I’d like to get feedback from both buyers and sellers on which store or stores in your town are the best source for less common wines. I appreciate your help. I am interested in knowing which stores people here like for this purpose, for when I travel and can promote my wines to them. I also think that some buyers might also like to know which stores are best with this.
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Is this for any particular geography?
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what town?
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Wouldn’t your local distributor know this?
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I’m in south Florida between Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. The two local stores that come to mind are Wine Watch in FLL and Wine Wave in Delray Beach. I’m sure there are others.
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In Colorado this is Denver Wine Merchant, hands down
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Wendy at the Disco Ranch in Boonville has a great wine selection and is very good at championing Anderson Valley / Mendocino wines - she might be worth a call/email
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In Nassau County on Long Island there are two major standouts. Williston Park WIne & Spirits on Willis Avenue, owned by Ryan Burkett; and Village Wine Merchant in Sea Cliff, newly acquired by fellow Berserker Joseph Grassa. Both are outstanding, with a focus on small producers. Ryan’s store is a little edgier (I joke that he ended up on Long Island because he made a wrong turn on the way to Brooklyn), while Joe’s store leans a little more traditional but still with a lot of interesting and compelling choices.
Both stores have really changed the wine landscape in Nassau County.
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Go see Todd at Sonoma’s Best
He has a great selection of imported wines and small independent producers. It’s where the winemakers shop in Sonoma Valley.
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Thanks for taking the time to reply. I’m hoping the list proves useful for me, as well as for people who like to find these types of wines. Also, to support the shops that support the small producers. It’s a dog eat dog world out there.
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In the Philadelphia area - Moore Brothers (caveat-90% old world) and Wine Works come to mind. I’ve not yet visited Robert Panzer’s Liquid Culture but he has a great book and lots of Berserker fans. State Line in MD is an old fave.
in Sarasota FL, The best wine shop is Seagrape Wine Co.
The owner is a friend and he used to work for Kermit Lynch
I’d throw Raeders’s wine and liquors into the mix, right down the street from Ryan at Williston Park. Under new ownership for the past year, but they (Hevin) seems to have maintained the same relationships with the key distributors.
There just aren’t many places where you can find 1980s OWCs of Bordeaux (among other treasures) that have been well stored in their basement.
I agree with your assessment of Raeder’s, but I’m not sure it’s what the OP is looking for. As you indicate, their real wheelhouse is back vintages at great prices and in good condition, less so on new vintages from small producers. I’ve gotten some amazing deals on some amazing wines from them. And I’m not a Bordeaux guy.
Ah yes 100% makes sense, though I have had some totally random luck finding a few producers not found many places elsewhere through the main distributors. For example, 2017 Julianne Eller Fruhmesse (seen her wines on Fass). It’s often totally random - and especially for back vintages - versus a deliberate methodical selection of small producers…
https://www.raederswine.com/wines/Juwel-Fruhmesse-Riesling-2017-w1109750b5
What about West Palm Beach Wine?
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Have you tried Coaltrain in the Springs? They’re better than anything in Denver except the former Proper Pour, which closed. (The PP used to located in The Source, renamed Denver Central Market.)