Can also be a function of a specific location, particularly store size. There’s one near my office and one near my home. The latter is just a much larger sales floor for whatever reason and as a result has a markedly better selection across the board. It won’t affect you if you’re buying Bud or Jack Daniel’s or Buttercream chard, but it’s noticeable.
MN has some weird liquor laws but many benefit the consumer. One of them is that any wine shop in MN can sell Total Wine Winery Directs. The pricing on them is half and in many cases more than that. They take out big adds in our local paper promoting them. While I have tried some and they are not good wines I love the fact they are exposing Total Wine’s profit margins.
That is so awesome! Please let me know where I can get 10 cases of 2019 Chappellet Signature Cab for under $40/bottle. My friends and I will be so excited as W-S low is $75. I will send a prepaid shipping label and reward you quite handsomely! Once we complete that Ive got a bunch more orders for you and your LWS
Thats a good point. There are LOTS of winery direct options from producers that many here love. Especially from Bordeaux and CA.
1 Like
Cant wait to provide him handsome rewards! Sub $100 2019 Lynch-Bages and 2008 Heidsieck Rare orders are being collected at the moment!
1 Like
Winery Direct and TWM Private Labels are 2 different categories. Winery Direct moniker is the winery offering TWM the required margin thru price reduction to get the moniker. Private Label is just that, a private label usually cleared thru a BTD transaction then straight to a TWM warehouse.
3 Likes
Total Wine has a selection that is 10x better than anything I have access to and generally 20-30% cheaper. I also like their 50% down Bordeaux futures.
4 Likes
At the risk of hijacking your thread, how do you feel about K&L and their fairly extensive selection of Direct Import Champagnes?
Not my thread, but K&L imports a lot more Champagnes that interest me than Total Wine.
Direct imports are great if they are good and well priced, I have nothing against them, per se. My local Total Wine was mostly direct importing Champagnes that didn’t interest me and weren’t well-priced. I don’t think I have ever purchased a Champagne at Total Wine and I’ve purchased a lot (not all direct imports) from K&L.
-Al
I have never placed an order, and I think they stopped shipping to Washington, but the prices on the Direct Imports look very attractive, if they are any good. Certainly more so than Total Wine.
1 Like
The last time I was in total wine two folks were looking for a gift in the display case. Asked the employee who came over if they had any Romanee-Conti. Employee’s response: is that a bordeaux? Not triggered but somewhat amused.
1 Like
K&L has a pretty good selection, their buyer (Gary Westby who is quite a pleasant fellow) has a good palate. During the height of Covid, it seemed like the selection dwindled but I think it’s recovering (same with many products).
I live about 45 miles away from a couple of the stores, used to shop there frequently but now sometimes have them shipped which is obviously pretty easy shipping). I also used to go to their occasional weekend Champagne tastings (theme rotated).
They have lost a few of their direct imports over the years, gained some others. Tarlant was one of the losses I regret.
-Al
2 Likes
Woodland Hills Wine Company is another store that has good selection and where I’ve bought recently. Not sure they ship to WA, though. CA has a number of good places to buy Champagne.
-Al
1 Like
If we have moved on to which brick and mortar stores are good for Champagne, I don’t think there is a better place in CA than Hi-Times. But there are lots of good shops that might have what you are looking for when another does not. And if you are really serious about having a good selection available to you, email retailers like Envoyer and Lopa should be part of your options. I don’t really think ‘direct import’ is something to be focused on.
2 Likes
You should look at Vinopolis in Portland. They have a very, very good Riesling section and can ship to San Diego pretty easily. The selection is good enough that it might warrant a phone call to the shop, as it seems to me that they have more in store than is shown online.
2 Likes
Vinopolis is also a great shop for Oregon wines, although I mostly buy from the producers. Quality shop, though.
-Al
1 Like
Thx! In a bit of cruel irony last year I realized Rudi Wiest lived 3 blocks away from me. I saw the house listed for sale and a massive walk in wine cellar room in the photos that led me to inquire who the owner was. If only I’d known that several years earlier
Price is my focus. Direct Import from K&L has some low priced Champagne. The entry level Baron Fuentes, for example, is trading for $25.00. I don’t know if it’s a decent Champagne but it trades for more than $40 in my market. They are advertising a number of Champagne brands with which I have no familiarity, with extended lees aging, oak treatments, etc. for a lot lower than I would expect, and it piqued my interest.
I am cognizant that value hunting in Champagne represents a false economy, but I can get a lot of enjoyment out of a mediocre bottle of Champagne, unlike most other AOCs, and there is thrill in the hunt.
1 Like
Value hunting is exactly what my post was focused on. I’m only suggesting “direct import” is probably not something that should be high on your list of concerns. If you want some value, definitely get on lists that do some grey market importing as suggested. That’s where you will get the best ‘value’ the the vast majority of cases.
1 Like