Ester Wine and Spirits: Kingston Stockade Giveaway Spotlight

  |  August 10, 2015
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Upstater’s Kingston Stockade Weekend Getaway is rolling on and it won’t be long now before one of you lucky readers wins the quintessential upstate experience, including dinner at Boitson’s, drinks at The Stockade Tavern, a show at BSP and a 3 night sojourn at The St. James, and of course a hundred bucks worth of fantastic wines and spirits from Ester’s carefully curated wine and spirit selection. Last week we sat down with Robert Provenz, owner and proprietor, to talk about what sets Ester apart.

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Rob has done it all, from bussing tables in Brooklyn to bartending, and he even spent a year driving a yellow cab. Born and bred in New York City, his passion for wine and spirits developed through working in some of its preeminent bars and wine retailers. He opened Ester in 2014, after coincidentally (or not coincidentally) meeting friends for dinner at the aforementioned Boitson’s and noticing a certain liquor shop a couple doors down happened to be for sale. Rob jumped at the opportunity and now lives in Kingston full time.

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I’d been into Ester a couple times before I knew I’d be writing about it for you, faithful readers, and I can tell you it truly is one of a kind. The knowledge of the staff is impeccable, and their courtesy and friendliness made me want to make a nuisance of myself on multiple occasions (so, what are the differences in production between prosecco and cava, historically speaking?). Ester boasts the widest selection of craft distilleries, natural wines, and organic and biodynamic wines and spirits, all hand-selected using a simple mantra: “Things that I put on my shelves taste good and are priced well,” says Rob. Instead of emphasizing the big ticket items like Johnny Walker Blue or that $1100 Cab from Ghost Horse, Rob develops relationships with local distillers and vintner’s with an emphasis on quality and affordability. He gets excited about smaller operations like Van Brunt Stillhouse, Coppersea, Uncouth Vermouth and Warwick Distillery, who produce exceptional spirits made from local ingredients for a fraction of the price of other brands with giant marketing budgets. Rob, ever the understater, puts it like this: “We get ripped off enough in day to day life.” Things like traffic tickets, bank charges, and credit card fees underscore his point. “Who wants to get ripped off when you’re having a drink?” Well said.

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Robert Provenz definitely knows his stuff, and that’s why we’re so excited Ester threw down on our amazing giveaway. Along with 3 nights at the St. James, dinner at Boitson’s, drinks at The Stockade, and a show at BSP, Robert Provenz will work with YOU to curate a hundred bucks worth of amazing wines and spirits showcasing the best of the Hudson Valley and the small producers it boasts. If you haven’t yet joined the contest, it’s not too late! Sign up today, and because we are benevolent contest-administrators (legally, we can’t call ourselves contest supreme overlords), you can enter it every day! Sign up, like, now.

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About Peter Martin

Peter Daniel Martin wants to see, and do, and eat, and drink everything amazing in the Hudson Valley, and everywhere else after that.

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