I’m often asked, “Where do you buy your wine?”
My local wine shop is the first place that I go. The people at The Wine Steward in Pleasanton have learned what D’Aun and I like, which makes the shopping that much easier. Great selection, reasonable prices, and very knowledgable staff.
I like BevMo for the bargains, especially during the Nickel Sale. This chain store has staff who are not as savvy as the folks at The Wine Steward, but they do have a broad selection of affordable wines. Just don’t trust the ratings they post on the prices; I’ve dumped a lot of stuff they call 90 point wines. But I’ve also had a lot of $10 wines that tasted like $20 wines.
Costco can have great buys. They tend to sell “safe” wines, which is to say larger production wines that have a known name. But those wines can be very good, and the prices can be great. My only caution is that I’ve bought high end wines at Costco that tasted like they were not properly stored.
Supermarkets often have good wines, but they seldom have rare wines, and they really can’t beat the prices at Costco (which carries much the same inventory). Still, they are worth checking out, in particular the speciality stores (Jensen’s in La Quinta is one of my favorites).
Trader Joe’s can have great buys on good wines. They seldom carry high end wines, but that’s okay because they have a good selection of affordable wines.
Restaurants are a great place to try new wines, which you can then purchase at wine shops or from the wineries. If they offer a tasting menu, where they pair food with the wine, go for it … it’s a perfect way to expand the range of wines you sample.
Living in Northern California makes it easy to visit some of the great wineries of the world. The prices at the wineries are often more expensive than in the stores, but you can taste so many and get direct insights from the winemakers. Best of all is that you can taste before you buy. So if you have the option, spend some time at the wineries.
Online, I get regular updates from snooth.com and lot18.com. Winelibrary.com is worth checking out too. So is wine.com. There are dozens of online retailers that you might try, from wineshopper.com to klwines.com. Shop around and take a look.
Another option to consider — a hybrid of some of the above ideas — is to buy online direct from the wineries. You don’t get to taste the wine first, of course, but it can be more direct than the online retailers. Warning, however … it is often more expensive.
If you find a winery you really like, get on their mailing list. They often announce specials this way. At a minimum they give you first notice of new releases. Some wineries ONLY sell their wine this way.
Finally, consider joining the clubs that some wineries offer. You can often get small production wines that are hard to find. They can offer a lot of flexibility, allowing you to have them shipped at different times or letting you focus on specific types of wine (e.g. red vs white).
Ultimately, the best place to buy wine is wherever you find what you like!