Yes, we have Total Wine, BevMo, Costco, and big grocery stores, with loads of wine. But can you get help at these stores finding wines suitable for you? Probably not! I have shopped extensively at all these stores and found little help to be there. However, I have a lot of experience with wine, so I only need help occasionally finding a unique wine. For that, I turn to my local wine shop to get all my needed help.
Why You Need a Good Wine Shop
A good shop proprietor will taste wines regularly. Wine distributors and salespeople will call on a wine shop with wine in hand for tasting. A good wine proprietor will select wines that are excellent and appropriate in price.
A good shop proprietor owner will not go by Wine Spectator scores or Robert Parker scores. Instead, they will use their wine-tasting skills and knowledge to determine if a wine is worth carrying in their shop.
If you shop at the same wine store frequently, a good wine shop owner will get to know your tastes and be able to recommend wines for you to try.
I frequently go into my local wine shop and ask questions like this: “I’m having a dinner party and serving grilled Halibut with scalloped potatoes. In addition, I’m having a blueberry Gailette for dessert. Please recommend some wines for both under $20.” Gerald will immediately go to shelves and pull several bottles for my selection. Do you think you might get that service at the big wine store? I don’t think so!
How to Find a Good Wine Shop
- Do a search on the Internet for “A good wine shop near me.”
- Check review websites like Yelp and Google to see what wine shops people like.
- Wine Aps like Delectable and Vivino might be able to help.
- You may have to travel outside your town or city to find a good wine shop.
- Read Good Cheap Vino for wine recommendations – shop for good wine
I found a good source for wine shops on The Wine Daily. It is an excellent resource. However, they did miss my favorite wine shop: Weimax on Broadway in Burlingame.
