Empire State Cellars

Stop what you’re doing. Stop reading this. You need to get in your car (find a Zip Car if need be) and get your ass to this store. Its worth the trip. As you’ve no doubt seen already, this is a store that carries all NY wines, beers, spirits, and cheeses. This is the I Love NY store, at least I Love Liquid NY. Better yet, this store is situated right at the end of the LIE, right where many wine and beer trips begin. I’m not saying you should forego your tasting adventure in favor of the store, but you should make this a part of the day.
If you look at the store’s website you’ll see what they generally have to offer. There’s no need for me to go on about the variety they have, but let’s just say they have A LOT to offer, and it’s all organized beautifully. They also have a tasting bar, so be sure to leave time for wine, beer, and spirits tasting!
I’ve found that their Facebook page is where they really shine though — it is constantly updated with new offerings, interesting articles, and a healthy dose of their best asset — their people. The people that work there are awesome. I can’t think of any other way to put it. Everyone there is helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly, and NEVER pushy. Everyone I’ve met there has gone out of their way to make sure I’ve had a positive experience, and every one of my experiences in this store has been positive.
I only wish they would open a sister store, say in Queens. Stil, I always make it a point to visit the store when making a trip out east.

ESC is closed or closing? Right during a heavy wine shopping period? How could this happen? This sucks. A real loss if true and their website is down.

Just heard that ESC is closing it’s doors at the end of next month. So disappointing.

Empire State Cellars is an absolute pleasure to visit in the Tanger Outlet mall.
Why do you ask? (Never question my knowledge skippy)
Because they take the best local wines from the Long Island vineyards, and sell them at one nifty location. Not only are there local wines, they also sell whiskeys, ryes, craft beers as well as New York Finger lake wines.
In the back are different tasting; red flights, white flights and sandwiches all for a small price. I didn’t see any popcorn when I was here?!
I also like to grab a small bottle of Brooklyn Vodka and other assorted small bottles (They aren’t free)
Its nice to visit the vineyards and sample local wines. Empire State Cellars just made it easier for everyone with the best of the best wines in one store.
Thank you Empire Stare Cellars

I visited the Tanger outlet back in April. I came to this store with my husband and we each had our own coupon book. We each used a coupon and we were made to feel like we were doing something wrong. I figured maybe they were in a bad mood.
A few weeks ago we visited there for the second time. The woman who was at the register said she would let us use them this time. She explained that people take advantage. If we were two girlfriends buying, each using a coupon, would she have done the same thing? As a husband and wife, do we have to go in separately? There is a sign behind the counter, «one coupon, per customer, per day.» They should not be included in the discount booklet. Rude service! I don’t appreciate being reprimanded.
They had the last last laugh. We bought a bad bottle of wine (not necessarily their fault) that we had to pour out.

Great location for a wine tasting place! The bartender told me they’ve been there for two years but I must have just passed by without noticing it.
While a significant other is shopping, one could walk in here and taste many different types of alcoholic beverages for a reasonable price. What more could a guy ask for? =).

This is a great edition to the Tanger outlets. A great selection of NY wines including LI and Finger Lakes regions. They also have a wonderful variety of NY beer. The store is set up nicely with a tasting bar in the back and seating throughout. Prices are decent and from the looks of it they have scheduled events on a regular basis. I even noticed bags of popcorn from Populence which I’ve spotted at Smorgasburg (
).
Next time you are at the outlets searching for deals be sure to pay Empire a visit and try out some NY made drinks.

Whats great about Empire State Cellars is that it is located at the outlets and it serves as a nice little break between shopping at retail stores. They have a wide variety of wines and beers all from new york and alot from the hudson valley.
This was the second time we had come here and for 5 dollars a person you can do the wine tasting and try 3 different wines. I tried the cider which was delish and the sparkling rose as well as the riesling. My favorite was definitely the cider. For a few bucks extra you can get a whole glass of one of the ones you tried. I also like that they give you some popcorn and make it a fun little tasting experience.

My wine palate’s home away from home! My all-​in-​one New York State Wine haven! Tasting bar in back, & the most extensive collection EVER of NYS wines to purchase all wrapped up in one place. Don’t let the Tanger Outlet location deter you — it’s a great stop either while shopping, or on your way out to the North Fork wineries.
I love that I can taste wine’s other than Long Island wines without having to travel upstate (yeah, that includes the Hudson Valley. Such an Islander’s point of view!) As much as I love traveling upstate, it is not always feasible in terms of scheduling & finances, & certainly the distance does not mesh when I’m just looking for a wine to pick up for dinner. Amazingly, some people on the Island don’t even KNOW Long Island produces wine, let alone some GREAT wine; lord only knows what they think about wine from New York areas further west. This place gives them a great opportunity to taste what it’s all about & purchase some treats to take home, all in one place.
& Long Island wines? Aw yeah. I am very (overly?) familiar with the bounty Long Island has to offer when it comes to vino. I only have 3 wineries left to visit, I worked in the industry, & have been a loud & proud LI wine groupie for 15+ years. Still, this is a great place to reacquaint myself self with old bottled friends & try out new vintages without having to make several day-​long trips out East (I do the latter when I can, trust me, but it’s not always an option).
& the staff. I’d love to tease the heck out of them, but truth is they are friendly & knowledgeable, & service is always nice & prompt. They can hold their own with hardcore oenophiles, while at the same time providing great recommendations & knowledge to those who only know 1 or 2 varietals, & aren’t sure yethow to express what they’re looking for in a wine.
One of my favorite features here is their Wine Makers Series! Nothing like hearing people passionate about their craft discuss their wines, and explain them and where their inspiration comes from. Plus they take questions from the people attending, which is a great plus.
Oh, and PS — for those who aren’t much for wine, they have a rockin selection of NYS Craft beer & a great variety of NYS spirits. My personal fav among the latter? Dorothy Parker Gin. The quality lives up to its name.

