Where to buy wine on the drive between NYC and Philly

November 6, 2006 11:48 AM

Is there a great place to buy wine on the drive between Manhattan (george washington bridge) and Philadelphia?
posted by davidvan to shopping (7 comments total)

Dunno where exactly in Philly you are going, but Moore Brothers in Pensauken, NJ is near the Betsy Ross/Ben Franklin bridges. Not far from NJ TPK and Rt 73.
posted by fixedgear at 12:06 PM on November 6, 2006

There's a Canal's Discount Liquors on Rt 73 on the right between the Turnpike and Rt 70, if you're going to the Ben Franklin Bridge. They have a large selection, you might have some luck there.
posted by graymouser at 12:10 PM on November 6, 2006

There are at least half a dozen great wine stores just in Fort Lee. I used to shop at Smart Buy in Linwood Plaza, when I lived there. Staff was very helpful and they had a great selection.

[phone]
102 Linwood Plaza, Fort Lee, NJ, 07024
posted by ikkyu2 at 12:12 PM on November 6, 2006

I don't have any specific stores to recommend but the Jersey side of the PA/NJ border is packed with liquor stores because NJ doesn't have PA's 18% liquor tax. So you definitely want to buy before you enter PA.
posted by scalefree at 2:42 PM on November 6, 2006

The Princeton Corkscrew. They have a great selection of wines you won't find elsewhere, the prices are good, and the staff are very knowledgeable.
posted by caddis at 5:59 PM on November 6, 2006

There are several locations for Bottle King on the way, and it's pretty cheap, plus there's a case discount for mixed cases, which is nice. Membership is free and saves you a bit more.

Moore Brothers is definitely nice, for quality stuff, but it's a bit more than some of the neon places. Total Wine and Liquor in Cherry Hill (just before the Philly bridge) is a bit cheaper but still huge.

There's an urban legend that Pennsylvania cops hang out in the parking lots of Cherry Hill liquor stores and follow home anyone with PA plates (technically it's a crime to transport NJ liquor across state lines into PA), but I do not know anybody that this has actually happened to.
posted by catesbie at 6:37 PM on November 6, 2006

Personally I would avoid stopping in Fort Lee, because I always found it very confusing if you don't know the roads, and if you take the wrong turn you'll end up going back over the bridge.
posted by smackfu at 7:23 PM on November 6, 2006