Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
City Winery Brings Barrels to SoHo
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 20, 2008
Modified Nov 20, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 11
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 20, 2008
Modified Nov 20, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last night the City Winery opened its slightly unfinished doors to the press, revealing New York's only fully functioning winery/venue. Downstairs in a temperature-controlled room, casks of wine made on the premises were being stored...some of it for customers who had already purchased their own. (Customers like Lou Reed.) That's right, possibly the best thing about this place is that you can put your name on a barrel and come tap into it whenever you like...for a price, of course.
There are four ownership/membership packages that can reach up to $15,000 on the high end. The less expensive ones are the "Barrel Share," which for $1500 gives you a sixth-share of a barrel; and the "Basic" plan, which gives you a cask for an annual fee of $5,000 (plus additional cost of grapes, barrels and labeling--which will bring you closer to $8-10,000). You'll get about 260 bottles of wine from the barrel, coming to around $35 a piece. Not bad for a bottle of wine you will have the opportunity to make yourself, from crushing to labeling (watch here).
As for the food, the menu is still being worked on, but Murray's Cheese Shop is already on board, as is chef Andres Barrera. For the entertainment, owner Michael Dorf (formerly of the Knitting Factory) announced the first pages of their music programming last night, which will include klemzer Sunday brunches and the likes of Suzanne Vega, Phillip Glass, Rufus Wainwright. And to kick it all off on New Year's Eve will be Joan Osborne. There will even be an option to choose your own table while purchasing tickets on their website. One catch: To get first notice of these events (or the wine classes offered), you have to be a VinoFile member, which costs $50 annually.
City Winery is located at 143 Varick Street, between Spring and Vandam Streets. It opens to the public on December 31st.
Tagged
barrels
city winery
restaurant
soho
urban winery
varick street
venue
wine
winery
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Sep 12, 2026
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
Is it worth the high price and ridiculous wait? Gothamist needed to find out.
By
Sonia Rao
Food
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
Is it worth the high price and ridiculous wait? Gothamist needed to find out.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Can a congressional candidate's dumpling diplomacy win over Queens’ immigrant communities?
By
Caroline Shin
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .