Walking west on 16th Street my first time, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this hidden showroom tucked away right before Union Square. In an elegant, spacious atmosphere that serves as both a wine shop and a wine tasting venue, Italian wines are the centerpiece. Their vast wine cellar, however, has racks of wines from around the world. Although they tend to cater to the avid wine collector, they have wine for every palette and budget - from $15 to $15,000. Without a doubt, this is a shop that any wine enthusiast would want to get to know. And for those who would like to improve on their wine education, this is also the place. In addition to always having a bottle open for customers to sample, Italian Wine Merchants has a weekly Saturday afternoon wine tasting. Customers are encouraged to peruse the calendar online and then to sign up for what seems appealing. Either their in-house "educator" or an expert from a particular vineyard leads the class. Besides the many glasses of wine that we tasted, their excellent chef created delicious dishes to complement the wines. Private events can be arranged for large gatherings or they offer a glass-enclosed room for two or up to ten people for an intimate wine-tasting dinner led by their sommelier. Italian Wine Merchants rocks the senses with an eating and drinking experience not to be missed.
