Wine Gallery

Wine GalleryWine Gallery
Wine GalleryWine Gallery
Store

3 Cypress St
Brookline, Massachusetts, 02445-6801
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.41
Reviews:
31
Ratings:
32
pDev:
7.26%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by errantnight:
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Reviewed by errantnight from District of Columbia

4.85/5  rDev +10%
Just a fantastic beer store that keeps getting better.

I visited for the first time last year when they were doing a tasting of last year's Stone's Russian Imperial Stout (and the rest of the line of Stone beers...) and was floored. But they keep refining and expanding their selection.

Beers are divided by region and sometimes by style. There's Belgians, Belgian-style, International, German, England, and a whole slew of American beers. Today they were featuring Founder's Brewing Company (none of their stouts, *insert frowny face*) and I was lured into picking up a couple sixers of their black rye and IPA. They've got a run of AleSmith beers, there's bunch from Avery, all of the Stone Brews that will travel to the East Coast (i.e.: everything that's not Levitation and Pale), including some 9th Anniversary ales still kicking around (a month ago they still had some 8th Anniversary and some Vertical Epics). There was 2004 and 2005 vintage World Wide Stouts from Dogfish Head (as well as this year's Raison D'Extra and some Golden Shower), a bunch of North Coast offerings, Thomas Hooker brews, Ayinger Celebrator, the Rapscallion 4-packs with free glasses, Unibroue and Ommegang selections... Two Brothers, Left-Handed, a fine selection of Rogue (all bombers).

And so on and so forth. Next pay check I'm returning to create my first beer cellar stock. And hopefully they'll have this year's Stone Russian Imperial in by then.

I love my convenient (and slightly less expensive) Blanchard's, and my extraordinarily convenient (and overpriced) Harvest Co-op, but this is where I go when I'm looking for quality brews at the right price. And to get lost browsing.
Apr 17, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.5 by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

Nov 10, 2013
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Reviewed by AdamPennin from Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -24%
After reading the other reviews for Wine Gallery, I'm wondering if things have just changed over time. I decided to check out several of the top reviewed places within 128 (Boston area) to see if I could find any new favorites. If I lived around Wine Gallery, it'd be a great alternative to a corner six-pack store, but it isn't a best of Boston. While they had some various imports that I don't see as often, their craft selection was fairly weak. I saw nothing aged there, and only a single representative beer from places like Stone, Dogfish Head, Allagash, and Rogue. This would still be fine if the selections they had seemed like a best-of-the-best with great service to guide you through it, but they seemed more haphazard than not and the only guy working seemed puzzled when I asked about beer.

If I'm going to make the drive, in the future I'll probably go to Publick House Provisions, or Downtown Wine and Spirits.
Feb 20, 2010
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Reviewed by CavePainter from Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +5.4%
Fantastic selection of beer and wine. Free Wine tastings and a knowledgeable staff who can make great pairing recommendations.

Wine Gallery has a great selection of beer - Whether you are looking
for something from the farthest flung regions of the world, or something brewed right in Boston's backyard- you will most likely find it here.

Staff is cheerful and laid back. These guys know their stuff. Some of the products can be a little pricey, but Wes will usually help you out in selecting something that will rock your socks off without emptying your wallet.
Jun 16, 2009
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Reviewed by harsley from Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev -2.5%
This is my go-to beer store near home. Everytime I'm there I get approached at least once (or more) by employees asking if I need any help with anything. Very friendly and very knowledgeable.

Selection is great. They have some cold in coolers along the back wall to the left (probably 8 fridges or so) all stocked with good brews. They then have beers in the store arranged by country/area. Nice Belgian selection, North American, German, UK, etc. Prices are around the same as anywhere else in the Boston area...I've found some beers less expensive elsewhere but also some that are more expensive elsewhere. They have a nice little cheese selection too and some crackers/snacks. They usually have a few glasses as well, but they are random and sparse. They have given me a free glass on 2 occasions in the past but that might have been before they started selling the randoms they get. They have beer tastings every week too, I think on Thursdays but not sure. They have a blog online that updates regularly. Ask them about it if you go to the store.

Huge wine selection as well (and some good liquors)...some of which (the wine, not liquor) you can sample at anytime in the store. Great place. Easily accessible too as they have parking right outside (off route 9), or it's less then a 5 minute walk to the D Line Brookline Hills stop.

*edit: This place has gone WAY down hill... (3/24/10)
Mar 03, 2009
Photo of Lothore
Reviewed by Lothore from California

4.45/5  rDev +0.9%
Stopped through here the other day and was not disappointed. Their beer is very organized and have a fairly large selection of both imports and craft brew. Their belgian selection is rather large and includes a lot of good guezes which is always a plus for me. They had quite a bit of stone, weyerbacher, lost abbey, berkshire etc.. While I usually go for the divey, small business vibe where you have to search for treasures, the organization and cleanliness here was amazing. Their beer guy was extremely helpful and even broke up a four pack for me so that I could have 1 double simcoe before I left on the plane the next day (I don't think they usually do this but the guy there was extremely nice). Anyhow, great service, a decent selection and it seemed very clean (unlike many other stores with good beer).
Feb 22, 2009
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Reviewed by rasta16ry from New York

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
I used to go here in college a lot. They have a very good selection, with very little crap and a big section of both American and European beers. They also carry People's Pint most of the time, which is one of my favorite breweries in Massachusetts. They usually have some good Smutty and Berkshire as well as some good California breweries, and even Hoppin' Frog from Ohio.

The prices are cheaper than Blanchard's in Allston, and the place itself is clean and pleasant. The people working there are also pleasant, and there is nice tasting room in the back. When I was in college they had a tasting almost every Thursday. I'm not sure if they still do that, but it was awesome when they did.

The Wine Gallery is awesome.

Side note: I went back recently for the first time in a year or so, and I was surprised to find a wine tasting center open in the middle of the place. You give them your ID and they give you a glass and a card good for six tastings. Nice to taste some wine while you're looking at the beer selection.
Feb 13, 2009
Photo of jaluria
Reviewed by jaluria from Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +2%
On a recent business trip, I stopped by this place in search of beer not available back in Southwestern Connecticut. One walk through the beer section and I realized I had made a great decision in stopping by.

A variety of local and regional breweries were represented in their domestic beer section including: Buzzard Bay, Cisco, Olde Burnside, Opa Opa, Peak Organic, Harpoon, Sherwood Forest, and Berkshire.

In addition, English and Belgium beers were well represented with a variety of sought after brews.

What surprised me was that they had some Founders (Curmudgeon), Pizza Port (Sharkbite, Wipeout, Hop Suey), Middle Ages (Dragonslayer, Wailing Wench, Druid Fluid), and The Lost Abbey (Inferno).

The staff was friendly and offered to help me find what I was looking for. The store also carries gourmet snacks and obviously wine. The store is well-kept and laid-out nicely with plenty of space to move around.

Overall, I highly recommend this store and will definitely be back the next time I'm in the Boston area.
Nov 26, 2008
Photo of corey0212
Reviewed by corey0212 from Connecticut

4.7/5  rDev +6.6%
We went here on a mission to find some Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout, and came away with a whole lot more...

I had been to the Wine Gallery near Fenway, and was nothing but impressed with the place, so I was looking forward to checking out the one in Brookline. First impression is that the place is just very clean, airy, and spacious. The staff were very helpful and friendly....plus, after driving up from the Cape, the fact that they have a bathroom available for customer use is a massive plus in my book....nothing worse than sneaking into the nearest Dunkin Donuts to use the head. I love the way the shelves are arranged, everything is about hip-high, which I like...I don't want to be reaching over my head for a $15 bottle of beer. I picked up some amazing stuff (on top of the Pumpkin Stout), including a few offerings from The People's Pint (more Imperial Stout...how is this stuff still on the shelves?), and a cave-aged Three Philosophers (seriously?). This is an excellent shop, and I'll be sure to stop by whenever I'm in thhe area.
Sep 21, 2008
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Reviewed by IBUnit63 from Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev -1.4%
This place is a little outside my circle of destruction but I had heard good things, so here goes...

