Jan. 2, 2015 By Michael Florio
A new wine shop opened in Astoria last week–just in time for the holidays.
Crescent Wines & Spirits located at 23-40 30th Ave, opened Christmas Eve specializing in natural and organic wines that are made without chemical pesticides.
“Many of the pesticide-free wines come from small, family-owned wineries,” said owner Freddy Michelin. He said many are from wineries that most people have not heard of.
The organic wines provide “a different, natural taste,” Michelin said. “I like to believe it is healthier without those chemicals.”
The store sells organic wines from a wide variety of countries, including Italy, Spain, France, South Africa, Germany, Austria, Portugal and Australia.
Michelin hosts daily wine tastings at 6 pm. He said the tastings usually run for three hours or until the wine runs out. The tastings feature a different wine every night.
This is Michelin’s first wine shop. He decided to open it in Astoria, since he has lived in the neighborhood for nearly 20 years.
The 30th Avenue location made sense to Michelin, since it is close to his house and is on a busy avenue, he said. “Just like any business, foot traffic is very important,” Michelin said.
He felt like there was a need for a natural and organic wine shop in Astoria, as many people do not know much about this product.
“I would like to introduce the community to these wines,” he said.
Despite only being open a week, Michelin said business has been good. He said a greater number of people come in each day to check out the shop.
He added that the holidays have likely helped.
The store also sells craft liquor.
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