wine shop on dekalb carlton

anonymous

I don't understand why you would go into a wine store, find out they don't have what you want, and then stand around staring at bottles of wine you apparently do not want. The owner probably thought she was being helpful or thought that you weren't sure if you wanted something or not because of your behavior (i.e. standing around looking at the merchandize).

nicolamj

I like Thirst a lot. They're very nice - I've always had kind of rude experiences at Greene Grape.

They were also able to point out to me at least 20+ wines that were between $10-$15. Also, I noticed they have a good selection of interesting champagne - not something I buy a lot, but when I do want to buy some, it's good to know they have it.

I'd like to see how they look when they're all settled in - right now you have to examine each bottle carefully to see the price tag.

greenegirl

lp wrote: I don't understand why you would go into a wine store, find out they don't have what you want, and then stand around staring at bottles of wine you apparently do not want. The owner probably thought she was being helpful or thought that you weren't sure if you wanted something or not because of your behavior (i.e. standing around looking at the merchandize).

because i wanted to see the selection and prices. It is a new store around the corner from my home and i had free time. you've never browsed before?

supergirl

Anonymous wrote: The more wine and liquor stores the better

How things have changed

anonymous

Thirst is rocking my world!

anonymous

I have to go along with the impression of Thirst's owners as being a little 'greene'. (Sorry.) They seem like very earnest people who've always dreamed of opening a wine store. They were a little intrusive, but it's possibly amplified by the cramped space. Also, the lighting was a little irritating. Low, but targeted. That said, they had a nice selection. The guy noticed what I was getting, and came to the right conclusion and told me that they'd be getting in more reisling options soon. (I picked up one of their few non-frog sauv blanc.) I wish them a lot of luck.

That said, I love Greene Grape. I go in there fairly frequently (wine geek enough to have a wine fridge, but not enough to go beyond the eternal quest of finding the best, cheapest bottles) and have never witnessed a bad interaction or had a bad experience. The extra dollars save me from having to go to Astor Wines, and I dig the vibe there. If anything, I'm starting to go less frequently because it's too crowded when I do.

anonymous

The Old Potrero single malt rye is finally on their shelves (and in my liquor cabinet). Also, they're very receptive to suggestions, at least for spirits. I mentioned Sazerac Rye last week and they had it delivered five days later. Not a slick operation, but I find that refreshing.

bifteck

Yay! That's great news -- my beau & I have harbored a heightened interest in rye recently.

anonymous

I found the woman to be a bit too chatty.. I wasn't really looking for any help and she probably talked to me for about 10 minutes staight - totally unsolicited. I thought that maybe she had too much caffine and needed to chill out with a glass of wine...

pikesville

I've had great experiences at Thirst. The owners are passionate about their product, but I've never had to feel bad about being a total wine dunce. IMHO, the shop is a real boon to the neighborhood.

piratesofwaverly

Thirst is great. Now we just need some cheese and good bread to go with that. Toss in an organic grocer and I'd never leave the nabe.

bifteck

Ever been to L'Epicierie? It's not 100% organic but they do have bread and cheese.

piratesofwaverly

I like L'Epicierie, but I find that their bread is a little toothy by the time I get to it.

isla

I am hoping to check it out. Thanks for the heads up.

pikesville

The owners have been steadily expanding their collection of spirits. Last time I was in, they had Black Maple Hill bourbon and two varieties of rye from the Tuthilltown distillery, which is somewhere upstate. Thirst never going to be LeNell's II, but the owners seem genuinely interested in providing an interesting- if not extensive- whiskey selection.

anonymous

I like the selection and convenience of Thirst but do have two complaints: (1) it's too damned cramped in there; if there are more than two or so customers it's actually unpleasant to be in there; (2) the owners are very nice but I do think a little too chatty; I've often waited to pay while they both go on and on with the person in line ahead of me.

j.b.

Palabra. I have the same issues in that place. I'm not discouraging their chattiness. I just don't think both of them need to chat up the interesting customer at the same time.

And it really feels cramped. They should take out half of that bottle display in the middle of the store.

carlton banks

Subject: Watch what you assume...

yes, this one involves race... unfortunately many of us have to deal with it on regular basis.

i've been trying to not be the angry black man on here but the lady at thirst annoyed me yesterday... as mentioned earlier, the store now carries some mid to high end spirits. one of which is bruichladdich scotch. i know the scotch so i go in and ask for a bottle. the woman immediately says, "you know that's $45 dollars?". she asked this prior to even ringing it up. now i explicitly asked for this particular scotch. i didn't ask her if it was good or how it compares to others. it was pretty obvious (at least to me) that i knew what i wanted and why i wanted it. i didn't ask how much it cost. i told her to ring it up. it could have cost $300 dollars.

she basically made an assumption as to my ability to pay because of my attire and skin color... a black man in camo shorts and a t-shirt... i didn't have on my corporate attire. sometimes i feel like i need to wear my harvard degree on my back to receive decent treatment at some of the new spots in the neighborhood. i'm sure it was inadvertent but it's still annoying and disrespectful.

i'm hoping i'm just overly sensitive but if you want to operate a business in what is still a somewhat diverse neighborhood please be cognizant of your inner/hidden prejudices and at least think about what you say and how it may be perceived. it's the closest store to me but i'll have to frequent the one on fulton and st. felix (i think they're rude to everyone at the greene grape). the proprietors of thirst seem pretty dense and don't seem to have much a feel for the neighborhood. please correct me if i'm wrong... as i said it is the closest store to me.

bifteck

They've "warned" me of prices before, and I'm white. I can't really judge the issue of race or prejudice based on this anecdote, since I didn't hear the tone of voice or manner in which she said this, and I also don't want to tell you that you didn't hear what you heard, but I do caution that it's possible she didn't mean anything by it -- other than simply letting you know the price before you buy. As other people in this thread have said, myself included, the two proprietors of Thirst are charming in their geekiness for wine & spirits, but are not always the most socially at ease. I think it's very possible that she would have said what she said to anyone, not just to you.

carlton banks

let's hope that's the case... i can understand informing someone of the price if they don't know, but i was pretty explicit in asking for a particular brand. anyway, i'll give them another shot. i just needed to vent... like i said... they seem kinda dense and uncomfortable socially. maybe they're that way with everyone...

anonymous

Let me first start off by saying I am the the owner of Thirst Wine Merchants along with my husband, Michael. We live in Fort Greene and decided to open a store in our neighborhood because we could not find the wines we liked to drink in the neighborhood and the other thing that we wanted to offer our customers was customer service that we found was lacking in most wine shops. We at Thirst are customer service driven. Period.

I would like to respond to Mr. Carlton Banks suggestion that because I told him the price of an item that was on a shelf behind the cash counter I am a racist. This is complete and utter nonsense. I always try to go the extra mile for our customers and I thought I was doing that by telling him the price. Perhaps Mr Banks had already made up his mind before he walked into my store. Customers ask me all the time how much an item costs and I don't think to myself why what a dumb question that is. But apparently Mr. Banks decided that being helpful meant that I was racist. Oh and the other thing people complain about is that we are too chatty. My lord!

anonymous

We at Thirst are customer service driven. Period.

Perhaps you should be a little more receptive to your customers' opinions, then? This board is potentially an excellent resource for local merchants, IF they are willing to listen to what their customers say. (And it's not like the comments about your shop were all bad, by any stretch. Though you did not even bother to acknowledge it, several posters raved about your great selection and fine service.)

Not one, but several posters mentioned that you and your husband are overly chatty. Now, I'm sure you're just trying to be friendly and share your knowledge of wine, but apparently, the chattiness can come across as pushy and intrusive. Instead of freaking out and dismissing people's comments as nonsense, might it not behoove you to think about chatting up customers a little less in the future? Or at least paying attention to how customers respond when you talk to them, and backing off when it's clear that someone would prefer to be left alone? That doesn't seem so hard to do ...

anonymous

I absolutely agree with guest at 9:52. I'm stunned that Emilia bothered to chime in when her only response is to dismiss people's comments! I recommend to everyone Olivino, which is on Fulton by Clinton. I think it's a great, comfortable place with really nice people and it's right at the C train. (Do others agree?) Greene Grape and Thirst are not the only options.

anonymous

I will defend Emilia. I'm an African-American man and have always felt welcome there. I believe she replied the way she did because she was upset by a knee-jerk response by someone who equated being told the price of an item as racism. There's more than one level of Bruichladdich Scotch and she was likely merely attempting to explain where this one fit in.

Thirst is a little cramped. But they've made a beautiful, welcoming space. And they offer a good array of solid options. Also they've told me that they have someone making a display area for the center of the store which should make it feel less congested.

As far as being chatty or whatever, I really appreciate being a regular there, being recognized, them knowing my name and having a dialog with them. Man, what a fresh breath of air compared to many of my other shopping experiences. To deal with owners who know their stuff, care, listen, try to find the best item for a fair price, what more could I ask for?

As far as some of the alternative shops in the neighborhood...

Olivino's selection has always been shaky and the grandma's attic aesthetic has never been my bag. I haven't been by there recently, but never found the service particularly helpful or knowledgeable.

GG has never felt welcoming and I've never really liked their selection.

greene-eyed monster

I will also jump on the Defend Emilia bandwagon. Because I work from home, I often dress like a homeless person at best and have never received anything but terrific service. The people who work at Thirst all know their stuff and have never led me astray and they always, always, always tell me the price of things right away of things that I haven't bought from them before. Also, I agree with 7:56 about the levels of certain spirits. For example, I was pleasantly surprised that they carry a Maple Hill rye. When I asked for it, Emilia said something to the effect of, you know this is $40-whatever and to my glee I said, NO! I'm used to buying the $100 bottle and thought maybe they'd simply changed the color of their labels.

bifteck

In case my previous posts weren't clear, I, too, am up on that wagon.

carlton banks

i agree with the comments made by the two guests (8:52 & 9:14)...

as i said in my post... i recognize the fact i may be overly sensitive. i don't think you are a racist. just because someone alters their behavior or reaction based on someone's appearance doesn't make them a racist. i also said i'm sure it was inadvertent.

i wanted feedback from others to see if i was simply overreacting. the owner's (emilia's) response is rash and overly defensive. rather than simply explain your rationale behind giving the price of an item you call my reaction nonsense and dismiss comments from others on the board. this board gives you an opportunity to address customer concerns in a reasonable, rational manner. instead you've created a seemingly adversarial environment.

your quick dismissal makes it seem as if you don't really think any of the negative comments on the board are valid points. if someone takes the time to actually write a post on it you should at least consider it constructive criticism.

as was stated earlier... you should listen to your (ex) customers responses and act accordingly if you are really customer driven. period. i'll make point to send people to other stores given your reaction. even if it has to be the greene grape... at least they respond to customer concerns in a more appropriate manner.

carlton banks

who are you?

boygabriel

To all regular posters, there was someone from the same IP address posting under different guest names, all shilling for Thirst and trashing Green Grape.

Not cool. I moved the shilling posts. Shiller, beware.

anonymous

it's amazing that every post on this board turns into a fight.

go outside people.
enjoy the sun.
try smiling once in awhile.
life's not so bad.