The Urban Grape

Impromptu desire to try Trillium lead me to scavenge the Unilocalisphere. I searched, I called, I was losing faith. Then, lo! Behold! Urban Grape! I called and spoke with Kevin, who was very professional and gave me a resounding «Yes, we DO have Trillium!» He was almost as excited as I was.
I scurried down there, grabbed my desired beer and then set out to see what else they had. They are a smaller outfit, an entire wall of fancy wines (not my thing) and a decent, eclectic craft beer selection. Pretty Things, Idle Hands, Mystic, Stillwater, Foolproof… I was very content with what they had. Kevin came around the corner to welcome me to the shop and see if I needed any help/​suggestions. He was patient with me as I struggled to remember the name of a certain beer that ultimately they didn’t have. He offered to order it for me, gave me the contact card of their beer buyer — really great in a world of shoulder-​shrugging, grunting people. Most folks would say «nope, don’t got it» but he genuinely wanted to help me find it. Spoiler alert: it was a seasonal beer, durp.
At the counter, I met a very charming colleague of Kevin’s — Curtis. He made me laugh, offered me some coffee that he made and was just pleasant as all hell. So their selection isn’t hugely extensive, but it’s difficult to appease the Craft Beer Snobs (you know who you are). What they have is solid but it’s the warm service from these two gentlemen that will make me come back.

Great place! Though recently stopping in there has been less of a selection to try in their wine wall!
Great tasting events as well!
The staff turned over a bit, but the service continues to be great. Prices are fair for the area as well!

The staff who work here are not only incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about their booze, but are wicked helpful and friendly. I was able to find unique beers I really liked but would have never known about, and felt like the staff really cared about me being happy with my purchase, which even translates to setting up a profile with them so they can record preferences and recommend future options. Not to mention that they day I went, they were hosting a beer tasting combined with a Stephanie Cmar donut popup (YES). If you’re a local, Urban Grape should be your go-​to packie.

I’ve been a customer of Urban Grape for a few years now and really enjoy their beer offering, Urban Hops. So, this review is primarily regarding the beer portion of the business.
Urban Hops is one of my favorite beer stores in the Boston area. It is my go-​to place when I’m looking for something unique or that I haven’t tried before. I also check-​in regularly to find hard-​to-​find beers that are availably only in limited quantity. Urban Hops gets more than their fair share of these offerings so you can count on them for getting a bottle or two of the in-​demand seasonal releases.
This is not a huge store and they don’t carry everything. Their selection is curated and cultivated by Ben, the Beer Manager (who is incredibly knowledgeable and, through his regular blog posts and mailing list updates, keeps you apprised of the new and interesting offerings). The beer selection includes a few offerings from most of the top national american craft breweries that sell into Massachusetts, a healthy dose of local breweries’ beer, and a quality international selection. Ben keeps it fresh (literally and figuratively): you can always find something you haven’t tried before and you can trust that it hasn’t been sitting on the shelves for months. For craft beer lovers, this is a godsend.
Also, everything is available in singles, so it’s a nice place to grab a mixed six pack.
Prices are fair, but do reflect the non-​volume driven nature of this business.
I’m happy to be a customer and to highly recommend Urban Grape and, in particular, Urban Hops.

I love Urban Grape. TJ and Hadley, the owners, are great people and really know their wine. They are doing something a little different, by arranging wines by their weight (think lighter bodied reds like Chianti or light Pinot Noirs to heavy weights like cabernet sauvignons). So once you figure out what you like or want, you can just head to that section. If you don’t understand or know what you want, just ask. The staff is all super helpful and not wine-​snobs at all. They have a fun wines of the month club that they will even deliver to you. And my husband likes their scotches. We went in on the Fourth of July when they were slow and had a little private scotch tasting, which was a lot of fun.

Urban Grape is one of my regular stops for restocking my wine collection, and I always find the staff to be knowledgeable, unpretentious, and down-​to-​earth. My favorite partner, however, would have to be their high-​tech auto-​pour wine tasting wall. Stocked with about 8 whites and 8 reds, and organized from light body to full, you can simply just take yourself through a wine tasting as your leisure. This is in addition to any other wines they’re showcasing the old-​fashioned way on any given weekend. Love this place!

I love this place. The staff is excellent. I can always depend on them for a good recommendation with smiles. Love the brand; awesome atmosphere and cool logo.

I went to The Urban Grape for a mead and honey tasting, which was great! The honey was delicious, and the meads were as well.
It was extremely confusion to have the wines sorted by some arbitrary scheme, with no explanation in sight, however. It would be ok if they had come up and explained to me what I was looking at, but I was left wandering around on my own trying to figure it out, until I gave up and asked. Then they told me the wines are arranged by light to full body. I’m not super versed in wine yet, having tried a couple dozen or so and not having mastered the vocabulary, so I’m not really sure what that means. Perhaps I’ll go back and have more of a conversation, but the staff were too engaged with other customers to really have time for me then.
The scheme does make some sense after reading others’ reviews here, and I think I’d really appreciate knowing which taste ranges I like and being able to pick out new wines I’ll be more likely to enjoy here. Definitely a plus if you can understand that’s what is going on!
The selection seems solid, but the prices are relatively high compared to some of my other go-​to shops, and I left a bit confused by the organization.
They do also carry a decent selection of craft beer, which one wouldn’t expect from the name of the place, which I appreciated.
I might be back, but it’s out of my way and the prices aren’t motivational. We’ll see.

I love the Urban Grape I have been coming here ever since Unilocal had an event here shortly after they opened. That is just one of the many reasons that I love Unilocal– bringing people together!
Well, since then I have been going to UG and I have loved the customer, service, selection, events, and design of the store. I love the way they arrange their wines. Wines are more than region, more than a grape. I always felt uncomfortable selecting wines as I didn’t know what I was diving into to. How do I know if I will like this Chardonnay vs this other one? How can I really tell without reading every single description, and even then it’s still a crap shoot. Well, they solved my anxiety towards picking a wine. Their sotre is set up by arranging their wines by taste so you can sample a few wines and then figure out your # (taste preference) and then pick reds, whites, and roses that are in the range you like.
Besides wine, they have ciders, beers, sake, and hard liquors. They have introduced me to a lot of different brands, not all I have loved. But guess what, I won’t make the same mistake again of grabbing a dry cider since they have it in my profile that I don’t like that brand/​kind.
Their personalized service really sets them apart and I love that.

****UPDATE – i was just informed that they let you return things you don’t like, which is awesome! the manager seems very helpful and friendly, so i would amend this review to give them a 4, since a friend also told me it is really a wine store and not a liquour store (i originally went in looking for cocktail stuff), which explains some of the limited selection outside of wine. They also have this amazing pear cider that is hard to find in other places – it is from bordeaux i think and is called Poire. ****
This place is pretty good, but quite pricey and they have a limited selection. Also, I got a sampler that included an Aperol Spritzer which was disgusting. I was unsure why they included that in a wine sampler, but I’d probably go again if I was looking for a recommendation or special help.

On this visit TJ was in the house. I KNEW my husband would be smitten, and so TJ and his rocking staff, passion for middle and high end poisons and Mike as a wine enthusiast definitely inspire a trek from Hudson to search for the good stuff. I love the fact that TJ knows the fantastic Julio’s, Westborough game and was very enthusiastic about them. So add urban grape on to our wine and spirits stops. It’s upscale products are sold and hailed with down home soul unpretentious despite Chestnut Hill ambiance, enthusiastic and youthful karma, fantastic staff. For the once in a while indulging in the good stuff. And Terrunyo carmenere at $ 50 a bottle? Really good value for such a hearty wine (just not an every day wine, unless we hit the lottery!) ;)

The couple that runs this place, TJ and Hadley, are the real deal. Passionate, caring and very well-​informed about their wine, their partners and their clients. Harry can also recommend a great wine if you describe what qualities you like.
If you like Zinfandels, go for the Mettler from CA. Superb!
Plus, it’s nice to support a neighborhood shop. The fact that the owners are just so genuine and clearly put their heart and soul into the business is a plus.