First impression - the place is very very CLEAN. Very inviting atmosphere with a couple of tasting areas for wine. The quality of the offerings was quite good - a wide selection of American craft brews as well as imports - saw a fair amount of German and Belgian fare. Service was friendly and very courteous. Prices were quite reasonable - for bombers maybe 50 cents to a buck cheaper than comparable spots - nothing huge, but good to know. One more arrow in the quiver...
Jul 26, 2008
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Reviewed by morebeergood from Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -12.7%
My second ever visit to this location was this past Saturday for their annual grand wine tasting afternoon. Always a good time. This store has a great selection of everything you need. There are several large coolers in the back with an assortment of cold six packs. There are also at least six entire shelves (three rows) dedicated to bombers. One whole section has the best Belgian selection I've seen around. Each section is also clearly organized. They have a small glassware section in the back too. On top of this, they have a great selection of fine wines and gourmet cheeses. High quality place with a great selection and good service. Can't go wrong.
Apr 01, 2008
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Reviewed by Hojaminbag from Colorado

4.85/5  rDev +10%
The Wine Gallery has absolutely the best service I have encountered in Boston. Maybe the best service including any kind of retail. Very friendly, very helpful. They will always approach and ask if you need help in a sincere manner. The staff is knowledgeable about beer, and as far as I can tell wine also. They are always up for a conversation too.

24 hour wine tasting, and beer tastings every Thursday.

The selection is about as good as anywhere I've seen in Boston. Prices run about average. I grabbed a few bottles of Hooker's Liberator and Old Marley when I was there last (8 bucks a piece, I may or may not have bought all they had left). Some Ten Fidy Stout too.
All kinds of tasty snacks, I've bought some chips and chocolate there and both were excellent.
Large Wine selection.

Also has a parking lot in the back, which is very nice.

Go to the Wine Gallery!
Feb 09, 2008
Photo of ohmesohoppy
Reviewed by ohmesohoppy from Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +2%
Even though probably more known for their wine selection, their beer selection is pretty good too. They have about two aisles of beer and then some more in coolers. The variety is pretty good too alot of american craft, some german, some english, and some belgian stuff also. I started comin to this place instead of marty's in newton cause even though the selection isnt as large i can still get pretty much everything I want and the stuff looks like it moves alot quicker here (not as many dusty bottles). Oh and it seems a lot cheaper I know one 22 ounce bomber I bought here was two dollars cheaper than it wouldve been at martys but i guess thats the price you pay for more selection. Finally this place has a great tasting room and they pretty much have a beer tasting every thursday. Last week it was dogfish head it was nice to get a free sip of a world wide stout.
Dec 24, 2007
Photo of PlaywrightSam
Reviewed by PlaywrightSam from New York

4.35/5  rDev -1.4%
I don't live in Boston, but I come here somewhat frequently as my partner's family lives here. This Christmas was probably my third or fourth trip to Wine Gallery, and it will definitely not be my last.

The selection is really outstanding, especially for those looking for some of the more esoteric American extreme beers. Great selections from Lagunitas, Southern Tier, Great Divide, many many others. There's a wonderful selection of bombers on the shelves to your left and a cooler toward the back stocked with six packs.

The staff is very nice, very willing to offer help. Last time I was there, the guy told me about a black and tan that you can make with Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA and World Wide Stout. A crazy idea, but one I may have to try simply because I've never had an $18 dollar beer before.

Easy to get to, parking always available.
Dec 24, 2007
Photo of atigerlife
Reviewed by atigerlife from Hawaii

4.65/5  rDev +5.4%
Wow!! This place was truly amazing. Their selection was outstanding and the beer is wonderfully displayed. Very neat, organized and easy to find. I must have found about 20% of the beers [+/- 30] on my wish list. Filled up a shopping cart.

Also nice parking on the side/back of the store. The checkout guy was nice enough to use his handtruck to help me out to the car.

Prices seemed reasonable considering the quality of the beer.

Overall, a truly excellent place to visit. Very professional. I am greatly impressed. There may be better beer stores out there, but I haven't been to one. I've been to bigger, but not better.
Oct 16, 2007
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Reviewed by YonderWanderer from Colorado

4.35/5  rDev -1.4%
Stopped by the Wine Gallery for the first time ever for the Ommegang tasting tonight. And wow, I walked out of there with a couple bottles of the Ommegang and several other bottles I haven't seen anywhere in the Boston area. Next to Marty's, this place is one of the best I've been too. A huge selection of bombers from all over the US and the world, a great Belgian selection, a good deal of craft brew 6 packs, and of course, a damn fine selection of wine as well. The staff is courteous and helpful, and offered some suggestions as I was walking from one bomber shelf to another.

Price is reasonable for the area - certainly some of the harder to get stuff costs a bit more, but I'm willing to pay it. Between this place and Marty's, I could easily go bankrupt.
Aug 03, 2007
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Reviewed by BattleRoadBrewer from Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -13.8%
There are neighborhood beer shops who dependably let you down.
There are shops which at least make an effort to carry a selection.
And there the 'go to' supershops with big selections, and discounts.

This place fits right into the middle category. So I'm scoring them for that category. They'd blow away the typical neighborhood store who can be expected to have all the different macro beers plus SA and maybe MH and Harpoon. But they're far short of the big stores out in the 'burbs.

They have a nice selection which is constantly growing. A row of Belgians. Plenty of American artisan beers. I went there looking for Leatherlips and found it. I was pleasantly surprised, and they are clearly growing, with some empty shelf space waiting for the next shipment & even more variety.

They do NOT discount beer, even though they DO discount wine. This amounts to a 5-25% surcharge compared to the stores that have discounts.

They do NOT break up 12 oz sixxers. Who wants six of one beer?

I was approached quickly by beer-knowlegeble staff eager to help.

Beers were clean, fresh, not dusty. "Quality" takes a hit because I need to dink them somewhere for the lack of discounts and lack of single 12s. If they break up six packs and apply their wine discount schedule to beer, then quality would jump to 4.5 or better.

I wish they were in my neighborhood! They will steer me away from the usual middle-category store I previously hit on a regular basis. But they won't keep me from driving out to Acton or Westboro for carriage-filling mega-shopping trips.
May 14, 2007
Photo of shaebs99
Reviewed by shaebs99 from New York

4.65/5  rDev +5.4%
I feel that my review is a little pointless because of all the other extremely positive reviews, but I feel I should give the wine gallery a little love.
Between the weekly beer tastings (recently have included Stone, Clipper City, DFH), the helpfulness of the employees (especially Kai), and the cleanliness of the store I would probably want to give a value above 5.0 for service.
The place is a bit out of the way for me, but I make my way here weekly for the tastings, selection and service.
The beer (not including 6 and 12 pks which are in coolers) is broken up into countries with very little if any dust on the bottles (which is saying something in comparison of my more local options). The selection is good enough that I have been staying within the country (mostly) and haven't exhausted my options yet. The selection includes a bunch of Rogue Ales, Stone, DFH (including Black & White, Pangea, as well as their IPA's) as well as more local breweries like Berkshire
The coolers are also well stocked with very little space dedicated to macros.
The service, like I said, is an A+. I have gotten into several conversations with the staff, espcecially at the beginning of my beer exploration (I am only 21 and do need help to navigate through the many beers available), but also with their new additions and seasonals. Prices are right in line with other stores in Boston/Brookline/Alston. However, the Wine Gallery is on top of their beers age as several beers may be on sale as they approach their freshness date (once again in stark contrast to some of the other Boston/Alston stores I frequent)
Visit on a thursday around 6pm and you will be able to enjoy a good tasting and a great store
Apr 29, 2007
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Reviewed by brewandbbq from New Hampshire

4.2/5  rDev -4.8%
Made the trek down from NH to obtain some De Dolle Still Nacht reserva after hunting it down via B.United and Craft brewers guild.
Easy to find via mapquest, with free 30 minute parking out back.
The store is uncluttered and all the shelves were faced, a good sign.
Selection is decent, a good cross-section of belgians, germans,english, and domestics. I think the selection could definately be expanded given the size of the store. Well stocked coolers also, and a couple of finds that I hadn't seen at other stores yet.
Prices were average for Mass, actually lower on most items than I anticipated for the area (Brookline). I would recommend they institute the same discount structure that Julio's goes by " 6 singles, any size=15% discount".
There were a few dusty strays that were on markdown, which I don't have a problem with. If the beer is old, give 'em a deal.
I was happy with the service..I guess? Spence, the guy I spoke to on the phone before heading down, held 2 of the Reservas for me until I got there- two thumbs up. I was dissapointed that they were "holding more out back for aging", and I could only get the two. One thumb down. I had left work early, drove down specifically for those beers, and sat in HELL traffic on the way back to NH afterwards. My choice, if I was to do again, I would have skipped the journey.
Spence and the other guy who rang me up were super nice and friendly, which counts for a lot nowadays.
Feb 22, 2007
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Reviewed by bjohnson from Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev -2.5%
First off, the Wine Gallery is one of the cleanest if not the cleanest store I've ever been in. It amazing how clean it is. It is also very, very well organized. It shows that this place takes pride in their stock and their store. When you walk into a place like this, you've already got a great feeling. About 6 coolers worth of top notch brew stocked by Kai located in the back left side of the store.

Well organized selection, by country. Almost all the really top notch local New England brews are in stock. Many of the "not from here" gems also. Alesmith, Moylans, Oskar Blues Gordon, Rogue, DFH, Sierra Bigfoot, Two Brothers, Founders, Stone, etc. They sometimes have great sale prices on brews, one of which was Moylan's for $2 and $3. Nice selection of German and Belgian beers also--could be a bit more extensive, but nonetheless, still good.

Tastings usually happen regularly at the Brookline location as well as the Kenmore location. Prices are right on par with where they should be. Kai, the beer manager, is very knowledgeable and always ready to offer advice if asked. A place you need to visit, if you have a car or not as it's accessible by train. Definitely worth it.
Feb 08, 2007
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Reviewed by snilsen13 from Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +13.4%
This is the nicest liquor store I've found in Boston. As I've been going there for nearly a year now, quite regularly, I've gotten to know the staff. They get know your face, tell you what's new, sample beer every Thursday (if you can get there around 6pm)... they'll even offer you options if you ask "Can you suggest a mildy hoppy beer with a super dry finish in a 6-pack." The place is spatious and parking is plentiful. There are 5 coolers devoted to beer and 4 multi-tier shelves devoted to beer. There is usually a pile of singles around that you can assemble into 6-packs, sometimes a particular brewery is featured (in the past Ottercreek, Brooklyn, Sams). I've also picked up Heavyweight Gruit in this way.

The prices are fair, beating out local competition, except TJs. However, beers occasionally go on sale when their distributers drop them (THANK YOU!). For a week I bought $1 bottles off HotD Fred... big head Fred. I tried to leave some for others but after 7 days I cleaned them out. Rapscallion just went FS and so has Anchor Steam, but it's probably gone now.

Selection includes seasonal brews, the best I've had was Paper City. You can get there super easily via the D line. Get off at Brooklin Hills, cross the bridge to the other side of the tracks and walk a block to Rt. 9 (Boylston), go right (don't cross) and it's a few stores down. You'll thank me.
Aug 24, 2006
Photo of OldSock
Reviewed by OldSock from District of Columbia

4.2/5  rDev -4.8%
Quality – Seems clean with a nice open feeling. Dust free in my experience with plenty of cooler space for the craft beers. I've never gotten a bad bottle there.

Service – Pretty standard, generally you get a “Can I help you find anything?” and at least one positive comment about a beer that you are getting. However, I've never had a long solid conversation with anyone who works there.

Selection – Lots of good stuff, In particular every time I go in they seem to have a couple of bottles that the stores in my metro-west rotation have not, last time I went in I picked up the new beers from Southern Tier. They have a nice mix of locals, regionals and imports, but most likely nothing that will make your head explode if you regularly visit other stores around the state.

I often stop in when I visit The Publick House as it is pretty close by.
May 15, 2006
Photo of bignick
Reviewed by bignick from Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +5.4%
This is the best liquor store for beer on the Western outskirts of Boston including the areas of Allston, Brighton, Brookline, Watertown, etc. The selection is pretty extensive. I wish there were more cooler space for six-packs, but there are many rows of warm beer. The focus is clearly on quality; unlike many of the other liquor stores in the area, they do not have a great quantity of students buying 30s, so they can utilize their space for craft beer. The layout of the store makes it just a pleasure shop here. It does not feel cramped at all. I highly recommend this store.

Edit:
Ask for Kai, the beer manager. He knows his stuff and very helpful.
Mar 01, 2006
Photo of Prufrock
Reviewed by Prufrock from Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +5.4%
Visited March '06.

