The Underground Bottle Shop

What a wonderful surprise to find this wine shop in town! We were staying in Auburn for a few nights and planned to get takeout / make dinner at home. The Wegman’s didn’t have a wine section so we figured we were stuck with Yellow Tail from a liquor store that has a small corner of drunkcrowd pleasing wines. Stepping into the Underground Bottle Shop it was clear we were wrong! They had an impressive selections of wine, and of course had a wonderful shelf of Finger Lake wines.

What was wonderful were these hand-written descriptions on various bottles to help you decide which wine to choose. I’m by no means a wine know-it-all, so shopping among the staff picks was a perfect as perusing the staff pick shelf at a well-curated book store. I’d definitely hit this up frequently if we lived near Auburn. Way to step up small town expectations, team!

Our go-to whenever we are in town. Great selection and knowledgeable staff. They always have something new worth checking out.

Love this place! Great wines off the beaten path. Also some nice whiskeys and hard cider. Big fan of the Friday tastings. Stop in and check it out!

I came across this shop online in my search for a specific bottle of wine. I called in and Alison was super helpful in getting my questions answered and helping me put an order together. I ended up ordering two cases that will be delivered next day. Overall such a great experience!

I am a long time patron. I enjoy the selections from around the world. Don't get me wrong, our Fingerlakes wine is world class but this shop and staff have the knowledge to educate you about the various wines from around the world. Also the differences from region to region just like here in the United States. I enjoy the emails with the specials they are able to put to gether. I have purchased many throughout the years.They have opened my eyes to the WORLD of wine.

My favorite thing about this place is how they will help you select wine. You can just tell them what occasion, mood your in, flavors you like - whatever and they can suggest a wine to suit your needs. And they have wines and liquors to suit any budget as well. Good wine isn't always expensive. Better than the typical liquor stores around town if you want unique selections.

This store focuses mainly on wine but also sells quality less main stream liquors and hard cider. The wine selection is well thought out and always superior in quality than any of the other liquor stores in Auburn. This store focuses on wines from all different parts of the world and owner takes the time to put hand written descriptions of the beverages on the display bottles so you know exactly what to expect when trying a wine for the first time. I find these types of details combined with the extensive knowledge that the staff possesses to be extremely impressive for a small location in a smaller city. Also as a side note the staff genuinely care about service and the products they sell which is why I give them 5 stars.

I had a need for some particular types of wine for my daughter. I am not knowledgeable about wine. The owner helped with the choices and explained what made each one special. It was easy to see he really cared about helping. The selection in this store was excellent. I would recommend this wine shop to to the well versed or anyone like myself who needs help.

Nice little wine store with great selection. Matt was very helpful:)

We wanted a change of pace from the "pulp wine" selection found in most stores; the variety and quality here is great! Rob and Anastasia are very accommodating, knowledgeable and you can tell are really into their craft. If you are a cider drinker...this is your place to go.

Extremely knowledgeable team, and even more friendly. Super cool addition to the auburn scene. This is not your average liquor store. Visit to learn, and to elevate your drinking game - all while supporting a cool local business and genuinely great people. We haven't needed anything we've purchased, to be honest, but have thoroughly enjoyed our shopping and subsequent purchases!

Been looking for a bottle of the much-acclaimed natural wine by Frank Cornelissen simply known as Susucaru and I finally found one thru their online store 🌊🙏🏾💯🐐🍷 Impeccable/immediate shipping! Can’t beat their rare selection; definitely a returning customer! 😎

Amazing place! Very kind, attentive and most importantly not judgemental staff! I was in Auburn for work for a couple of days so I just wanted some wine for after my shift, I had a budget in mind which was pretty low since it was just going to be little ol me after work. They totally understood that and didn't get condescending at all which was so nice. Will absolutely stop here again if I'm ever in the area!

My friends and I usually go with the same old Cabs so I went in for some dry red recommendations for a get together last night, and left with a Syrah from France and an “adventurous” red from Maillorca ~ we like the Syrah, it was delicious as promised and we LOVED the adventurous one! So glad we did our little wine tasting! We will definitely be coming in for recommendations again!

My favorite wine store. The owner is knowledgeable. I always look forward to his recommendations.

This place has a fabulous assortment of wines, reasonably priced. Their 6 for $60 section is great. They are also very knowledgeable and informative about wine, if you need help.

Final act. I stepped out for a walk around the neighborhood. As I stepped out of an alley onto Genesee Street, I was alarmed by a tremendous cacophony of crows. I've noticed crows flocking in large groups before now. I remember a huge flock in the trees above the Quad at the University of Michigan years ago. Before my daughter had applied to attend the university. I even turned the experience into a short poem. "Crow Quad". I used this as a password at work for almost a year. I could barely see the trees just behind the brick buildings south of Genesee that hosted the flock. I could hear the flock making their raucous noise and I could barely make out scores of flying birds. I noticed the lights were on in the Underground Bottle Shop, about to close at Six PM. I entered the door as the bell of a nearby church struck the first toll of Six PM. I hadn't entered to buy a bottle of wine. I had read about a series of paintings put on exhibit for the First Friday walk, February 2nd. The man with a long red beard said, "No rush. I have a few minutes to spare. Enjoy the paintings". The painter worked in the abstract and worked his paint intensely, as if he were working out intense feelings of anxiety and anger". Above the racks of wine, the canvases propped on top of the shelves looked great. "So, what kind of wine do you like"? Ah, the man with the red beard knew how to sell and sell rather well. "Well, I just dropped in for the art but I just had a glass of Hosmer Riesling last night. And Dr Frank's Riesling I just found delightful. You could say I'm drinking my way through the Finger Lakes. He did this very casually, but he led me over to the shelf of Rieslings from the Finger Lakes and discussed each one knowingly. I made mental notes. I had no room in my luggage for a bottle of wine. Otherwise, I could have easily walked out of the shop with a bottle. He was that good at selling. I excused myself. "I'm just taking a walk around the neighborhood. Thanks for the salesmanship". "You're welcome. Come back Friday evenings. We taste wines in the shop". I made a mental note, put it on my short list.

nice small bottle shop i am hoping they bring in more variety of sake they had a small selection

Underground has such a unique, curated selection of options. We are excited to try our selections, and to go back in the future!

Awesome shop with a great, thoughtful selection. Free tastings on Friday and an endless supply of wine wisdom.