I was trying to think of places that I enjoy that deserve a great Unilocal rating. The Urban Grape was the first to come to mind. The reason for doing so is because so many times we Unilocal with dissatisfaction, but forget to show respect to those that take care of us, and do it well!
The Urban Grape is not only good for craft selections; They are knowledgeable, friendly, and frequently host tasting events. This is the main establishment that I frequent for its supply of JK Scrumpy’s Organic Hard Cider. The best cider I’ve ever had. Aside from JK, I walk through the doors of The Urban Grape looking for something sophisticated, new, and/​or delightful.
Now at first, I was going to give The Urban Grape four stars, because I felt 5 stars was a cheesy, 14 year old girl way of saying, «OMG ILU,» but then I thought about what would deserve that last star. Especially because it’s not really a one-​size-​fits-​all-​packy.
Social Media. The Urban Grape utilizes social media correctly and RESPONDS to people. I have tweeted @UrbanGrape before and received both candid replies and helpful information.
Bravo, UG, bravo.

The Urban Grape is a fabulous option in the area if you’re looking for a bottle (or three) to pick up. The staff is extremely knowledgeable on the wines the carry, and explained how they are set up by style instead of region. The made a couple great selections and I added another bottle from the Rose tower by the door.
They have a tasting case that you can sample, which I did of course. Another time I stopped in for a bottle of sparkling on the way to dinner with friends and ended up with a fabulous bottle of bubbles from Italy.
I love the wines that they stock and that they can track your purchases so you never forget your favorites. And the Friday evening I last stopped in they had a tasting going on, which I sadly skipped because I was running late already. Next time of course I’ll be in.

Urban chic, interesting interior, definitely worth a drop in for the experience. Especially if you happen to come on the day of a tasting; point in case, handmade mojitos with anejo rum, mmmmmmm…
Excellent, unique selection, without being too unique or pretentious. Staff is very helpful, ask for Noah regarding their beer selection, he’s a true expert.
BONUS: There always seems to be some cool event/​tasting going on at this store. Can call and ask, everyone is very friendly here.

Its really hard to find a good selection of Italian wines in Boston. I don’t mean your basic Chianti, I mean the really good stuff. Urban Grape has a solid selection of excellent Italian wines –along with a vast selection of quality wines from around the world. This place is more of a wine boutique or quality home cellar with wines carefully selected.
The store set up is unique that the wines are not arranged by country but by wine style, from light to full bodied. That doesn’t mean it is a shop for wine snobs, on the contrary the friendly staff are keen to help and do so in an easy going kind of manner. They have several tastings which and one is encouraged to try and linger. Almost like a local country store, with really good wine.

Welcome to an approachable, non-​intimidating wine store! TJ, Hadley and the staff make the extra effort to answer any questions (however dumb you may think they are), sample multiple wines and spirits, and make useful and trustworthy recommendations. After stopping in several times over the past three months, I have found that The Urban Grape excels at making happy customers. They are great at helping customers find wine based on personal tastes, food pairings or just on a whim. I have never felt any pressure to purchase anything I didn’t find interesting or experienced any up-​selling. UG has an ever-​changing variety of wines that are great value-​buys and fit any occasion — from a quiet dinner at home to popping the bubbly on NYE.
One of the best features of UG other than the staff is the wine tasting system prominently featured at the front of the store. The machines dispense sample-​size amounts of wine, and the staff can bring you a small glass from which you can try up to 16 different wines. It’s a practical and eye-​catching method to help educate customers and begin to make recommendations based on one’s preferences after sampling several red and white wines.
Some other reasons I like the UG include the weekly and special occasion tastings, ability to handle special orders, impressive selection of beer and spirits, and social media presence on Twitter and Facebook. Pay attention to the blog (
), sign up for their newsletter, and follow @UrbanGrape to stay abreast of awesome events and deals! The best event I have been to at UG so far was the champagne, port and oysters tasting two weeks ago. It was definitely a good time!

