Wine tours in NYC
Last updated on February 10th, 2026.
New York City is like a good bottle of wine.
Rich, full bodied and full of surprises, it’s intoxicating and leaves you wanting more. So, when City Wine Tours NYC* invited me along to an afternoon event, how could I say no?
The chance to join one of the top wine tours in New York was a delicious prospect. it also happened to be one of my USA bucket list items.
The best wine tour in NYC
City Wine Tours NYC offer 3 types of tours: The Upper West Side, West Village and SoHo. Each tour takes you around local places in the area. For the SoHo tour, we explored the wine — and foodie — scene in the vicinity.
SoHo neighborhood of New York
Just a quick note about the SoHo area in New York City. You can find the neighborhood in lower Manhattan, and its name refers to the area ‘south of Houston Street’. Its east and west boundaries are constantly in dispute, so I won’t attempt to offer one.
The main thing you need to know is that SoHo is the place for shopping.
From upscale stores to independent boutique and chain brands, it’s all here. The loft style spaces were once popular with artists in the city. Now, it’s a shopper’s dream.
Tucked in between the many shops in SoHo are equally excellent bars and restaurants. On the City Wine Tours NYC, your expert tour guide takes you to some of the best in the local area.
Galli
Nb: Galli is now permanently closed.
The meeting point for the start of the tour was Galli. It’s an Italian-style restaurant that serves up mouthwatering Italian comfort food and plenty of great wines.
Our guide, Amy, was there to greet us, and the other people joining the tour. Group sizes are intimate (8 to 12 people), and a perfect number to be able to listen and ask questions.
Amy’s background is in advertising and marketing, but her passion for wine is evident. After doing a quick introduction around the table, it was time to start tasting some wine.
Best wine tours in New York — 6 wines we tasted
1. Desiderio Jeio Prosecco
The first wine we tasted was a crisp and cold glass of Desiderio Jeio Prosecco. It’s a blend of 90% prosecco, 6% Pinot Bianco, and 4% Perdiso, made from grapes from the Valdobbiadene area.
Living in northern Italy, you’d think I’d be tired of drinking prosecco but you'd be wrong. Instead, I find it hard to say no to a glass of (good) prosecco and never need an occasion for a glass.
While we were doing the tasting, Amy did an excellent job talking about the wine. She explained the difference between prosecco, cava and champagne and debunked a few myths too.
2. L’Umami Pinot Noir of Oregon, Willamette Valley 2016
If you’ve never tried a wine from Oregon, (US) you need to add this one to the list. Like most people, I’ve only tasted Californian wines and know little else of wines from other American states.
L’Umami Pinot Noir of Oregon takes its name from where they source the grapes. The vineyards are surrounded by wild edible mushrooms, which provide a slight umami taste. It’s fresh, clean and an easy light-bodied red to drink.
By this point, they brought out several dishes, so we could understand how to pair certain flavors and wine. We dined on tasty bruschetta with tomatoes, mozzarella and parsley, and mini arancini (deep fried rice balls).
Map: New York City
3. Citto Toscana, Volpaia
For the third, and last wine at Galli, we enjoyed a fruity glass of Citto. It’s made from organic Sangiovese grapes sourced from the glorious Tuscan countryside in Italy.
It’s smooth, rich ruby red in color and a robust pairing with meat and pasta dishes.
Spring Natural
Leaving Galli, we made a short walk through SoHo to the second place on the tour. The clue to the type of food they serve at Spring Natural is in the name.
A family-run restaurant, this establishment’s been dishing up healthy, tasty and natural food since 1973.
4. Henry Varnay Blanc de Blanc
Similar to Galli, we began the tasting with a sparkling white wine. Henry Varnay Blanc de Blanc comes from the gorgeous Loire Valley in France.
It’s pale yellow in color, with a crisp and light taste that’s perfect for a hot NYC summer’s day. The wine is made from 100% Ugni Blanc, a grape variety that’s the most planted in France.
