Joe L.
Yelp
Sip is a guilty pleasure of mine. Not that I would ever feel guilty for going there, but more that I might feel guilty for dropping so much coin there. I live far enough away for it to be relatively innocuous, but whenever I get the urge for a nice bottle that I know I'm not going to find at one of the other run-of-the-mill or by-the-numbers wine shops closer to me, I take a stroll up 5th to Sip. It's nice and small, so the selection is navigable and accessible. I like that they have a well-rounded offering of wines from around the world, from relatively commercial and available to the most obscure Rioja or 1er Cru Burgundy you've ever seen (or have never seen, for that matter!).
They don't exactly have a bargain basement, but that's not the niche or demographic they're going for. All the wines are thoughtfully sourced and well chosen, and the staff that I've dealt with can speak directly to nearly all of them. In the rare instances when they haven't been able to, they've been honest about it and tried to help me make deductions based on the region, producer and vintage. I don't like to be bullshitted when I'm plunking down my ducats for anything, so I appreciate the straight shooting attitude of the staff. They have also made some spectacular suggestions for me, not the least of which is a German Riesling which I am absolutely obsessed with.
Overall, this is a boutique wine shop with some lesser known varietals and small producers. If you walk in and feel overwhelmed, don't be afraid to admit it and ask them for help. If you try to describe what you like and don't like, as well as what you think you're looking for, I'll bet they can help or at least give you some good suggestions. Exploring wine can be an adventure and the guys at Sip are all about that.