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| - There's not much to say about this store that hasn't already been said, but let's just say this is my favorite place to shop in all of Phoenix. I stop by here every Friday after work for one of their complimentary wine tastings. Total Wine has done so much to educate me on wine and help me discern what I like and why. Every weekend they offer a selection of 6 or 7 wines to taste, and on many weekends there are also tables set up to sample beer or liquor as well. It's nice to be able to try before you buy, and even nicer to discover new favorites along the way!
The also hold (about once a month or so) a "Meet the Winemaker," where the actual winemaker comes to the store to pour their wines. While the Total Wine employees are always incredibly knowledgeable and friendly (and happy to offer recommendations based on your palette), there's just something fun about meeting the actual winemaker. I've found some of my all time favorite wines through the Meet the Maker tastings.
In addition to ALL of that, they host more structured/detailed classes for a small cost. They choose a theme and teach you about French wines, or Oregon wines, or IPA beers. They teach you what to look for when tasting it, how to do it, and teach you a few things about the background/growing process of that particular beverage while sampling a selection.
And while what made me fall in love with this store (and not just this location...the staff at all 3 Phoenix stores know me by name) was the education/sampling aspects (ok, and let's face it, the Cheers-style atmosphere...where everyone knows your name!), it's the selection and the prices that keep raving about them. Their selection is vast and impressive (and if they don't happen to have something, they most likely can order it for you). Their prices are always, I mean ALWAYS, less than anywhere else. Certainly far less than grocery stores or specialty stores, and nearly always even less than the deepest discounts/sale prices at the grocery stores. Even compared to the BevMo famous 5 cent sale, the regular price at Total Wine is cheaper on those same two bottles.
This has literally become the ONLY place I buy wine, beer, or liquor and the only place I ever recommend to anyone else.
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