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There is no more iconic wine shop in all of California than Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant. A legendary wine importer whose French and Italian selections sell at restaurants, wine bars, and high end markets across the country, KLWM only has one shop, accessible if you live close to Berkeley, but also worth a pilgrimage if you are visiting the Bay Area from somewhere else. The advantage to visiting the “mother ship” is obvious the moment you enter: amazingly knowledgeable staff who startle you with their wine recommendations and revealing tasting notes, along with ultra fresh stocks of newly arrived wines whose bottles are stacked and stored on nearly every available square foot of floor space. My advice for those intimidated by a wine shop of this caliber is to begin by signing up for their superb monthly newsletter, which you can receive as downloadable pdf. Read until you can’t stop fantasizing about Bandol or Barolo and find yourself dreaming about the Dolomites and Loire Valley in your sleep. Next, email or call a sales staff member to set up an initial appointment. Tell them which regions of France or Italy you are interested in – maybe Sicily, the southern Rhône, or Corsica – and your maximum price point ($40 is a good starting one), and let them guide you to wines of interest. On future visits, you can skip the pre arranged appointment if you wish but stick to price points and regions of interest. Chablis. Alto Adige. Cru Beaujolais. Wines under $20 that would be perfect for a party. Giftable gems for a dear friend or family member. Consider lunch at Bartavelle as well, next door, which offers KL wines by the bottle and glass for very reasonable prices. If you like it, stop by next door and buy it. And make a mental note to read Adventures on the Wine Route, Lynch’s famously readable, well illustrated memoir of how it all began.

Hope Valley Wine & Beverage – Menu with Prices – 4711 Hope Valley Rd #4E, Durham

Now I am by no means a wine connoisseur (I can’t even spell that without looking it up), but even I found myself at home in this fantastic wine shop. As mentioned in numerous other reviews, the staff here really are just about the friendliest people you could meet. The importance of that fact cannot be overemphasized enough for an essential wine rookie timidly walking into a wine shop! My fears quickly dissolved in HV Bottle Shop, however, as the staff member that helped me was so very kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. Upon asking him a question about a possible wine selection, he had a suggestion for me right off the bat! (and of course his suggestion turned out to fit the bill perfectly) There is a wide selection of wines from numerous regions to fit pretty much any budget, as well as a decent selection of chilled wines and a tasting machine (score!). Plus they host regular wine tastings so unsophisticated individuals such as myself can broaden their palate a bit. Despite my naivety when it comes to vino, I do think I’m a bit more well versed in the arena of beers. And lo and behold, there is a very respectable selection of craft beers and microbrews here as well! Clearly, you are not going to find the variety or sheer numbers found in Sam’s or Tasty Beverage, but the selection of ales here is nothing to shake a stick at. Seemingly equally knowledgeable about beer as he was about wine, the staff member informed me that NC cannot sell Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA because of NC’s 15% ABV cap on beer (as the 120 minute IPA runs north of the 15% ABV line). He further informed me that NC had a 6% ABV cap until 2005 when a new bill was put into effect thanks to the Pop the Cap movement. (maybe everyone else already knows that, but I certainly did not!) Great wine selection, much more than decent beer selection, amazing staff, and fun facts to be learned upon visiting–what more could you want?

Vinology Bottle Shop + Tasting Bar – Menu with Prices – 2314 Bissonnet St, Houston

This is such a good spot to learn more about wine, particularly wines that may not have broad distribution (i.e., not wines you can get at a grocery store). Vinology is part store and part wine bar. The place is curated and stocked by someone who clearly knows wine – most everything here is small production and difficult to find in this town. Prices are good too, and definitely in line with other smaller retailers in town. They will occasionally have a wine producer or distributor offering tastings. The best part of this place is the wine bar. You can order by the glass or in flights. The flights change frequently, and feature unusual and exciting themes. For example, last time I was there, they offered an entire flight of South African Chenin Blanc and another of all red wines from Sicily aged in amphorae rather than barrels. I mean, come on. That’s so dang cool. Staff is super knowledgeable about everything too, so if exploring some of these lesser-known wines and regions scares you, don’t hesitate to ask. They will pour and chat and find you something excellent. I do wish they had a kitchen… I honestly would be here a lot more if they did. But everything else is so good, I couldn’t drop down any stars. Check it out!

Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection – Menu with Prices – 558 Centerville Rd Ste D, Lancaster

A great selection of staple and seasonal drinks, balanced by friendly and helpful staff. Just tonight I visited our local FW&GS (what we used to call the State Store in days past) trying to find a good red wine for my wife. I’m a whiskey and bourbon drinker who couldn’t tell you the first thing about wine other than what I read online. One of the staff, reading the obviously perplexed look on my face as I scanned wine sites on my phone, asked if I needed help. Like a patient sage, he spent 15 good minutes walking me through the various wines… regions, varieties, and what to expect with each from first sip to final notes. If you need a go-to spirit or that libation for a special occasion (to enjoy responsibly, of course ð???) feel free to stop in. Whether you know what you need or whether what you need is wisdom imparted, the folks at FW&GS have you covered.

Holme Estate Cellars – Menu with Prices – 216 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside

I’m not the biggest wine drinker but I do appreciate good wine and they have that here at Holmes. I was very surprised to see a wine tasting room in Oceanside. So when I heard about it I had to try it out. They’re not in a big location and I kind of like that because you get that personal touch. Scott who is the man is very helpful, very knowledgeable about the wines and doesn’t look down on you because you don’t know your wines. I’ve been here twice now and each time I really enjoyed myself. The tasting room is very well put together and they have a wonderful lounge area as soon as you walk in the front door. They offer flights, tastings, glasses of wines and of course bottles. A friend of mine bought a bottle of Rosé which is my favorite wine here at Holmes. I can’t wait to come back because the wine is great, Scott is excellent at his job and the prices aren’t bad at all. This just may become my spot!

Ed Hyder’s Mediterranean Marketplace – Menu with Prices – 408 Pleasant St, Worcester

A lot of wine, cheese, spices, and knowledge about food packed into this small store. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the prices are better than I expected. I went to a wine tasting here on a Saturday and the gentleman explaining the wines knew so much more about wine than anyone in our group. We learned so much, and tried (and then bought many different wines that we wouldn’t have discovered had we not gone to Ed Hyder’s that afternoon.

Vintage Vino – Menu with Prices – 14 E Dakin Ave, Kissimmee

My favorite place to go for a flight of wine. John waited on us and was friendly, kind, and generous. I wanted to find a place with a great price for a flight of Wines and happy hour for my friends in downtown Kissimmee, FL and I found Vintage Vino online. I loved the service and two of the Wines. The Riesling and Peach Moscato wine were delightfully sweet, addictive, and yummy. My friends and I loved the Ambience. I adored the giant wine glasses and the fact he placed the bottle of wine by each glass. We each had three wine glasses of wine for each flight. The wine was ample too. $12 a flight unless it had more expensive Wines. Happy hour had $4 select Wines and beers. Dinner from nearby restaurants are served here – so convenient. The bathroom area required a punch in number password for Vintage Vino. Service was not the quickest but we managed to get our refills and food soon enough. The furniture and seating was very comfortable and inviting. I was very happy to come, relax, and chat here with friends! I will definitely come here again and again. My go see wine place in Kissimmee, FL!

Pedaler Wine & Beer – Menu with Prices – 5910 Duraleigh Rd suite 141, Raleigh

I’m still trying to figure out the name of this place? The sign outside reads ‘Beer & Wine 101’, the door read ‘Pedaler Wine & Beer’ and then the page reads ‘Wine 101’…. I’m not sure if they can’t make their mind up or if they are rebranding hoping to revamp? The shop is in an older strip mall off from Glenwood Ave. Inside the area is split up into two areas. The front space that has some seating, the bar, and wine followed by a back room that had half empty shelving for beer. The space itself just was not inviting, we stopped to check it out as we do frequent beer/wine shops. Nothing about it created an atmosphere where I would want to stay and enjoy a drink. Its just very generic. I’m kinda wondering about the other reviews since we did not have the same experience that the other reviews explained…. which also leads me to wondering if they are rebranding and the place used to be just a store and now they are making it into a bar? They did have a nice variety of wines and they labeled the areas well, however, most of it was over the $20 per bottle price point. The beer in the back did not look like anything that I haven’t seen in Harris Teeter, my husband was expecting more on the lines of Pharmacy/House of Hops selection. I’ll check back with them in a few months, maybe the place will be more than a space in a strip mall then?

New York Butcher Shoppe Menu with Prices 465 Highland Ave, Augusta

First I have to send a giant thank you to one of our Yelp community members (Ron F.) for telling me for months that I needed to make it out to the monthly wine pairing hosted here. I finally took his advice and I have no regrets from the evening. For anyone local, it can be found in the middle section of the Surrey Center, all the way at the far left end, across from Finch & Fifth. So parking and shops to check out are a plenty. The wine pairing event is after hours (7 pm) so you have the place to yourself and it is only $20 a person (as a guest). Now let me go ahead and mention that if you become a monthly member ($40) it includes this wine pairing event as well as a selected bottle of white and a bottle of red wine. Plus 10% off wine purchases. That pays for itself. Back to this event. You walk in and a Greeter is being served. Pace yourself here. There will be two small plates, a main entree, and a dessert served. All of these will be paired with a different wine. And don’t worry about your glass going empty. Their pours are heavy and the team is walking around with the bottle, making sure no glass goes dry. Separately, the dishes and wines were amazing. The pasta, meat, and baking skills were top notch. Everything was plated beautifully as well. The wines each had their own personality and made me mad at myself for not being a member. But the two of them together, pure joy to the palette. A bold Cab with a dense chocolate cake, that is a capstone pairing if I’ve ever seen one. I will point out that this is a deli by day. That means there are meats, side dishes, tomato pies, of course bottles of wine, and much more available for purchase. That also means there is very little seating. So plan to stand for the entire event (about two hours in all). But due to the nature of the group there and the curiosity to see everything there, you probably won’t even care about standing (especially around that third or fourth wine pairing). I am in love with this place and look forward to returning soon (aka, next month). Attend this event, go grab lunch one day, and stop by if you are needing a quality yet affordable bottle of wine.

Vlz Liquor Store – Menu with Prices – 18907 Jamaica Ave, Jamaica

This is the best wine store in the area. But the aren’t really any other wines stores in the area, so… It’s nice that the is no Plexiglas. The front counter employees are always a nice, but rotating staff. They have cold wines in a fridge, but they are the lowest level, cheap, mass-produced bottles. It’s nice that they have such a wide selection of Portuguese wines in store. But the owner has placed a barrier in front of the Portuguese (& other) white wines so that you can’t get near them to see them. Why? Because it’s not summer. Forget your chicken & fish dishes you might prepare during Lent! More importantly, these wines are not being sold & replaced. So by the time the security around the bottles are dropped these white wines will be waaaaay past their “freshness date”. You don’t wanna be ageing inexpensive white wines. Trust. Make sure the year you buy is THIS year’s bottle. There are many liquors on hand for such a small store. Those do last a lot longer, so you’re good. Bottom line: Stay with red wine from the front shelf or hard liquor and be nice to the counter staff. They deserve it.

Tom’s Farms Cheese and Wine Shoppe – Menu with Prices – 23900 Temescal Canyon Rd, Corona

The Cheese & Wine Shoppe is conveniently located in Tom’s Farms and it is THE place to stop before or after Glen Ivy. A great place to purchase gourmet foods and goodies.They have homemade breads that are baked daily as well as delicious cookies and pies. The pies are priced just right and full of flavor. Try the boysenberry pie or raspberry pie. There are over 600 varieties of wine. Most of the wines are from the Temecula Valley, but the selection expands over several popular California regions.They have a wine tasting area to sample many of the wines and even offer a beer tasting option. Four tastes for $5.00. There’s definitely something for everyone. The craft beer selection is larger than most and continually growing. I love to stop in and purchase gourmet goodies and beer/wine to enjoy while relaxing in the outdoor patio area near the pond. The gift baskets and gift boxes are perfect! They have a nice selection of unique gift baskets/boxes to choose from…great for any occasion. You have an option to choose from pre-made baskets/boxes or the liberty to customize your very own (you choose the items). At The Cheese & Wine Shoppe you will find a variety of the following: beef jerky, gourmet coffee, gourmet hot sauces, wine accessories and awesome gift baskets/boxes. The list goes on…tasty cheese, meats, olives, sauces, salsa and seasonings. There’s a small deli in the back corner of the shoppe with a walk-up window in the patio area for pick-up. It’s called the Patio Pizza! The menu includes: pizza, hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches, grinders & subs and a variety of sides. It probably needs its very own Yelp, but for now here it is!! Don’t miss this little gem.