For those that haven't been in a while, you need to check it out again. Expansion of the beer selection is now complete. Selection, which was very good before, is now great; some examples: Thomas Hooker (barleywine, imperial porter, doppelbock), Bear Republic, Cisco, Nantucket, tons of Belgians (Delirium, Rochefort, De Dolle, Het Anker, et al.), Peche Mortel (although there was only one on the shelf), Sinebrychoff, Aventinus, and tons of others.

Regular tastings (I think beer is usually on Thursdays), great service and recommendations.

Only complaint is that prices are slightly higher than what you'd find a little further outside of Boston, but I guess that's the price of convenience.
Jan 09, 2006
Photo of Lnedrive14
Reviewed by Lnedrive14 from Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev -2.5%
A pretty good place to find some great brew. A lot of Belgians (including a bottle of scaldis prestige for like $40). A nice selection of British and German beers as well. The American micro selection was interesting. A lot of bear republic and great divide. A lot of stone. And even some AleSmith (although the guy told me that is probably a one-time offering). The day before I went here I spent about $80 over at Bauer Wines so I was broke and only able to afford a bottle of Liberator, which Bauer had sold out of.

Prices seem pretty good and as people have said, the store is really nice. Spend some time talking to the beer guy, Mark. He's quite helpful. Also, ask him what's he has in stock in the back (that's how I got the Liberator). I hear he has some Decadence hiding back there.

They do have tastings almost every thursday, and if their annual grand event is any judge, the tastings are probably pretty good. Check out their website to see when the events will be going on.

All in all, a great store, and definitely one my top few places to buy alcohol in Boston. So take the time to make the trip out to Brookline Hills - it'll be worth it.

N.B. - I havent been to the Kenmore store, which I hear is much smaller, but Mark told me that they do tend to carry different stuff in each store, so it might be worth it to check out both places.
Oct 23, 2005
Photo of rousee
Reviewed by rousee from Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +0.9%
Too bad this place is off the beaten path because it is a beautiful store. Its as clean as can be and they do have a very nice selection of beers. They also use the BA shelftalkers which is cool.

I recently got some cave-aged Ommegang there. I havent been able to find that beer since May. They also have plenty of Allagash Curieux and Odyssey left. Some people had been looking for that too. I was also told by their beerguy Duncan2112 that if they have something that you want and you cant get out to route 9 in Brookline, they could send it to their Kenmore square store and you could pick it up there. I say very cool and what a great store.
Sep 07, 2005
Photo of Todd
Reviewed by Todd from Finland

4.44/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
For a place that focuses mostly on wine and spirits, it rocks. The beer selection is quite diverse, covering a wide-range of styles from breweries around the world + a lot of the "what's hot" beers. Quite a few Belgians and local/regional craft brews. Could use a bit more work to flush out the "why bother" selections, like most places, but what they do have will not disappoint - the selection is thoughtful and presented nicely. Prices seemed fairly reasonable. Service was very attentive and highly professional.

The tasting room is the bomb! It's a small side-room, that's open-ended towards the store and has a large table and kitchen complete with glassware for tasting beer, wine or spirits. This would definitely be my local if I lived in the area, and I can only imagine that they are going to continue to grow their beer offerings.

Tastings most Thursdays ... check 'em out. Green Line - D train - Brookline Hills stop.
May 18, 2005
Photo of danadeny
Reviewed by danadeny from Colorado

