Best Liquor (and wine) Stores in Greater Boston

[StriperGuy]

This came up in another thread, but figured it deserves it's own. I have some explanatory notes below as well:

Best Liquor Stores in Greater Boston (please add to this list as it is weak on N. Shore, South Shore, and West of 128 info).

- Martignetti's Soldier's Field Road
Pretty good selection of everything wine and alcohol. Quirky but knowledgeable crew in the wine department.

- Cambridge Wine & Spirits
202 Alewife Brook Pkwy
Cambridge, MA 02138
[phone]
Pretty good selection of everything wine and alcohol

Marty's Liquors
675 Washington St
Newton, MA 02458-1261
[phone]
Pretty good selection of everything wine and alcohol. Very strong on wine. Though a bit of attitude with the staff if you're not spending $40+ a bottle.

Brookline Liquor Mart
www.blmwine.com
1354 Commonwealth Ave
Allston, MA 02134
[phone]
Pretty good selection of everything wine and alcohol. VERY strong on wine as they are owned by one of MA biggest wine importers.

Wine Cask and Cheese Cask
www.thewineandcheesecask.com
407 Washington St
Somerville, MA 02143-3832
[phone]
Good wine selection, limited on liquor, okay prices. Great if you are local but not worth a special trip.

Blanchard's of Allston
www.blanchards.net
103 Harvard Ave
Allston, MA 02134
[phone]
Pretty good selection of everything wine and alcohol. Nice low key wine staff. Don't go on Saturday night or the college kids prepping to get boozed up will drive you nuts.

Kappy's
Route 1 North
www.kappys.com
Pretty good selection of everything. Not much help from the staff.

Federal Wine & Spirits Inc
www.federalwine.com
29 State St
Boston, MA 02109-2723
[phone]
Decent, but really not competitive with the other places a bit out of downtown.

The Wine Bottega
www.thewinebottega.com
341 Hanover St
Boston, MA 02113
[phone]
Good wine selection. A bit pricey. Not competitive with the other places a bit out of downtown.

Atlas wine and Spirits
(I know some of the bigger ones south of Boston have great selection).

Notes:

If you want to save $$ and make a big purchase it is hard to avoid a trip over the border to NH. Better prices at the NH State owned stores and some of the big ones have excellent selection.

Sadly, for liquor stores with serious selection and decent prices you really do have to get out of downtown Boston. Suburban and semi-suburban areas just have the real estate for bigger stores which generally (go figure) greater selection and lower prices.

Wine and booze selection don't correlate 100% but there is significant overlap. i.e. Gordon's in Waltham is one of the best wine stores (possibly the best) in Greater Boston but their booze selection is not that exciting. That said they just added a huge Belgian and Barleywine selection to their beers so... Also, Gordon's lost David Raines, their wine guy of many years departed recently to focus on importing, which has been his side business for many years. Sadly none of the other Gordon's staff even comes close to filling his shoes.

[BoDubya]

i really like the guys over at vinodivino in newton. i've tasted something new and different every time i've been in there. it's one of those places where you can tell them your likes/dislikes and they always seem to nail it. it's wine only though.

[StriperGuy]

VinoDivino is a little boutiquey place is it not? While those types of stores are fine, they are not really for the serious wine or cocktail person as the selection is just too limited and prices generally a good bit higher.

[BoDubya]

go there - then decide. i haven't bought anything over $15. big is better doesn't always do it for me. i like the personal service that can be very lacking at larger stores. if you know everything there is to know about wine, then maybe this place isn't for you. i know what i like when i taste it, but that's about it.

[Science Chick]

I agree with BoDubya. I've been there a few times and always walked out with a nice bottle for ~15 bucks. It's geared for reasonably priced selections for the most part. Really nice owner too....very helpful and not snobby about buying "economy" wines.

[Infomaniac]

I also like a smaller knowledgable retailer, and I'm willing to spend more money for the extra service and attention.
Living close to the NH border, when I know what I want you can't beat NH State Liquor store for price and selection.
When I visit my sister I usually stop at Busa Liquors on Mass Ave in Lexington. They seem to have a nice selction of wine at reasonable prices. Cigars too.

[Tir_na_nOg]

I'm definitely a "serious wine person", and I actually buy a fair bit of wine at VinoDivino (despite living in Waltham).

It's definitely a boutique with a business model designed to appeal to wealthy suburban yuppies. Most of their wines have been rated "90+ points" by one of the major wine reviewers, so it's ideal for people who want to find a good wine that won't embarrass them or has some snob appeal. Their selection is decent (no liquor) for a boutique, but prices are average to full retail (they do have a running discount for your prior purchases).

Sounds like a place that wouldn't appeal to a knowledgeable wine lover, but I frequent them because they often have some interesting wines I can't find anywhere else. And it is a good place to pick up a bottle if you don't know much about a particular region and just want something the Wine Spectator/Wine Advocate has given a decent rating.

899 Walnut Street
Newton, MA 02461
617-527-8466
http://www.wineaccess.com/store/vinod...

[almansa]

Rapid Liquors on Main Street in Stoneham. Very well merchandised and rock bottom prices. