Shout out to MacArthur Beverages

[Aleks_V]

Will add to the chorus as a big fan! My number one shop in DC, has the best selection of any store in the area and great prices and service to boot.

[Faryan_Amir-Ghassemi]

Phil is the man.

(So is Chris Bublitz who posted on this thread)

[NoahR]

I am privileged to live two blocks from MacArthur Beverage. Every experience is top notch and it’s not bad to have one of the top wine stores in the country in my backyard. Phil is exceptional to work with, as are Joe, Tim, Andy and all of the other wine experts and staff.

[Matt_Latuchie]

My only issue with Phil is that he’s a Mets fan. In all seriousness, they’re a great shop and Phil is amazing.

[J_Migone]

Love McArthur and their people. They are also great educators and take their time with customers.

[Brian_Pinci]

My favorite shop and Phil did the same with me on a transaction that went sideways. Going there today to pickup a German order

[Marcu_Stanley]

I miss shopping there in person! They were the most fun place in DC to just browse wines in person, between the quality of the staff, the range of their offerings, and the great layout of the store (not an insanely narrow and crowded shop with wines jammed in everywhere). Like a Total Wine for geeks.

Weygandt wines would probably come in second in the pure browsing department but they have more of a specific niche type selection.

[Sarah_S]

I miss shopping there in person! They were the most fun place in DC to just browse wines in person, between the quality of the staff, the range of their offerings, and the great layout of the store (not an insanely narrow and crowded shop with wines jammed in everywhere). Like a Total Wine for geeks.

Weygandt wines would probably come in second in the pure browsing department but they have more of a specific niche type selection.

Not sure if you were using the past tense because you are no longer in the area or because they have only allowed curbside pickup since March, but they actually reopened their doors to foot traffic a few weeks ago.

[R_Scott_Hughes]

There is a current thread, “What do you find is a good value play at K&L?” Made me wonder the same thing about Bassin’s - what areas do you find Bassin’s to be strongest in either in terms of selection, knowledge, or price?

[Howard_Cooper]

There is a current thread, “What do you find is a good value play at K&L?” Made me wonder the same thing about Bassin’s - what areas do you find Bassin’s to be strongest in either in terms of selection, knowledge, or price?

German wines, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Italian wines.

[Lonnie_F]

I miss shopping there in person! They were the most fun place in DC to just browse wines in person, between the quality of the staff, the range of their offerings, and the great layout of the store (not an insanely narrow and crowded shop with wines jammed in everywhere). Like a Total Wine for geeks.

Weygandt wines would probably come in second in the pure browsing department but they have more of a specific niche type selection.

Not sure if you were using the past tense because you are no longer in the area or because they have only allowed curbside pickup since March, but they actually reopened their doors to foot traffic a few weeks ago.

Oh cool.

[Mike_Evans]

There is a current thread, “What do you find is a good value play at K&L?” Made me wonder the same thing about Bassin’s - what areas do you find Bassin’s to be strongest in either in terms of selection, knowledge, or price?

German wines, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Italian wines.

I’d add the Rhone Valley to that list.

[Terry_H_a_r_r_i_s]

Another fan. Mostly Southern Rhone over the years.

[Howard_Cooper]

There is a current thread, “What do you find is a good value play at K&L?” Made me wonder the same thing about Bassin’s - what areas do you find Bassin’s to be strongest in either in terms of selection, knowledge, or price?

German wines, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Italian wines.

I’d add the Rhone Valley to that list.

Don’t buy Rhone wines so I cannot comment on that. They have also long had an expertise in American wines. They have had a barrel tasting of California Cabernet based wines for decades and were very early in selling futures in California Cabernet. And, they were the first ones in the DC area to have a big selection of Oregon wines, although again I don’t buy Oregon wines so I cannot comment on their selection these days.

As for expertise, Phil Bernstein is an absolute expert on German wines and also on wines from Alsace. They used to have a real expert on Bordeaux in Mark Wessels - Mark managed the store before he retired and now Phil does. Don’t know who their Bordeaux expert is now as I don’t buy that much Bordeaux anymore and talk to Phil when I want to buy any. Could be Phil now, but I don’t know.

[Jonathan_Loesberg]

Never dealt with Phil but Joe seemed to be a good guy and the transaction is always good. My only complaint has been their DRC allocation prices this year were a bit gougey.

I am not in that market but their prices seem significantly higher than they used to be.

I’ll add my voice to chorus of fans. Also, I find their prices quite competitive. They can sometimes be beaten in other markets, but frequently not. And their selection is pretty damn comprehensive.

[PaulM]

Great shop and great people. Absolutely trustworthy and my favorite shop in the area (no offense to other worthy retailers).

[Andrew_Dodd]

Great shop, great staff, great selection. Have only shopped there in person, only great experiences

[maureen_nelson]

German wines, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Italian wines.

I’d add the Rhone Valley to that list.

Don’t buy Rhone wines so I cannot comment on that. They have also long had an expertise in American wines. They have had a barrel tasting of California Cabernet based wines for decades and were very early in selling futures in California Cabernet. And, they were the first ones in the DC area to have a big selection of Oregon wines, although again I don’t buy Oregon wines so I cannot comment on their selection these days.

As for expertise, Phil Bernstein is an absolute expert on German wines and also on wines from Alsace. They used to have a real expert on Bordeaux in Mark Wessels - Mark managed the store before he retired and now Phil does. Don’t know who their Bordeaux expert is now as I don’t buy that much Bordeaux anymore and talk to Phil when I want to buy any. Could be Phil now, but I don’t know.

Mark is still in the mix re Bordeaux, albeit from his coffee plantation in Hawaii!

[Sarah_S]

I miss shopping there in person! They were the most fun place in DC to just browse wines in person, between the quality of the staff, the range of their offerings, and the great layout of the store (not an insanely narrow and crowded shop with wines jammed in everywhere). Like a Total Wine for geeks.

Weygandt wines would probably come in second in the pure browsing department but they have more of a specific niche type selection.

Not sure if you were using the past tense because you are no longer in the area or because they have only allowed curbside pickup since March, but they actually reopened their doors to foot traffic a few weeks ago.

Oh cool.

Sorry I didn’t see this earlier- they closed again to in-store shopping.

[Russell_Porter]

I live a couple of miles from MacArthur Beverages and I love the store. They are always helpful, whether I need a special wine to go with a meal, or to find a good new small batch bourbon. Unfortunately, because of COVID, the store has been closed to the public and so everything is online. I miss going inside and finding something I wasn’t looking for. Great people there!