4/5  rDev -9.3%
I decided to check this place out and also check out Off Shore Ale that was doing a tasting, so I got to kill 2 birds with one stone. Pleasantly surprised by the selection, they seem to cater to the usual macros, as well a few well-known micros. Their selection of higher end, new to this area, and limited release stuff is great, and I was told by the beer buyer that he was going to be given more shelf space to expand the selection. There is a small amount of parking behind the building. The tasting area is cool, instead of the tasting being done between cases of beer, there is a room for tasting with a big wooden counter top area. The atmosphere of the whole place is clean and bright.
Jan 14, 2005
Photo of Jacobier10
Reviewed by Jacobier10 from New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +3.2%
I just got back from an Ommegang tasting at the Wine Gallery in Brookline, MA. All 5 styles (Ommegang, Witte, 3 Philosophers, Hennepin, and Rare Vos) were all available for tasting. They also had Duvel available for tasting as well which I was very surprised (and pleased!) to experience. 750 ml bottles were available to purchase and you got to take home 1 free glass per bottle purchased. I walked out with a bottle of Hennepin,a bottle of Ommegang, a Duvel tulip glass, and an Ommegang goblet, all for $10! If you're in the area I highly suggest going to these beer tastings. The pourers were friendly and very knowledgeable. The Wine Gallery also offers a wide selection of craft brews for great prices considering it is in very close proximity to the city. I'm glad I finally decided to go check out this place. Highly recommended!
Dec 03, 2004
Photo of JSHenryChinaski
Reviewed by JSHenryChinaski from Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +3.2%
The Wine Gallery is a very clean store. They offer a small cheese selection, an adequate space for beer, but a large focus is on the wine. The Wine Gallery has an outstanding wine tasting room, that also holds beer tastings. Thursdays starting in August, beer tastings will be held almost weekly. Including Victory Brewing and the Smuttynose Brewery.

The service is friendly, well manored and growing in knowledge. The staff are also big fans of B.A., local beer bars, and post upcoming events for both.

The Wine Gallery has been slowly growing it's beer selection. They added, Schlenkerla smoked wiezen, Baladin Nora, J.W. Lees Harvest vintage 97', 99', 00', westmall double and triple, dogfish 120 min., with more to come soon. Many of the products offer the proper glass wear free with a quantity purchase.

The wine Gallery, located on busy route nine is easy to drive past, but definitely worth looking for.
Jul 10, 2004
Photo of dannyvee
Reviewed by dannyvee from Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
This place is in a kind of tough location-- as you're heading out of Boston on Route 9 it is just past Cypress St on the right hand side. There is a small parking lot in the back, but it's easy to miss the enterance as this is a very busy road and the traffic is really moving.

A local wine rep. friend of mine tipped me off to this brand new (opened mid-February) liquor store and told me that it had an amazing beer selection. I can see why he, a wine guy, said that. Wine Gallery is a large, bright (it even has skylights!) and spacious room with the beer section inhabiting a little less than a quarter of the floor space. There are about twelve reach-in doors for 6-packs and several bulky shelving units for the bomber/ 750 bottles. Approaching the beer corner I was excited— the first thing I saw was an end display with pretty much all varieties of the Samuel Smith imperial pint bottles- what treasures would I find on the plentiful shelves…
I’m disappointed to say, not really any. Don’t get me wrong, they did have some amazing beer, just nothing that you can’t find elsewhere in the area.
Belgians: Duvel, the 3 Chimays, many Lindeman’s, both Corsendonks, Stella.
Belgian-style: Three Allagash, three Ommegangs, Maudite, Trois Pistoles, Fin du Monde, Blanche de Chambly.
German: Few Ayinger, few Schneider
English: The afore-mentioned Samuel Smiths, several Fullers, Youngs.
American: Two Cisco, 3 Heavyweights, 5 Magic Hat, a couple Harpoon, a couple Ipswich, one or two Tremont, two each Sierra Nevada and Anchor, the 4 tamest Dogfish Heads, just two Stones…

You see? Great stuff, but no risks. While store cleanliness, quality and attentive staff (WG has these in spades) are important, it’s the thrill of finding things I haven’t seen before which will keep me coming back. Pricing counts, too, and even with its upscale feel they aren’t any higher than competitors in the area.

Now, here’s the part that I thought was interesting and why I think that my beer allowance might have a future at The Wine Gallery: On the cooler door in front of the Harpoon six-packs there was a printed-out page from the B.A. events section about the Harpoon beer dinner happening that night at Anam Cara. So they’ve been here, they know what we’re about and they seem to have an interest in the local scene. I have faith that once they get the opening wrinkles worked out they’ll start bringing in more specialty, seasonal and hard-to-find brews. And being right on the path from my house to Anam Cara, I’ll have plenty of opportunities to check back and see if they’ve begun branching out…

So, definitely check out Wine Gallery when you know what you want and it's not too exotic. Maybe it'd be a good idea to let them know that you were hoping to find some treasures there...
Mar 22, 2004
Wine Gallery in Brookline, MA
Place rating: 4.41 out of 5 with 32 ratings