I’ve been buying wines for years from Garagiste in Washington state via the web for many years, and when I was searching for something about the owner, Jon Zimmerman, I came across an article that described Ansonia Wines (in Newton just off Newtonville Ave. near the intersection with Walnut St.) as the “Garagiste of the east”. It’s only open on Saturday afternoons, and although I live just a few blocks away, I never managed to check it out, until today.
I arrived just before closing at 4 pm. Signs direct you to the basement. They were pouring about 20 different wines. Not a huge selection in the store, but clearly carefully curated. I opted to try 3, and ended up taking home a crisp white Burgundy. They focus on Burgundy and environs. Burgundy is not a region I’m very familiar with, but I like their (Ansonia’s) approach and love pinot, so this seems like the place to learn. They group wines by producer rather than varietal. Clearly they know most, if not all of the producers and are very knowledgeable about the production methods, styles, and finished product. Worth a visit if you are in Newton on a Saturday afternoon.
