Costco has been discussed here already. What I want to know is what people's favorite source for good and/or cheap wine.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and we have quite a few good local wine shops. Not to mention the many gourmet grocery stores that carry fine wines. These are some of my favorites:
Vin Vino Wine (also known as VVW) located in Palo Alto. VVW has almost daily tastings of different wines. Tastings can sometimes be explensive, but its a good chance to sample a wide variety of wines from around the world. This is where I got hooked on Rhones.
K&L in Menlo Park. They have a huge selection of older wines purchased from other collectors, stores, etc. Where else can you go and buy a '74 California Cabernet on short notice?
Dreager's. A local gourmet market, with a Master of Wine (one of the USA's first) picking the wines.
Have you tried the Wine Club. They have locations in San Francisco and Santa Clara (also Santa Ana) and claim to be the largest selling wine merchant west of the Mississippi. I have been purchasing wines from them for years and have been very satisfied. Their service both in person and by mail is excellent.
Wine club has good prices, but is best on current releases. For a discounter that also has a good selection of older wines, try Premier Cru in Emmeryville.
Sam's clubs are coast to coast and the one I go to in Michigan is carrying some GREAT wines at GREAT prices. They even carry Penfold Grange at $145 a bottle. There selection is from very inexpensive on up.
I trid a bottle of Black Opal (Barossa Valley) and found it to be a terrific bottle for under $15. Got it @ Sam's.
Sometimes the best deals are right under your nose.
Draeger's in San Mateo is a good spot. They have an awesome selection and a great staff. They also have a great wine bar where you can taste during the weekend.
Pogo's in Dallas has a huge selection, good prices and knowledgeable assistants who can guide you to common to special wines, from most anywhere in the world, from modest to very expensive, depending on your wallet and preferences.
for your taste in rhones, Beltramo's Wines and Spirits:1540 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, 325-2806 has a good selection as well. like Vin Vino, has Kermit Lynch imports.
Try the Wine Library in Springfield, NJ. Great deals for those of you on the east coast (try comparing similar wines offered at Zachy's, typically Wine Library beats them out). www.winelibrary.com www.zachys.com I also use winecommune and have had much success buying there.
Premier Cru in Emeryville is incredible. Amphora Wine Merchant in Hayes Valley, next to Absinthe restaurant (www.amphorawine.com) has an awesome selection of hard-to-find wines. Where else can you find Copain, Sine Qua Non, K Vineyards, T-Vine, Sean Thackrey, etc... all on the shelf?? They also have great European wines and a whole section of under $15 values which they taste - very knowledgable staff. Also www.winebid.com has awesome wines, and it's the best place to sell your collection too.
For online buying - I find that the Village Corner has great prices, and sometimes even better prices than I cant get right here in the Bay Area. Good selection of new imports as well.
Premier Cru is excellent, as is the Rare Wine Company. Also, through the e-mail notification list at Santa Ana Wine Club you can get some very good deals on older and/or hard to get stuff from time to time, but you have to act quickly.
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