Stew Leonard's Wines Clifton and Paramus, NJ

I checked out the humongous new Stew Leonard's Wines of Clifton back in 2008. I did not like it then. Since then I have changed my mind. I started to frequent the Paramus store because its right next door to our favorite Trader Joe's.

Now I love Stew Leonard Wines for these five reasons.    

Five Reasons We Love Stew Leonards Wines Read on here

The store Used to Be overwhelming at first and has a rather confusing layout. There are lots of unfamiliar labels, most are displayed in stacks of cases. Some of the name brands are over priced. In my opinion there is not a great selection, considering the size of the store. Not any more

Wines are arranged by region or varietal but they are spread out in a plan that I found difficult to follow. There are many signs and shelf talkers that explain the wine, suggest food pairings and offer some ratings. For that I give them credit.

Here are some examples of what I found there. This is all old so stop reading go here instead.

One wine that I am currently looking to buy, Montinore Estate Pinot Gris Willamette Valley can be found for between 9.99 and 11.99, at Stew Leonard's is was $13 and change.

I did buy La Carraia Sangiovese Dell'Umbria for 8.99, that was a fair price in line with other discounters.

This is a very nice wine that I have had before.

"Brilliant ruby-red in color with loads of ripe blackberry, strawberry and currant on the nose. The plush fruit flavors are deliciously integrated with subtle hints of mocha, tobacco and oak spice. Full and rich with soft tannins, the lush layers of fruit and spice are backed by lively acidity. This everyday Sangiovese is the perfect choice for barbecues, pastas, pizza and sausage." Winemaker

Robert Parker gave it a 89.

This wine should be opened and allowed to breath for at least 2 hours before drinking and served slightly chilled, 56 Degrees. If you are going out open the wine and let it breath then re-cork.   

I also bought a quirky Austrian wine because its bottle is sealed with a beer bottle style cap. I have never seen that before.

Bio-Weingut H. u. M. Hofer 2006 Auersthal Grüner Veltliner Qualitätswein Trocken $9.99

Transparent straw color. Simple, food-friendly and fresh, tart lime and wet stones; "rainwater over rocks" minerality, citrus fruit, white pepper and fresh acidity in a very long finish. GV on the simple side, but it's balanced, interesting and refreshing, and that's a splendid payoff for a bargain-basement price. Packaged in a fat 1-liter bottle with a beer-bottle-style "crown cap." US Importer: Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, N.Y.; a Terry Theise Estate Selection. (May 28, 2007)

FOOD MATCH: Versatile and food-friendly, GV finds its match in a wide variety of dishes, with a special facility for freshwater fish and "white meats" from chicken to veal. It's also a go-to wine for Southeast Asian and Pacific Rim cuisine, and went very nicely with a spicy Thai Yum Neua beef salad.

Comments

[Jack]

Stews is really pushing his private label wines. Why because they are priced high, and you cant comparision shop , they are no better than anything else.

Stews is a lot of song and dance and not much substance. Yes I am in the wine biz and would prefer to shop at well run mom and pop stores.

[Jim G.]

Thanks much; so I'm not crazy after all (not entirely, anyway). I went into the new Clifton S.L. with great expectations, and left w/o any wine - was it just me? Guess not. Nice woody decor, lots of tables featuring specific producers (as in "volume producer"), relatively few racks and few wall cabinets, surprisingly limited selections on them.

Shoppers Vineyard is definitely better, but I also like Rutherford Wine Shoppe on Park Avenue (Rutherford NJ, of course). Scott the manager packs a LOT of interesting wine in a small space. His prices are fair if not rock-bottom, and he's even getting the kids who work there interested in the finer things. Good microbrew beer selection too. A lot more cramped than S.L., but a good (often great) wine is always just an arm's length away.

[Mano a Vino]

Thanks for those comments, where is your new wine store. I would like to stop by to say hello.

[Gregg Burke]

I totally agree. I visited the store in Paramus and was amused at their selection. They are light in Spain, S. Africa, and the Italin reds are boring. It is a good store for the basic wine buyer who likes to buy what they know.The large stacks you see are exclusives. It is how they keep the GP up. In the Clifton area Shppers Vineyard is the best bet. To be fair I have to tell you that I was the wine manager their 3 years ago. As for the Montinore the wine took a price hike a couple of month ago from the distributor. I worked for said distributor until today, because I bought my own wine shop. Keep up the good work.