5. Jelu Malbec 2013
I was happy to see a Malbec on the tasting, as it’s one of my favorite ‘go-to’ red wines. Intense and dark in color, this medium-bodied red comes from the Jelu Estate in Argentina.
Made primarily from the Malbec grape variety, it takes a while for the flavor to really open up. However, once it does, it’s an enjoyable wine to drink, and went well with the food at Spring Natural.
We feasted on the Spring Natural Guacamole Trio and yummy chickpea and fava bean fritters. It was a full platter piled high with guacamole, pico de gallo, black bean dip and tri-color tortilla chips.
The bean fritters were equally a good accompaniment with the wine selection.
6. Pinot Blanc, Hugel 2015
The last wine on the tour was the Pinot Blanc 2015 from Hugel. A refreshing, all-purpose dry white wine, it comes from the Alsace region of France. The scent is light, refreshing, and there’s a hint of aniseed and fennel.
It’s packaged in a Germanic-shaped bottle, and works well as an aperitif, and goes well with a seafood/fish main course.
Wine tours in New York — tips before booking
- Make sure to arrive 10 minutes before the start of the tour. You’ll receive a reminder email of all the details beforehand.
- Wear comfortable shoes. This may sound obvious, but there’s a bit of walking, and you can also better enjoy the wine and food!
- Total time of tour: 2 hours.
Tips from City Wine Tours NYC
- ‘Wine is subjective. We perceive wine differently. Talk is just talk.’
- ‘Lines on the glass are residual sugar, it has nothing to do with quality.’
- On how to taste wine: ‘See, swirl, smell, sip’.
- ‘When you open sparkling wine, it can be dangerous, because of the pressure in the bottle. Hold the bottle at a 45° angle and keep your thumb over the cork. Slowly pull it off.’
- ‘Flute glass holds the bubbles; but many say you can drink it in a white wine glass.’
Overall, we had a thoroughly good time on the City Wines NYC SoHo tour. We tried some new wines, met some lovely new people and learned something new. It’s an enjoyable afternoon, and I’m keen on trying another one when we return to NYC.
Looking for a boutique hotel in New York? Both The Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca and The Crosby Hotel are central and elegant choices.
Would you like to join one of these wine tours in New York? Let me know in the comments below.
*Please note that since the publication of this post, City Wine Tours NYC is no longer in operation.
Disclosure: Although I was invited by City Wine Tours NYC, all my views are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I’ve recommended. Thank you for your support.
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I am dying to get away for a kid-free girl's weekend. This looks like just what we need. I'd follow your lead with the SoHo tour, for sure. It's funny, I never really thought of NYC as a wine destination.
This is a perfect girls weekend idea! I think because NYC is so international, there's plenty of good wines imported there 🙂
I’m so glad i came across this!!! I have always wanted to go a wine tour in NYC this will be my go to source! Thanks for sharing
Perfect! I hope you enjoy it.
I love me a good wine tour. I never thought of New York as a wine tour destination but I guess the city has at all!
It does!
Wow, I never knew they had a wine tour in NYC, Though I don’t drink, but I would definitely recommend this to my friends. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge
That's great to know, I'm sure they'll enjoy it.
Love how you integrated a wide image to make the post feel more native. Interesting for when one does not want to go out to Long Island!
Thank you! Yes, it's a good alternate option!
I went to New York for the first time last year and loved it. We didn't have much time but next time I'll be sure to check out this wine tour!
You must, we had such a fun time!
Nice way to spend an afternoon in New York, especially if you are returning to the city often. The part of the tour in Soho looks great
It really is! And with some nice people too 🙂
Heh. I would visit the vineyard... 4 years ago. I don't drink alcohol and suddenly vine is not something I am interested in.
I understand! The vineyards are beautiful too.
We love a good old wine tour on our travels (or visiting a vineyard) which we have done on nearly all of our visits of late. We planning to hit up NYC soon so hopefully we can get this tour in as well. Good job we found this post. Was going to go there without a wine tour involved! 😛
Lucky you read it in time! It's a good 2 hours and you get to explore a part of the city you may not be familiar with.
