Harvard Wine Co

Jim is going high end! Seriously, pay another visit he now carries Hendrick’s for way less than anyone else (even NH) and is ordering Santa Margarita. If Jim doesn’t carry it, he will on your next visit!

I wasn’t going to complain about this place, except that I noticed that they had a big sticker on the counter «People on Unilocal love us! ⁴⁄₅ stars!» Really? Firstly, they don’t. Secondly they shouldn’t.
The guys there have always been decently friendly to me, when they look up from their TV, but the place is irritating because it stays in business only because of it’s location and the addictive nature of what it sell.
It is overpriced, and as of last time I was there, about a third of the bare metal shelves were empty because no one had bothered to re-​stock them. It is also clear that nobody is putting any love or thought into the wine collection, and therefore, as an only semi-​educated wine consumer, I always walk out with something overpriced and mediocre.
I really wish this place sucked less, because it is around the corner from my father-in-law’s house. So despite it’s suckiness, I probably end up back there again one day. Oh laziness…

Small but well stocked, Harvard Wine Co is always a solid choice for those who live in the area and want to quickly grab a bottle (or two) of wine, booze (from crappy well vodka to decent scotch) and even a six-​pack (or 18-​pack).
You’ll find mostly wine and booze here, with a smaller beer selection and pretty friendly employees. For the Harvard Square area, the prices are pretty reasonable and the selection runs the gamut from ‘impulse purchase’ to ‘investment.’

Um no.
I really want to like and patronize local business. And when I walked in I LOVED the vintage coolers and overall vibe. However, while browsing said coolers, a young man picked up a 30 rack of PBR and brought it to the counter, asking how much it was. $ 18. EIGHTEEN DOLLARS??? OK, so I know that we don’t live in the cheapest place, and they’re obviously capitalizing on taking advantage of dumb/​rich Harvard students, and I’m never going to find $ 10.99 30s of Natty light again outside of Syracuse. But still. $ 18 is completely absurd, and fortunately that guy made the smart decision and put the PBR back. And of course, the BF and I promptly exited as well and I’m fairly certain we won’t be back.
EDIT: I mentioned my Unilocal review to the boyfriend this past weekend and was corrected. The 30 rack was not $ 18, it was TWENTY-​THREE! (I WISH THERE WAS AN OPTION FOR BOLD TEXT HERE!!!) I have no idea how they can justify this, and how anyone can justify going here. I’m sorry, but that should be criminal. Do yourself a favor and burn off some of those beer calories by walking elsewhere.

Great selection of beers, good wines at every price point (sure some look a little dusty), and friendly staff. What more could you ask for? … wait for it… On a hot day, go inside the massive beer fridge to «look for a 6-​pack» and enjoy…

This place is a bit pricey, and has a limited beer selection, but the people there are so nice that you can’t help but leave with a smile. Reasonable wine choices and all your favorite liquors finish off the mix. I even went in there one time to ask for my favorite holiday mixed pack (from Saranac – amazing 12 pack with 12 DIFFERENT beers, all of which I like, especially the Caramel Porter, which must have something similar to crack in it, it’s so deliciously addictive, yet Saranac taunts me with its limited availability during the holiday season and only offers it up in this mixed pack so I have to buy a ton of mixed packs just to try to get my fill of the Caramel Porter, even though that can never really happen, the crack-​like ingredient and all) and although they didn’t have it, they said if I wanted, they would order it for me. How awesome is that? I love the small business neighborhood store (especially if they are supplying alcohol)!