What Astor Wines & Spirits does

Astor Wines & Spirits is a New York City–based specialty retailer of wine, spirits, and saké, operating a flagship store in the historic 1885 De Vinne Press Building at 399 Lafayette Street in Greenwich Village alongside a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform. Founded in 1946, the company curates more than 5,000 SKUs—including nearly 200 artisanal sakés—and supports them with a temperature-controlled Cool Room (57°F for delicate wines) and a dedicated 40°F saké storage unit that constitute the core of its physical infrastructure. Its product surface spans wines (Champagne, Burgundy, Prosecco, Spain, Tuscany, Loire, Piedmont, Orange/Skin-Contact, Sparkling, plus red/white/rosé), spirits (mezcal, gin, liqueurs, tequila, single malt Scotch, bourbon, rum, vodka, RTD cocktails, brandy), and a multi-tier saké assortment, augmented by a Top 12 Mixed Case, monthly Wine Clubs, gift cards, and corporate-order services.

The business model is direct-to-consumer retail with a horizontal mass-market audience primarily in New York State (free shipping thresholds of $150 in Manhattan/Brooklyn and $199 elsewhere), with secondary reach into Connecticut and Washington DC, and a niche Fire Island ferry van-delivery service. Revenue is generated through transactional retail sales (wine, spirits, saké), e-commerce delivery, gift cards, and subscription/membership clubs. Customer acquisition is driven by email marketing (10% off first order), free in-store tastings (with 15% same-day discount), and educational programming at the sister facility Astor Center. Distribution operates through the company-owned e-commerce site, the physical flagship, scheduled three-hour courier windows, and the Fire Island partnership.

Ownership transitioned in August 2022 from the Fisher family (Andy Fisher, President since 1971; Rob Fisher, COO) to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), making the business employee-owned. The company is privately held with 101–250 employees, and operates with no disclosed venture capital or private equity sponsorship.

Name

Astor Wines & Spirits

Legal name

Astor Wines & Spirits

Website

https://astorwines.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Astor Wines & Spirits is a privately held, employee-owned (ESOP) specialty retailer of 5,000+ wines, spirits, and sakés, operating a flagship Greenwich Village store alongside a New York–focused direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform with free delivery statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine & Spirits Retail

NAICS

Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (4453)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)

Keywords

• Wine retail
• Spirits retail
• Saké selection
• Online wine shop
• Wine delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Wine, Spirits & Saké Sales: Core revenue from direct retail sales of wines, spirits, and sakés through both e-commerce platform and physical store. Products sold at various price points from under $10 to over $100 per bottle.
2. E-commerce Delivery: Revenue generated from delivering products to customers throughout New York State, with free shipping thresholds incentivizing larger orders.
3. Gift Cards: Gift card sales providing flexible gifting options for wine and spirits enthusiasts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Astor Wines & Spirits is a New York City-based beverage retailer operating a flagship Greenwich Village storefront in the historic De Vinne Press Building alongside a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform. The company sells over 5,000 SKUs spanning wines, spirits, and nearly 200 artisanal sakés, supported by free in-store tastings, expert staff recommendations, monthly wine clubs, curated mixed cases, and delivery service throughout New York State (plus Connecticut and Washington DC). Since August 2022 it has operated as an employee-owned business under an ESOP.

Product overview

Astor Wines & Spirits is a multi-category wine, spirits, and saké retailer offering over 5,000 products. The core offering comprises three main product lines: Wines (including Champagne, Burgundy, Prosecco, Spain, Tuscany, Loire, Piedmont, Orange/Skin-Contact, and Sparkling categories), Spirits (Mezcal, Gin, Liqueurs, Tequila, Single Malt Scotch, Bourbon, Rum, Vodka, Ready-to-Drink Cocktails, and Brandy), and Saké (with nearly 200 artisanal varieties including Daiginjo, Futsushu, Ginjo, Honjozo, Junmai, Junmai Daiginjo, and Junmai Ginjo). Supporting products and services include the Top 12 Mixed Case subscription, Monthly Wine Clubs membership, Free Tastings events, Personal Recommendations, Gift Cards, Corporate Orders, and specialized delivery options including Fire Island Friday morning delivery and three-hour courier service. The company operates with a Cool Room for temperature-sensitive storage and maintains a dedicated saké storage unit at 40°F.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wines A 5,000+ SKU assortment of wines sold to individual consumers and corporate buyers through the Greenwich Village store, e-commerce site, and delivery service, stored in a temperature-controlled Cool Room at 57°F.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivery throughout New York within two days, usually for free
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Astor CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Sister educational facility located on the floor above Astor Wines & Spirits at 399 Lafayette St. Offers classes in wine, spirits and cocktails in custom-built facilities. Complements retail operations with educational programming and events.
• Fire Island FerriesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFriday morning direct van delivery partnership for Fire Island customers. Products delivered to ferry stations at Bay Shore and Sayville for customer pickup.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Drizly: Alcohol e-commerce marketplace owned by Uber, delivering beer/wine/spirits across the U.S. Comparable on DTC alcohol delivery to NY consumers, though it operates as a marketplace aggregator rather than a single-store specialist and pressures Astor's delivery economics.
• Total Wine & More: Multi-store U.S. beverage retail chain with deep wine/spirits assortment and aggressive pricing. Comparable on category breadth and pricing competition, though it operates as a broad discount-leaning incumbent rather than a curated specialist.
• Binny Beverage: Midwest-based multi-store beer, wine, and spirits retailer with deep assortment and competitive pricing. Comparable on broad category coverage and pricing competition, though it serves a different region.

Emerging players

• Caskers: Online marketplace curating premium wines and spirits from small producers with strong storytelling. Comparable on curated premium DTC, gifting, and discovery positioning, though lighter on saké and without a flagship store experience.

Direct peers

• Morrell & Company: Long-standing New York wine retailer with corporate gifting, cellar programs, and curated selections. Comparable on luxury wine positioning, corporate gifting segment, and NYC-based premium retail identity.
• Chambers Street Wines: NYC-based natural and fine wine shop with a strong e-commerce platform. Comparable on curation philosophy, expertise-driven recommendations, and premium NYC retail identity, though narrower in spirits and saké.
• Empire Wine & Liquor: New York State-based wine and liquor retailer with a major online store and warehouse shipping across approved states. Directly comparable on tri-state delivery footprint, broad assortment, and DTC channel mix.
• ReserveBar: Premium spirits and wine e-commerce retailer focused on rare and luxury bottles. Directly comparable on high-end curation, gifting use cases, and DTC delivery, overlapping with Astor's premium spirits and rare wine assortment.
• Sherry-Lehmann: Historic New York City wine and spirits merchant founded in 1934 with both a storefront and online channel. Closely comparable as a long-established, NYC-anchored, premium-focused wine/spirits retailer serving connoisseurs.
• Wine.com: Largest U.S. online wine retailer offering a similarly broad selection delivered DTC. Closely comparable on assortment depth, e-commerce delivery model, and target consumer, though national in scope versus Astor's regional footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/astorwines
• Facebookfacebook.com/astorwines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Astor Wines & Spirits