Such a great read about the NYC City Wine Tour. I haven't been to the United States yet but it's definitely a cool idea to go for wine tasting here. It would be great to try different types of wine. Also, bruschetta with tomatoes, mozzarella and parsley sound really yummy.
The bruschetta is a perfect accompaniment to the wine, and it went really quickly!
I would never have imagined doing a wine tasting tour in NYC actually so this is good guide that shows there are options! SoHo is such a great area even to just to roam about and explore and doing a wine tasting tour in SoHo is a fantastic idea. What I love the most about your tour is that it starts with Italian wine and food, moves on to wine from Oregon, France and Argentina, some of the best regions that produce wines. Such a wholesome experience paired with great food too.
It really is a well thought out wine tour! And I love the SoHo area, so it was a real bonus!
Totally agree with that quote Lisa, "‘Wine is subjective. We perceive wine differently. Talk is just talk.’" I am not a massive wine drinker myself, and the ones that I do like are usually the cheap ones that proper wine connoisseurs turn their noses up at LOL! x
Haha, love it! Well, we like what we like, and this wine tour was definitely not snobby, just nice and relaxed!
I would never have thought of NY as a wine tasting type of place but this looks amazing! Definitely on the "one day when we make it to the US" list!
Great to know! We loved it, and it's not too long so you can still do other things after
I love a good wine tasting tour, and trying new stuff is a lot of fun for me. I'll consider doing this for my next NYC trip! Your detailed descriptions of the wine are great - they all sound yummy!
They were! Though my favourite is still the prosecco; it was very good 😀
If i have a chance to visit New York City, I will never pass to book a wine tour and even a simple wine tasting experience. It will be a good chance to try the best wines in NYC and meet new people. Learning from the PRO is awesome.
It really is! And you must visit even once; it's a fantastic city.
Sounds like a great tour. I am not a big-time wine drinker but I am always ready to try new things. With so much of variety in food and a great knowledge sharing opportunity I will surely try this one.
That's great to read! I really enjoyed it, so know others will too.
Wine tours! I can definitely get down with that. I am from near Napa Valley so I love all things wine and will definitely looking this up next time I'm in NY. Also really love your perspective on wine being subjective.
That's so lucky, I didn't get to the Napa Valley when I was on the west coast, but will next time!
I think I learned more about wine on this post than ever.... I always thought the lines on the glass determine the quality of the wine, and not from residual sugar. Learned something new today!
Great read, Lisa!
I'm so happy to read that, thank you! I'm no expert, just a drinker (!) but really did learn a lot myself.
This must be a perfect tour for a girls trip. I have been on a wine tour once, in Australia. It would be cool to try it out in NYC. I love Malbec wine and would look out for that. Would be amazing to taste different ones. Thank you so much for sharing. Hope I can do that wine trip once.
I do too! It's a lovely way to spend an afternoon, especially if you enjoy wine. The Malbec was wonderful too.
A wine tour in NY; I would've never thought about that! I enjoy food and drink tours and this tour sounds like fun. Having said that, I drink wine occasionally, so if there is a beer or gin tour, I would happily join in 🙂
I'm so sure there are beer and gin tours too! I'm more a wine person, so this was so much for us.
Everyone knows about the Finger Lakes wineries and tours, but it's never occurred to me to do a wine tour in NYC. Thanks for sharing this fun idea! I have a feeling this will catch on with the bachelorette party crowd, since so many people are looking for something a little more sophisticated than more typical activities.
Haha, yes, I can see groups of ladies signing up to this one! Would love to visit Finger Lakes one day, maybe the next time I return to the US!
I and my partner are totally wine drinker. As in we love wines! Every time we travel together, we always spot the best wine shop in town! We haven't been to New York together but I'm 100% sure will do this wine tour. Ahh, good to know! Sometimes tho, I pretend that I know everything about wine, haha! Love to be part of this! What's the best-recommended wine herE? Like the tips they say as well! That's really a fun fact!
