New Crown Heights Wine and Liquor Store Has Rare Picks, Low Prices

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A new wine and liquor store on Nostrand Avenue is emphasizing its carefully chosen selection and personalized advice.

Simple Syrup Wine and Spirits, located at 810 Nostrand Ave., only stocks products from "artisan, small producers," according to managing partner Paul Lang.

Many of its wines are from Italy, France and Spain, Lang said, but the store is also proud of its selection from New York State.

"The idea is to offer a selection of wines that are highly curated," Lang explained. Customers will be able to talk to the store's staff about their palette and preferences before receiving a recommendation, he said, helping them purchase unique wines and liquors with a backstory that isn't easy to find elsewhere.

Inside Simple Syrup

Lang pointed to a $39 bottle of Sicilian wine that mixes about five different grapes. The Italian producer, Giovanni Scarfone, "literally makes this in his parents garage," after growing his grapes on a small vineyard, Lang said.

"Every time you smell or taste the wine, you're going to smell or taste something different," he continued, describing it as a "meditation wine" that rewards savoring.

The connoisseur then turned to a $17 bottle from Channing Daughters, a Long Island winery. The company only produces a few hundred bottles of each of its wines per year, Lang said, meaning its offerings will reflect the seasons and weather.

Some of the liquors in stock at the store

Lang said Simple Syrup's selection will change constantly throughout the year, which is why guests should stop in the store to chat with its specialists.

Despite its emphasis on unique wines, most of its bottles are under $20 he said. Whisky, vodka, and a range of liquors are also available.

Simple Syrup is open 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. It's offering free delivery on orders of $35 or more, within the following region: Empire Boulevard to Fulton Street, and Franklin Avenue to Albany Avenue.

The store can be reached by phone at 347-406-5336.

Pictured at top: Wines at Simple Syrup Wines and Spirits. Photos by John V. Santore