Sergio Esposito, widely considered among the premier authorities on Italian wine, shares his vast expertise with New Yorkers at this boutique shop in Union Square. Calling Italian Wine Merchants a shop may be a misnomer, however, as its shelves are almost bare.
“People walk in and ask if we’re going out of business,” joked IWM President Christopher Deas, who explained that their impressive inventory of wines from every region of Italy, parts of France, and beyond is stored in a downstairs cellar. “The upstairs is more of a showroom. We really believe in temperature control.”
Those who enter IWM can rest assured that they are in good hands, as Christopher maintained that the shop was the first in the city to specialize in Italian wine. Since the beginning, they have stocked both “wines that have become icons as well as bottles from tiny, artisanal producers that were being overlooked.”
Sergio’s strength was in scouring the nooks and crannies of Italy and bringing the wines back to New York. Much of IWM’s collection of vintage wines is thanks to Sergio’s efforts, who tracked down Italian restaurants that were about to shutter and picked through the contents of their cellars.
Although they tend to cater to the avid wine collector, Italian Wine Merchants have wine for every palette and budget - from $15 to $15,000. For those who would like to improve on their wine education, IWM offers 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. Private events can also be arranged for large gatherings, as well as intimate wine-tasting dinners led by their sommelier. Italian Wine Merchants rocks the senses with an eating and drinking experience not to be missed.
