Ludlow Wines

Store

339 Ludlow Ave.
Cincinnati, Ohio, 45220
United States

(513) 751-3727 | map
ludlowwines.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.09
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
11
pDev:
11.49%
View: Place Reviews
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Rated: 4 by Chris77McGrath from Ohio

Dec 27, 2013
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Reviewed by DavoleBomb from Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -18.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3
Figured I'd write a review since major changes have happened very recently. To start (and less recent), Ludlow Wines moves down the street to a new location about four months ago. While the old place was fine, the new one is roomier with a classier appearance. It's quite nice inside. Thus, no complaints about the atmosphere.

The history of their selection is a strange one. When I first started going there about a year ago, it seemed like the entire inventory turned over every couple weeks. I'd guess that they had 75-100 different beers at a time. With new beers showing up frequently, so did I. I probably spent an average of $40-50 per week there (which was easy since it's on the walk home). When they first moved to the current location, the variety initially suffered a bit and I attributed that to them still sorting things out. However, since then, the selection had only kept dwindling to the point where the shelves were mostly bare and what was there included IPAs that had been there for months. The influx of new beers on a regular basis had pretty much stopped. My visits had a marked decrease in frequency. At my most recent trip, everything had changed. For the first time in months, the shelves were fully stocked with my new beers. In addition to new vintages, many older vintages had shown up. While this sounds great, the problem is that ALL of the prices had seemingly gone up overnight and gone up quite a bit. Some of the stuff that shocked me a bit was Founder's Breakfast Stout at $4.10/bottle, Dieu Du Ciel Rigor Mortis at $8.00, and Avery Brabant near $13 (I bought a bottle of this a week ago at another place for $8). Not everything is that obscenely overpriced, but instead of being $1 or less more per bottle than other places in Cincy, the small format bottles are probably $1 more than average and the large format $3-5. The vintage bottles are reasonably priced compared to the new vintage price (which is to say that the "cellaring cost" is reasonable), but the new vintage price is more than likely horrible. It seems like they have shifted to a less volume, higher margin strategy.
Oct 10, 2012
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Reviewed by brown2cu from Ohio

3.46/5  rDev -15.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3
A: More catered to wine drinkers than beer drinkers. A little pretentious which has always made me want to get out of there fast.

S: It is what it is. The guy behind the counter isn't really interested in carrying on any sort of conversation with you. This really isn't a bad thing as it lets you look around without feeling overly pressured or harried. I feel like the service is more catered towards wine drinkers in particular, and if you are one, this guy is incredibly knowledgeable.

Se: Beer is a little lacking; however, there are some real gems there that I am never able to find elsewhere.

F: N/A

V: I would almost label it inexpensive because the beer and wine flights are an incredible deal. Overall, when I go in there I feel like I get what I pay for though.
Feb 09, 2012
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Reviewed by seeswo from Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
I dropped into this place as an out of towner who received some fantastic service from the guy behind the counter. The selection was somewhat limited, but they had a single of KBS on the shelf for $5, which was ridiculous. I enjoyed this local style place and I think it is worth a stop. We often look for those gems that might have stuff more than a day after it comes out and this seems like the place. I would go here second after hitting up a huge place to get your staples. The selection here is smaller, but I would definitely stop to see what might be there and to have a nice chat with an enthusiastic staff.
Apr 27, 2011
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Reviewed by xandertee from Ohio

5/5  rDev +22.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
I had previously walked past this wine store several times before I decided to go in and check it out. Earlier this week I walked past and their make-your-own six pack section is right in front of their window for passers by to see. I noticed they were offering some Sierra Nevada Porter and Stout, and I hadn't found either in a while. Its mostly the SN PA, Celebration, or Bigfoot in the local grocers or beverage marts.

So yesterday I had a spare twenty in my pocket, and I decided to make a six pack for myself. I had some spare time due to the girlfriend attending bible study later that evening. I decided to go to Ludlow Wines to make my six pack. I started browsing their selection, and to my chagrin I saw three single bottles of Founder's KBS for $5.25 each. The owner told me that it was the last of their single case they purchased. I had the widest grin on my face. In just a few minutes I knew that this was going to be my go-to local store in the city. The selection may be small here, but it represents at least one or two beers of the best brews you can find around.

