular, ask here!

[Chris Amirault]

The silence is deafening!

Meanwhile, I had a great conversation with John Hogan, president of I. M. Gan, who has promised me that he's going to be picking up Fee Brother's peach and orange bitters as well as some pisco. This bodes very, very well....

[Chris Amirault]

I've been visiting Quisqueya Liquors on Broad Street quite a bit lately, both because it's down the street from my house and because it's got a pretty solid and inexpensive rum selection. It's not Joyal's by a longshot, but if you're in the South Providence/Cranston area it's better than most places nearby.

[Moderator's note: discussion on this subject has moved here. CA]