After working as an Investment Banker, I made the decision to follow my passion for wine and, after teaching, consulting and studying, I opened Amanti Vino in October of 2005. But when I envisioned a wine store, I envisioned something totally different from anything I had seen before. I vowed to offer 1) customer service in the form of hand-selected artisanal wines from around the world at all price points 2) a knowledgeable staff specialized in food and wine pairing as well as wine education and 3) prices competitive with “the big guys.” Despite many naysayers who told me I could never succeed without selling Yellowtail, Beringer and Santa Margarita, the store has been successful beyond my wildest dreams!

My loyal customers come to me time and again because:
1) I hand-select each and every wine. I taste thousands of wines each year so that I can identify the very best for each region, varietal, price point, etc. I taste the bad wines so you don't have to!

2) I focus on boutique, artisanal wines. While I have nothing against the big producers, I find that artisanal, hand-made wines taste better (less synthetic), cost less (because they're not spending money on marketing) and are interesting to discuss (as the wines are made with love).

3) I never buy by ratings. Nothing against the wine press, but I like to offer a wide range of styles and sometimes wine writers get into a rut and praise only the biggest, “jammiest” wines. That's not to say that I don't offer highly rated wines. I have a ton of them but I don't believe in selling by numbers alone.

4) My staff knows (and loves) wine! My staff is wine-educated at the International Wine Center in NYC. While they won't force facts about soil types down your throat, they do know the wines/varietals, regions/etc well enough to give you as much information as you desire. They also know about pairing food and wine and are happy to help you in planning dinner parties or just in figuring out what to have with your sushi dinner.

5) My prices are fair. I can't promise to be the cheapest out there, but I make sure I get the best price on everything I buy so that I can pass the savings on to the customer.

6) I give my local customers countless tasting opportunities. Every Saturday, I open 3-4 bottles for people to try. Some days I focus on value wines and other days on cult collectibles. Nothing is off limits! In addition, I have a bottle open virtually every day so feel free to stop by when you're in the neighborhood.

7) We deliver. Whether it is a single bottle to a restaurant in the area, a case to your home or multiple cases for a party, we are happy to deliver.

8) Rufus is in the house. Our very friendly yellow lab, Rufus, is always in the store to greet customers, provide comic relief and entertain the kids so mom and dad can shop.

As with the selection of wines, I wanted Amanti Vino to look and feel unique as well. I wanted a store that is clean, fresh, welcoming to wine collectors and novices alike and one in which you can view the maximum number of wines while standing in any one spot. I was fortunate to meet Jose Alcala and Petia Morozov, partners in MADLAB, an interdisciplinary design practice in Montclair,NJ. Past projects include Dylan's Candy Bar (NYC) and FAO Schwartz (Los Angeles, CA). Everything in the store was designed custom for Amanti Vino from the racking and window displays to the cash wraps and chandeliers.