Also, apparently the beer section is run by the Wife of the man behind the counter. He spoke of it while I was profusely thanking him out of excitement. For 2010 I was only able to secure two bottles of KBS for myself. Three bottles in 2011, especially on the 31st of March, instantly made this place "my little secret".

What a double edged sword... Now everyone on BA is going to have one more place to look for KBS next year, but I think this place deserves the business. Even if it means competition for me for the rare ones.
Apr 01, 2011
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Reviewed by Urbancaver from Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
Ludlow wines definitely does a great job running their small store. Their target audience is general wine drinkers and less intense beer drinkers but they maintain a great selection. Lots of bigger beers and unique styles with a solid selection of more common beers. Mike is a very gracious and helpful guy. He has a great knowledge both of wine and beer. Their tasting are well put togther and have a great selection for them so i put them as a definite must hit for people shopping in the clifton area
Jan 18, 2011
Photo of ColdPoncho
Reviewed by ColdPoncho from Ohio

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
Ludlow always has great stuff to choose from. They do not carry anything that would not please your average craft drinker. The owner, Mike, is a very friendly guy and is always happy to help. I was in today to see if the had Hopslam (thankfully they did), and I noticed they still had Speedway stout. It's not a big store, but prices are not high (the hopslam was $18 for 6, compared to $18 for six at a much larger store in Kentucky). The only drawback, realistically is that it is such a small store that they can't have a lot of beer, especially since their main thing is wine. But they still have great stuff and I love that it's a 2 minute walk from my place.
Jan 15, 2011
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Reviewed by pwoods from Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -10.8%
A tiny little shop in the Gaslight District of Clifton, right of UC's campus. This place probably has more wine than beer but still not a bad stop. Not a huge selection but enough to get you by if you're just stopping in while in this part of town. The quality is pretty high but they're missing some of the more quality brews. The service is good, the owners are friendly and knowledgeable. Everything is pretty reasonably priced. This place is always worth checking out if you've just had dinner at Biagio's.
Apr 21, 2010
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Reviewed by mwa423 from Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +5.1%
This is a small wine shop that has added a solid portfolio of craft beer to their offerings. The owners, a husband and wife are both very knowledgeable about craft beer and will talk to you all day if you have the time. There is a decent selection for mixing sixes, their real value is in their exceptional bomber inventory. While they won't have nearly the selection of other stores, they carry only the best of the breweries that they do carry.

A big bonus, is that on Saturday nights they do a $5 for 5 samples beer tasting. A great way to start a night out in a fun little store!
Aug 03, 2009
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Reviewed by FtownThrowDown from Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.2%
Located on Ludlow Avenue, almost directly across the street from Olives. Make no doubt about it, it's a wine store. But the owners are embracing and allocating floor space and time to beer. What they lack in quantity, they make up for in quality. Plenty of good beer to be had.
They host weekly beer tastings on Saturday evenings. The owners, a husband and wife are both super friendly and accommodating. Ready to answer whatever questions you may have.
Hopefully the beer selection continues to grow. This is a great stop while in the area.
Only problem, as is with all places along Ludlow is parking. It's well worth a visit.
Mar 20, 2009
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Reviewed by Yetiman420 from Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.2%
Stopped in after enjoying a couple of pints of oak aged unearthly with pwoods and FtownThrowDown across the street at Olives (strange to have such an amazing beer on tap at an average beer bar).

I wasn't in the market for more beer, but I wanted to check the place out after a solid service experience. A couple of weeks ago I was looking for a second Theobroma to complete a trade. Knowing I was way past the season for this beer I called around to all the stores in town I could think of. The husband of this mom and pop store informed me they didn't have it in stock. He told me he would check with his distributor and took my name. I figured this was the last I'd hear of him. Two weeks later I get a call back with the full scoop on the release of this beer etc. While I was well aware of it, I really appreciated the effort to follow up on the commitment. A bonus on service.

While there are larger selections in town, Ludlow does have a narrow sample of all the better beers offered in Cincinnati. Not much crap at all here. They also have a quality build your own six pack area.

The evening we were there they were wrapping up a beer sampling. $5 for 4 pours including Oak Aged Unearthly and Night Tripper. I got a 3 oz pour of Night Tripper for $1.
Mar 01, 2009
Ludlow Wines in Cincinnati, OH
Place rating: 4.09 out of 5 with 11 ratings