Thank you! If you love wine, you'll both really love this tour. It was so much fun, and a good laugh too!
I'm not very good with distinguishing the best tasting wines so a wine tour would probably help practice my senses. I'll consider a wine tour should I have the chance to go back to NYC. Cheers!
I hope you do, it's a good one!
I'm planning a trip to NY next May and I would love to do this wine tour. Is a food tasting included in the wine tour, or is it just wine?
There's food included too; not a main meal, but enough appetisers to satisfy everyone.
This looks like a fun and educational tour. I like a glass of wine, but I have never learned the intricacies involved with wine making or wine tasting. What a fun way to explore the SoHo area!
I'm definitely more a drinker than an expert, and loved it!
Very interesting wine tour. I wouldn't have thought that there would be a wine tour in the city of New York. I would definitely be interested in trying this tour out! Definitely adding this to any upcoming NYC itineraries I might plan. I also really like Malbec wines!
Me too! It's not the first tour that may come to mind, but it's a 2 hours well spent.
That looks like fun! We’ve done beer and food tours before, but never wine. Always something new to do in NYC!
There is! And this one is very good 🙂
This is fabulous idea, we are not connoisseurs by any stretch but perhaps this is the point. Will be adding this to the list for our upcoming trip next year... sooo excited. Thanks for the insight!
Perfect! I'm no expert either but no one on the tour was, and we had an excellent time 😀
These tours sound superb! I’ve visited many wineries, but I’ve never taken a wine tour. Malbec is one of my favorite reds too! I’ll definitely be looking into this the next time I got to NYC
Malbec is one of my favourites too! It's a fun tour and only 2 hours of the day
I love your review of this wine tour. Judging from your descriptions, it sounds like you know quite a bit about wine! I know very little but I still thoroughly enjoy a wine tasting. I've spent a lot of time in New York but never thought about doing a wine tour there. I will definitely keep this in mind for next time!
Perfect! I do enjoy a good glass of wine, though I wouldn't say I'm an expert 🙂
I don't know what I'm more excited about - the food or the fabulous wines. Two hours of bliss! I'll be remembering 'see, swirl, smell, sip'.
It's a good tip! I usually just relax and enjoy the flavours 🙂
I'd never really thought about New York as a place to do a wine tour, but I'll definitely keep this in mind for next time I'm there. Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome, hope you make it!
I wish i was more of a wine drinker!! But my friends love it so this would be a great girls trhing to do- I would just eat the delicious food!! ha
That's ok, you can eat and they can drink! It's a perfect girls' day out; there were at least 2 groups of ladies on the tour
I am an occasional wine drinker but this tour looks like a great experience to explore the food and wine of the region. I would love to go on such a tour. The grapevines look so tempting and beautiful.
It's an informed yet fun tour, and I'd do it again in another part of the city next time!
I am totally in love with this idea of a wine tour. While there are no wineries in New York City (duhhh it's a city!), I love that you can still do a tour around the city exploring wines and even interesting foodie experiences. The Henry Varnay Blanc de Blanc sparkling white wine sounds divine and I would love to try it...especially on a hot NYC day!
It's a great choice! I did prefer the prosecco, just because I drink it a lot, and this was a great one, and new to me too
Oh Lisa, this seems like an interesting and funny thing to do in NY.
I've never heard about it 🙂
Now you know about it!
As an Italian who loves wine, I'm always a bit picky when it comes to choosing a win tour, especially when there are so many on the market and it becomes difficult to find a good one. However, I must say that this event organized by City Wine Tours NYC sounds great and I'm happy to see a good Italian wine on the menu and Italian snack to accompany the session! I will take note 🙂
Yes, we were very happy to see some great Italian choices on the tour! It's picky being European too; but I have to say, City Wine Tours NYC did a good job.
I do not take much wine but your post tempts me to go for beautiful wine tours in NYC. I was not knowing much rules about wine, like tilting the bottle at 45 degrees and drink after swirling it. Thanks for sharing general tips and I would surely book for City wine tours. Those Bruschetta are looking delicious.