I really like the concept here: everything sold in this store is from New York! Nice selection of wine and spirits even beer! It is a hidden gem amongst the humdrum of Tanger 1. You can do a tasting there and try 3 for a price… if you check in there is a sweet deal! This is an awesome place for husbands to chill while the wives are shopping! Overall well kept and clean with the super cool local thing going on, YAY NY!

Stopped in to Empire State Cellars in Tanger Outlet thanks to Gaurav P’s high recommendations. We made a b-​line down to the tasting bar in the back for a chance to sample their New York wines, spirits and draft beer. A Unilocal Check-​in takes $ 2 off of $ 5 for 3 samples of draft beer– Fire Island Frozen Tail Ale, a Captain Lawrence Brewing Company Imperial IPA and a Brooklyn Lager. Draught samples were about 3 ounces each. Spirit samples (up to 3) are complimentary (approx ¹⁄₅ ounce each). My husband is a gin fanatic and got to try out a number of New York small batch gins. The tasting staff really know their stuff! You will be impressed by the breadth of their information. Will definitely be back to pick up more Gin and microbrew. What a great place in such an unusual location.

Empire State Cellars (ESC) which by the way, shouldn’t be confused with that key on the top left of your keyboard, was probably the best experience I’ve had in a wine store in a really long time. I’ve heard about ESC from several friends over time but didn’t make my appearance until Friday for the first time. I’m really not sure what I’ve been waiting for all of this time?! Here’s how it went down:
Store:
+ The wine store is focused on ALL THINGS NEW YORK! From beer to wine, they have it all… what a selection! It’s organized by whites in the front left to reds in the back left with spirits in the middle (of the left wall). In the middle of the store, they feature beers from different breweries and in the back they feature a very large tasting bar with several different flights that you can choose from. An added bonus is the couch area so you can be quite comfortable while you taste your wine! They even have WIFI! :)
Service:
+ I had the pleasure of tasting my wines with Larrin who has worked at several wineries on the NoFo of Long Island along with several restaurants as well. She really knows her wines and beers, not to mention pairings with food. I highly recommend you go there when she’s there to taste wine with her… she’s freakin’ awesome!!! I could’ve talked to her for HOURS about food and wine…
Fermented Grape Juice:
+ I had the flight called the «New York Wine Trail» and it consisted of
* Schneider ’06 Rose of Sparkling Syrah $ 19.95 a bottle. It was «Good» and not overly dry or sweet
* Thirsty Owl ’11 Pinot Gris. $ 16.99 a bottle. It had a dry lychee nut kinda’ finish.
* Hermann J. Weiner ’09. $ 16.99 a bottle. It was semi-​dry but semi-​sweet at the same time. Odd yes I know, it just kinda worked that way
* 2011 Bouquet Rose. $ 15.99 a bottle. Strawberry notes and was «off-​dry»
* Doc’s Draft. Framboise hard apple cider. It was really good! With Fall upon us, this just reminded me of how much I love apple cider and how damn good this is.
* 2008 Coffee Pot Cellars Meritage. I love big reds and this blend was damn good. It had a warm white pepper finish and it was Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, Cab Sauv and Merlot. This was my favorite wine of the flight
* Freedom Run Meritage 2010. It was dry, very spicy and quite oakey… not my fave.
* Sherwood Manor 2006. Merlot, Cab Sauv and Petit Verdot. It was good, middle of the road, smooth but had a very quick ending/​finish and didn’t linger.
Other:
+ They have really fun names for the wine tasting flights!
+ They’re open late most days so you can taste wine whenever you want!
+ It’s conveniently located next to the food court in Tanger 1
+ There’s plenty of parking since you use the Tanger parking lot
+ The store is GIGANTIC as far as wine stores go for Long Island
+ If you’re lucky, you may be able to catch a winemaker from an upstate or Long Island winery talking to the ESC folks! Eavesdrop in the conversation and you could learn a few things like I did!
So here’s my take… if you love and/​or don’t know anything about all things New York when it comes to wine and beer, I’d highly recommend visiting the ESC and you’ll be hooked on NY!
THIS has been a review by Gaurav

If you are at Tanger Outlets in Riverhead — GO! Let everyone shop and you can get schnockered!!! Haha — not sure if that is a word! The staff is great in there and the tasting bar is causal and nice. It has a casual sitting area as well, and if you have a larger group and fantastic wooden table that is gorgeous.
The wine selection is obviously from NYS and I have discovered some «nice finds» in there. They now even offer NYS beers which is also very cool. Well worth the trip and certainly as part of your shopping trip. Plan to get about 4 bottles and you will be happy.