Qualities of the Better Wine Stores

If you want to purchase an inexpensive wine, one of the major large brands, then you can probably find it at almost any store that sells wine, from your local package store to some grocery stores. However, what if you desire something more, if you want a more diverse and interesting wine selection? What are the factors that differentiate the excellent wine shops from the mediocre ones? What transforms a neighborhood wine shop into a destination wine store?

Here are what I consider to be the three main factors of concern to wine lovers: 

Price: We all want a good value when making a wine purchase. Wine prices, from store to store, can vary, sometimes significantly, and you can find the price for the same bottle vary from $1 to $20, if not more, dependent where you buy it. The smaller, independent wine shops may have higher prices than the huge wine store chains, but that's because the small store pays a higher wholesale price than the big chains, who are able to order large quantities of wine, at a significant discount. That's something a smaller wine store is unable to do so they cannot match the lower prices of the chain stores. 

Consumers also need to realize that bottle price alone is not always indicative of the expense of a store. Many stores offer discounts, such as 5-20%, dependent on the number of bottles that you purchase. So, even though a store's prices may be a bit higher than another store, the wine discounts may help to even matters out. 

At the better smaller stores, the staff can also help point out some of the best value wines, at various price points, in the shop. At some of the large chain stores, they may point out the wines with the best profit margins for the store, rather than the best value for the consumer. It's also important to know that the better small stores make up their disadvantage on price with the large chain stores by providing other advantages, such as selection and service.   

Selection: The better wine stores tend to have a greater diversity in the selection of their wines. They seek to stand out from their competition by offering wines that many other shops in the area don't carry. They become wine destinations, where wine lovers will take the time to travel to that shop, seeking their more unique selections. Why not seek a wine shop which not only sells wines from the classic regions, like France, Italy and California, but also wines from Croatia, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Lebanon, and more? 

The better shops often tend to source wines from smaller wineries, often family-owned. They may stock some big brand names, but their heart is in lesser known, and often small wineries, which still provide , high quality and delicious wines. The large chain stores, dealing in volume, are much less likely to carry wines from these smaller wineries. A larger chain stores may carry more labels, but that often means they just have a larger selection of well known wine brands. 

The better wine stores are much more than just a neighborhood wine store, and appeal to wine consumers from all of the surrounding communities, as well as those willing to drive from further away because of the store's intriguing wine selection. For myself, I easily drive half an hour or more to seek a better selection of wines. 

A better wine selection will also include varied prices, from $10 to $100+ bottles, something for everyone. Wines for every day drinking and wines for special occasions or gifts. However, one must remember that there are many thousands of wines available in the world so no one store can carry even a small percentage of all of the available choices but you should seek places which try to acquire a good variety of wines from a number of regions. It's boring to go to a wine store that stocks the same selection as many other shops. I certainly want diversity in my wine selection. Don't you?

Service: You also should want friendly and helpful staff at the better stores. They should have a good knowledge of wine and those they sell. They should be personable and not snooty and pretentious. They should make you feel welcome rather than nervous. Wine can be intimidating to many people but it shouldn't have to be. The proper employees should offer wine suggestions and recommendations without being pushy. Good service can include being able to order wine for you if that shop does not carry what you want. This personal service can be lacking in the large chain stores.

There are a number of other factors, of less importance, but which can enhance or detract from your overall wine buying experience.

Appearance: A good wine store should be clean and not have dust all over their wine bottles. Display racks should be easy to see the individual bottles and their prices. They might have shelf talkers, note cards, describing the wines, or providing reviews from wine magazines. The shop would be well lit, and feel welcoming. 

Tastings: A better wine store will hold free wine tastings, often on at least a weekly basis, where you can try some of their wines. Tasting a wine is a great way to help you decide on whether you want to buy a specific wine or not. You might be intrigued by a particular bottle, but not willing to take a risk on buying it because you may worry you won't like it. Wine tastings prevent some of that risk. Tastings should also be for more different wines. Big brand names don't really need tastings because so many people already know what they taste like. Tastings should get consumers to try something new and different, to expand their palates. 

Extras: A better wine store will probably sell more than just wine. They might sell other alcoholic drinks, from beer to hard liquors. They might also sell various foods, such as cheeses, chocolates and sauces. This can make the wine store a better one-stop place to stock up for a festive evening.

Website/Email: A better wine store will have a website providing information about the store and any upcoming events. They might also be on social media, from Facebook to Instagram. Some even may have an email list or newsletter that will keep you up to date on their future events.

But, there is one more factor which I think is the most important of all: Passion.

Passion: The best sign of a better wine store is the passion of the people who work there, from the owners to the employees. You can feel that passion when they assist you, when they answer your wine questions and make suggestions. They aren't trying to sell you the most expensive bottle that they can. They work with you within your price point to select the best wine within those parameters. When they describe their recommendations, you feel their love for wine. You understand that these people clearly enjoy wine, and are sincere in desiring to spread that joy to their customers. They will take care to make your experience as fine as possible. And they will spread that passion to you.

Time to open a bottle of wine.