Until someone drags me against my will to another wine store, I will continue to shop here.
The owner spent an hour with my wife and I to pick out 12 great wines. That’s customer service at its best. What’s more is that the wines we have had so far have been very good! Something has to be said about their tasting of ALL wines before they place them on the shelves.
They also have a great wine serving system (enomatic) where you push a button and tasty liquid falls into your glass.
This place is awesome. Check out the picture of grapes in the back of the store. It’s on metal and is absolutely gorgeous.

I swear I was prepared to go OFF because for the life of me I could not figure out what the signs (1W, 2W, etc.) meant. Can a sista get a key or something? The woman working there must have noted that I had about five seconds before I was going to snap before she sidled over to me, whispered softly in my ear, and alleviated any of my confusion by explaining that the wines are listed by weight. Okay, fine. Then, she proceeded to steer me toward some Torrontes, which is my current wine of choice, gave me the tour, did some more explaining about weight and organization and then led me to the wine-​o-​later. How can one not just stay in the store and sip ’til closing time? Bonus, too, for having Anchor Steam Summer readily available.
They completely disarmed me, made me feel comfortable, didn’t overpower me with their knowledge, and convinced me that I need to come back and see them. And, of course, get some tasting in. I would suggest, though, that there be a little cheat sheet so, just in case another irritated person comes in, and is an independent learner, they can figure out the weighing system on their own.

Replacing the late, but unlamented Chestnut Hill Wines, The Urban Grape is reminiscent of the glory days of Best Cellars typing wine by flavor profile. Wine here is grouped by how heavy it tastes instead of by grape varietal or region. They have over 800 different wines in stock. I didn’t count that many, but their range is deep, from culty wine anarchist Charles Smith (he’s everywhere, but they had Charles I had never ever seen) to Cos d’Estournel. (They also have a selection of spirits, sake and craft beers, but honestly, I was there for the wine).
The staff was very friendly and hospitable, but so far in terms of knowledge, they seemed a bit limited – I hope that’s because they’re still learning the stock. I threw around terms like «brix» and «ABV» and I got a blanky kind of smile in response. I asked if they had other wines from a certain area, and they had to look it up on the computer to check. Nevertheless, I give them points and props for their sangfroid, as the French say, for not being horrified when I launched into a semi-​inappropriate – and yes, I was sober– discussion about what you call perverts on the T (there was a point to that, but you kinda had to be there).
What was incredibly surprising to me was the reasonableness of the prices. Seriously, for a small boutique store in a spendy hood, some of their lower-​end wines were priced the same as a Blanchard’s or Martignetti. Usually, places like that charge the «neighborhood tax» of a few extra bucks.
It’s got two wine juke boxes for tasting, which are a nice and expensive gimmick if you’re into that kind of thing – you have to sell a LOT of wine to recoup the cost of one of those babies. In my book, it can’t substitute for the personal relationship you get with a trusted wine store that knows your preferences. And, you have to wonder how long the wine’s been open in one of those things, too (They also had two reds open on the counter to taste).
Another nice touch: they save your name, email and purchases, so when I come back and say «what was that thing I got from that European country?» they can narrow it down. Another nice touch to the already nice touches was the reusable cloth wine carrier bag they gave me at purchase.
With the awesomeness of Winestone already across the street, and Urban Grape’s plans to do twice-​weekly tastings, Chestnut Hillbillies can only benefit – but honestly, I think they’re catering to two separate age groups. If you’re young and experimental, you’re Urban Grape. If you’re a little more schooled in wine and like that consultative relationship with your wineseller, Winestone is your place. Either way, you can’t lose.