Black & Brew – Menu with Prices – 205 E Main St, Lakeland

“What’s the best coffee shop in Lakeland?” Black and Brew. Anyone trying to argue that this is NOT the best coffee shop in this city obviously needs to learn something; so the rest of this review is going to be an explanation on the difference between simple and compound interest. SIMPLE INTEREST VS. COMPOUND INTEREST It’s easy to confuse the two, but there are some major differences. For starters, you’ll hear simple interest referenced more often with respect to borrowing money — some personal loans, auto loans and even mortgages may charge you simple interest. Calculating how much you pay in simple interest is, well, simple: It’s the principal multiplied by the interest rate multiplied by the term of the loan. So let’s say you take out a $1,000 loan that charges you 5 percent annual interest, which you’d have to pay off in five years. At the end of the loan term, you’d have paid $250 total in interest. Compound interest, meanwhile, is based on an exponential calculation in which interest is charged (or earned) based on the principal amount plus whatever interest has been accumulating over time (we’ll spare you the complicated math equation and just say that there are calculators for that). So using the same $1,000 example: If that 5 percent interest was compounded annually, at the end of the five years the total interest you’d pay would add up to $276.28. So in a borrowing scenario, compound interest isn’t your friend. Ever wonder why your credit card balances seem to grow so fast? It’s because credit card companies compound the interest they charge you from month to month — which means if you carry over balances, you’re being charged interest on the previous interest you didn’t pay off (on top of whatever purchases you’ve made). Ugh. But if you’re saving or investing, compound interest — or compound growth, if we’re talking about returns on investments — can be your best friend, particularly if you’ve got time on your side.

Margaret & Maxwell – A Wine Salon Menu with Prices 5 All Souls Crescent, Asheville

Wow. I dig this place a lot. Combining a very meticulously and carefully curated range of wines from around the world with a super cozy and intimate wine bar, Margaret & Maxwell could be my new go-to spot for wine – even though I’m a beer guy. They have a respectably wide range of well selected wines – from Austrian Gewurztraminers to Finger Lake Dessert Wines – you’ll find something you’ve never seen – and you can easily strike up a conversation with the owners who definitely know wine. On a recent visit, my wife and I grabbed a spot on the couch in the wine bar and ordered two glasses of wine and a meat and cheese plate – very reasonably priced at $12 for two amazing soft cheeses and mortadella served with honey and crackers to spread upon. Oh and we go to sample a couple of new wines as well. It’s clear that the proprietors know food and wine. My glass was a soft and velvety Pinot Noir from Oregon that was just delicious. The ambience of the wine bar – set back from the shop – is nicely mellow, dim lighting with a custom art-nouveau fashioned bar, a large velvety couch and chairs and various pictures and interesting things to look at – I felt like I could be in some funky cafe in Brussels. This would be a pretty nice place for a first date or ‘date night’ with your S.O. One of the owners was attending the wine bar and mentioned they were hosting a “3 course” wine tasting the next day so my wife and I were all in. The wine tasting featured three wine representatives who DID NOT skimp on quality or originality. I tried one of the best white wines I’ve had – an unassuming white bordeaux that I would never have known about. Oh and they splashed out with an $80 bottle of rose champagne (“Don’t mind if I do”) as well as an amazing Cabernet Franc from California. If they organize these regularly, count me in. We walked away with a bottle of the Cab Franc for dinner. I wish our local wine shop/bar were as cozy and well curated as this place. Tucked away down in Biltmore Village, it’s a bit of a trek for us, but we certainly know its worth it.