They were! And even as a wine drinker, I still learned some things too 🙂
I've never been on a walking wine tour. This one sounds perfect as the group size is intimate. I don't like large tours, so this would be perfect for me. Good tip about wearing comfy shoes 🙂
I've done one in Portugal and loved it. So to try one in NYC was also a real treat!
I'm definitely not a wine-drinker, but would totally book a tour for the food! Everything you described sounded delicious, especially the mini arancini! Which place had the grapes hanging from the patio ceiling? That's so awesome and makes it look like you're sipping under the actual grapevines!
Lol I confess, that's from Italy! The food is wonderful, it's a shame you don't drink wine!
Sounds fantastic - but being from Europe and visiting France and Italy on a regular basis, I prefer rather 'American' activities and samples when in NYC ?
I understand! I'm European too and spend a lot of time in Italy. Still, it's nice to expand your wine portfolio!
I would never have thought about doing a wine tour, what a fabulous idea! I love food tours so a wine tours sounds great - although I don't really understand how a wine can have an umami flavour, maybe that's why I need to go on a tour to learn more about it!! 🙂
It was such an interesting wine! And honestly I couldn't taste much umami (maybe a good thing) but it was a very good wine.
OMG I love this guide! I live in NY and go to the wineries in LI all the time but definitely need to visit all the ones you have listed here!
Great! I hope you enjoy them 😀
What great timing, my partner and me are just planning a trip to New York. Never thought of doing a city wine tour before but sounds like fun and I love trying new wines!
Great! This is such a fun wine tour, and I hope you try it 😀
I think we would enjoy learning what makes each type of wine different from ice wine to prosecco. It would help us understand them more I think. The umami mushroom taste would be interesting. This seems like a great experience and they are very knowledgeable about the wines.
It was such an interesting wine, especially for a European who's only tried Californian wines 😀 I'd highly recommend it to other wine lovers visiting the city.
I'm not a great lover of wine but a tour like this would be interesting. Learning how to actually tell the difference and how it's made sounds really interesting.
It was so informative yet fun at the same time! 2 hours is a good length, and we didn't need to eat dinner after too.
I don't know why but I've honestly just never thought New York to be synonymous with wine tours. City Wine Tour NYC sounds like such a fab experience though - especially since I'm a huge wine lover and also hoping to revisit New York again in the fall. Thanks for introducing me to them and I'll be sure to wear comfy shoes!
I'm glad I've introduced you to the world of wine and NYC! There's a great scene there and with some of the best wines to sample 😀
Good to know all the details about the NYC City Wine Tour. I've never experienced such tour before so it seems to me much interesting to know all the details from the post.
You're welcome! It's a great way of finding your way around the city, and drink some good wines too
I'm really into wine, but - no offence - I don't think that I'd ever consider a wine tour in NYC. I have lived in in Italy, Moldova and Georgia which are all big wine countries (cheap wine too) , and so I've probably been a bit spoiled wine-wise.
Look, I totally understand; we spend a lot of time in Italy, and drink a lot of good wine. Not sure about Moldova, I think the taste is overrated myself!
I am not much of a wine drinker, I prefer whiskey. Having said that, if they are going to take me around so I can drink and eat, well I am all in. Sounds like fun.
Yes, that's really what the tour consists of! We really enjoyed the tour, and Amy was an excellent guide too.
What a fun concept... A city wine tour. We did one in Paris, which makes sense. But never thought of a wine tour in NYC. Of course, why not, with so much great food in the city and surrounding state it makes sense that the quaffing possibilities are limitless.
It was a lot of fun! Plus, it helps to navigate the city better, especially if you don't know your way around.
This is such a good idea! We are considering a month in NYC next year, we are not big wine officianados but that's kind of the point, terrific insight and educational experience... no fun at all?...he he.
It is! We had such a fun time, and learned about some new wines in the process too 😀