This kosher wine shop on Long Island is the first of its kind

Nestled in Great Neck, a Jewish-heavy town about 30 minutes away from Manhattan, is Lavino, a relatively new kosher wine and spirit shop that might seem like a niche operation. After all, many liquor stores in New York offer kosher selections, so why open a kosher-only store? Even a quick visit to Lavino, though, makes it clear: there are so many kosher wines that don’t get the attention they deserve—and it’s time to shine a spotlight on them.

Lavino (which, to this Italian native, seems to be a play on the Italian word for wine, vino) also carries spirits and liqueurs, so you can do all your bar cart shopping in one place. On a recent trip, I discovered the perfect triple sec for homemade margaritas—the Binyamina bottle—which was not only excellent but surprisingly affordable.

The shop itself is cozy, spacious enough to host the weekly wine tastings that the owners organize, most of them free, yet intimate enough to invite browsing through shelves filled with both eclectic and classic selections. A white Bordeaux from France specifically caught my eye, a recommendation by the knowledgeable staff member who patiently humored my quest to find something interesting yet budget-friendly within the kosher world.

Generally speaking, I believe any kosher-friendly venture should be supported, but it’s even more exciting when the project genuinely deserves the business—and then some. Turns out the kosher wine world, at least inside Lavino, can be just as captivating as the vineyards of Italy… perhaps minus the beautiful backdrops.