I like stores that I can also visit so I typically buy from:
MacArthur’s
Canal’s Bottlestop
Calvert Woodley
I agree on Haskell’s high end wine. What one store do you think is worth buying from?
I forgot some of my favs
Winebid
Vinopolis
TCWC
John Glas wrote:
Chris, which shops do you use locally?
Haskell’s
WineStreets
Surdyk’s
South Lyndale
France 44At least one of these is worth buying from. I do also buy from Haskell’s on every day wines but anything over $30 is over priced!
I agree on Haskell’s high end wine. What one store do you think is worth buying from?
I buy nothing from Lyndale and France 44. I think less than $200 in 10 years. I have never seen a great deal from either one of them. I do buy German Riesling from Surdyk’s but all of my money goes to Winestreets.
No question it is K&L
I agree with Winestreets being the place where you do find deals, just don’t love their burg, rhone selection. Maybe with more competition coming to town the Haskells and others will lower prices on top bottles.
Premier Cru
Envoyer
Flickinger’s
JJ Buckley
Winex
Chicago Wine Co.
K&L
Echelon Wines
I’ve been a fan of JJ Buckley - their discount pricing is sometimes very good e.g. '10 Drouhin Clos Des Mouches for $60 - but not so much recently. They’ve been really slow to add new vintages of the stuff I’m most interested in (CA/OR Pinot and Chard, Burgundy), and rather than take a chance on missing out I’ve had to buy from other sources. They also seem really slow in transitioning items from purchase to storage, to the point where I’m not always convinced I actually have the items I’ve bought. And my salesperson doesn’t really do anything in particular for me other than FW the std sale item mailers, respond to pricing queries and take my orders (and recently hasn’t even replied to emails). Granted I’m not spending $Ks on Bordeaux futures like some people coughTylerRicocough ![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}
, but I have dropped a fair amount of coin there over the past year.
Really like K&L for their selection, service and website features (not so much for pricing), Premier Cru for sale pricing, and Woodland Hills for selection, website, service and sale pricing. Also a satisfied customer of Envoyer, as well as Robert Panzer, Lyle Fass, and Martin Steinley (not all strictly in the online retailer category but deserving of a mention). A single transaction with Vinopolis that went smoothly. Been tempted by Flickinger but haven’t bought from them yet.
Winestreet Spirits is one of the biggest volume sellers of Rhone wines in Minnesota. Brad gets some of the biggest allocations in the country with things like Clos des Papes, Bosquet des Papes, Le Vieux Donjon, Usseglio etc. You just need to make sure you are on their mailing list to get the offers. Same with Burgundy - the best wines never make the shelf at Winestreet - so what’s on the shelf is usually what is left over after pre-sells etc.
JJ Buckley
K&L
RWC
Brown Derby (but visiting in Springfield is an experience)
Yeah I’m on their list and they do have great offers I just bought some Gouges from them. And they do have some Cdp but I’m looking for more n. rhone. Cote Rotie and Cornas and they have some Voge, but nothing new in along time.
I’ve bought a good amount of stuff from them - all it takes is an e-mail, and once they have your details you just say “I’d like a case of x.” It’s actually faster than a website.
Similar list to others - RWC, Macarthur’s, WHWC, Flickinger’s, JJBuckley, Crush, Chambers, Wine Library, PC, Winex, DTE. Knightsbridge and Apex too. I love HDH on the auction side; I should check out their retail…or I shouldn’t.
Crush and K&L have great selection, but shipping is too high, at least to IN, which K&L won’t now do at all. JJB (private consultant) is good for what they have, which can be pretty deep if you search the whole site regularly, and Chamber St is a dream when it comes to service and (AFWE) selection. Flickinger’s mailing list offers many good deals, but they sometimes get you w/their $100 minimum. Woodland Hills was once very impressive, seems a little less so now.
I’m wanting more older vintages at competitive prices, w/out having to mess about with auctions–Vinfolio used to not be bad, but shipping went up. Any suggestions?
I buy less than I used to but use most of those mentioned. I really do like Rare Wine though. Their selection seems more carefully curated (for my tastes outside of bdx anyway) and they have been extremely helpful and pleasant. Counting bottles I suppose I use PC more than anyone else and (as discussed ad nauseum) I have had no problems at all getting my wine. Eventually.
This, but replace K&L with WinEx.
Don’t. Uh online much actually but have used and liked
Napa valley wine and cigar
Sec wines
K& l
I’m glad your purchasing experience with Rare Wine is so positive. It is a great store. Still, I look forward to the day its online inventory is live and current and wine can be ordered via the website. It is nice to know whether a listed wine is actually in stock, its exact quantity, and to have confidence that when you click “submit”, the number of bottles you ordered is or will be yours.
That’s fair. They do show inventory down to the bottle count, but you can’t grab it in real time (and don’t know how quickly it’s updated).
Envoyer
Martin Steinley
JJ Buckley (not many orders, but great service)
Premier Cru (only once and it took three years to get my order)