tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post6136559192679605990..comments2024-03-18T04:47:16.199-07:00Comments on The Gray Report: Top 9 places to buy wine: Beginner's guideW. Blake Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-76397371037361388792015-12-19T02:28:36.708-08:002015-12-19T02:28:36.708-08:00Years ago there was a small wine shop I used to bu...Years ago there was a small wine shop I used to buy all my wine at Albany NY. The owner knew his product and had a great variety. It was a small store but the best I have ever found. It was located on New Scotland Ave several blocks west of Albany Medical Center in Albany. Does anyone remember it? <br />I am now in Maryland and yet to find anything like it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12274407106408060416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-18111869114250104772015-12-18T14:07:22.902-08:002015-12-18T14:07:22.902-08:00Only some Whole food regions have good wine. the o...Only some Whole food regions have good wine. the ones in Norcal are awesome, even though they charge more than any other store in the world for their wines.<br />The Whole foods in Washington DC however sell the same garbage Southern Wine and Spiritis Supermarket wines as any Safeway or Giant. Its rueful. No small producers, no real naturalista wines, Supermarket large production wine with a jason Careyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04969003042754620045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-50062562738442003432015-12-18T12:14:07.313-08:002015-12-18T12:14:07.313-08:00@Bob Henry
I mostly agree with you, although a few...@Bob Henry<br />I mostly agree with you, although a few of the smaller Whole Foods will have a guy who really cares about what to carry, although often they'll be a bit limited by the amount of shelf space and what management/corporate will let them carry. <br /><br />But, if you are somewhere with a bigger/flagship store, it <i>can</i> be very good. <br /><br />@latour<br />Oh really? This Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09911398647505242281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-20220913166150203762015-12-14T10:09:04.998-08:002015-12-14T10:09:04.998-08:00I realize this is not possible for everyone, but s...I realize this is not possible for everyone, but shouldn't buying from the winery be on the list?Kim Badenforthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414655000763494013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-70232183447629121602015-12-11T23:59:23.464-08:002015-12-11T23:59:23.464-08:00Costco, king of the Southern California warehouse ...Costco, king of the Southern California warehouse stores, has been working to improve its beer selection in recent years. It has added imported brews and craft beers to its selection of wines and liquor, and though they don't do much to advertise it, you don’t even need to have a Costco membership to take advantage of the deals (at least in California).<br /><br />That's thanks to an old latourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07797202148237761121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-67144337569115084492015-12-11T06:38:43.566-08:002015-12-11T06:38:43.566-08:00I guess anyone reading this who is a beginner will...I guess anyone reading this who is a beginner will be keen to go further.<br /><br />The way I started (30++ years ago) in the UK was 1) with mixed sample/discovery cases from mail order (now called online) merchants and 2) by going to tastings - mainly clubs but also commercial. When I liked something I could seek it out or ask for something similar in #1Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11282937250538290233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-7087375612672875912015-12-09T09:31:21.481-08:002015-12-09T09:31:21.481-08:00Not so for those of us in upstate NY (I mean Alban...Not so for those of us in upstate NY (I mean Albany on up, not Westchester):<br />1 & 2: 95% are clueless<br />3: Non-existent<br />4: Not allowed to sell alcohol in NYS<br />5: See item 4<br />6: Thank God<br />7: See item 4<br />8: See item 4<br />9: see item 4Wineskillguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07538634138169961720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-64060702628337679352015-12-08T23:01:19.344-08:002015-12-08T23:01:19.344-08:00"You won't find bargains at Whole Foods, ..."You won't find bargains at Whole Foods, but over $25 [selling price] you will find interesting wines. The staff is usually more helpful than at other grocery stores. If you must buy wine in a grocery store, Whole Foods is a cut above the rest."<br /><br />Whole Foods extends an everyday 20% discount on purchases of six or more "mix-and-match" bottles of wine. <br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09537737782259421612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-58600222075160625942015-12-08T18:01:51.671-08:002015-12-08T18:01:51.671-08:00Yes, there are plenty of local wine shops that are...Yes, there are plenty of local wine shops that are just so-so or worse (like a couple I went to in West Hartford earlier in the year). You have to be lucky to live near a good one - but if you do, you're then on track.Jack Everitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02147956932551396362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-57107702073682113602015-12-08T14:37:02.559-08:002015-12-08T14:37:02.559-08:00Clarification: prepared food from the walk up Clarification: prepared food from the walk up Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06419500126623890753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-69894148079099996552015-12-08T14:33:47.433-08:002015-12-08T14:33:47.433-08:00Two things you can buy at Costco without a members...Two things you can buy at Costco without a membership - food and alcohol. You can only pay in cash though. There are 3 Costco stores in NorCal with dedicated wine staff (Dublin, Novato, and Rocklin) I bought a 1/2 case in wood of 2007 Dominus at the Novato storeAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06419500126623890753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-30592654872489714282015-12-08T11:49:31.764-08:002015-12-08T11:49:31.764-08:00I didn't list "stores like Bi-Rite" ...I didn't list "stores like Bi-Rite" because I haven't encountered many. It's a great place to buy wine, and is really like a local wine shop that also has food.<br /><br />Ironically on the day this posted I went into an absolutely terrible local wine shop. I tried to get some advice on the wines of a country with which I am not very familiar. Because my Spanish is not very W. Blake Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-66721469890780911502015-12-08T10:22:20.184-08:002015-12-08T10:22:20.184-08:00I think you should have not gone beyond #2. The re...I think you should have not gone beyond #2. The rest pale in comparison for Beginners. Beginners need hand-holding to help them find their way; a local indie wine store does just that.<br /><br />My number 3 would be independent grocery store that has good/great wines, like Bi-Rite.<br /><br />Whole Foods wines keeps getting more boring; unless you're at a "big" Whole Foods, pass. Jack Everitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02147956932551396362noreply@blogger.com