Avant Garde Wine & Spirits

Wine importers don’t always feel like a destination, but Avant Garde Wine & Spirits manages to bridge the gap between wholesale and curiosity. Specializing in small-production labels and boutique vineyards, they bring bottles you won’t find on every corner shelf—ideal if you’re after something that hasn’t already been Instagrammed a thousand times. The operation runs out of 115 West 29th Street, Suite 800, a building that blends seamlessly into the garment district’s utilitarian rhythm, where freight elevators and fabric samples share the hallways with cases of Bordeaux and Barolo.

Beyond the usual suspects, their catalog leans toward natural wines, organic growers, and producers who treat the cellar as a lab. Think pét-nats that fizz with real energy, skin-contact whites that taste like sun-warmed stone, and reds that haven’t been polished into submission. Trade clients get first dibs, but if you’re persistent—or know someone who is—you might leave with a bottle that feels like a secret. The neighborhood itself is a patchwork of wholesale showrooms and lunch counters, where the scent of espresso mixes with the faint tang of cardboard and possibility.

Directions are straightforward once you realize the buzzer system isn’t labeled for walk-ins. Call (646) 642-3386 before swinging by; the team can confirm whether they’re open to retail or if you’d do better scheduling a tasting slot. For the exact route, pull up the map—it’ll drop you at the freight entrance, where the real hunt begins.