I took myself to Williamsburg yesterday. Not the trendy side of town but the still gentrifying spread past the Lorimer subway stop. As I walked south I felt like a lost tourist. Where the hell was I? Where were all the trendy boutiques? Strangely, it didn’t even feel like New York anymore, I felt like I was in Philly or LA. I kind of liked it. I felt instantly more at home when I walked into the chic new wine shop, Blue Angel Wines, on Grand Street. An Astor Wines alumni has hooked up with three willing partners and opened her very own wine shop. Kym Apotas has paid her dues, having worked at wine-centric venues like D.O.C. Wine Bar, Uva Wines and Astor Wines and Spirits. She’s a smart cookie, sports a girly-come-slightly-dark-rock-chick style and has a sound work ethic.

The shop’s décor is stylishly understated — all white walls, with rough and tumble salvaged wood carpentry. The back wall is adorned with beautiful silver-grey wallpaper laid with bare tree branches. The collection is small but she’s got some excellent juice on offer, made up of mostly small producers. It’s an eclectic selection and it is perfect for a hood that, until now, only had a dodgy liquor store with bulletproof glass.

Puerto Rico Importing Company plans on opening up next door. When they do, shoppers can purchase a bottle at Blue Angel and BYOB at Puerto Rico where they can sit in the garden out back and sip on a bottle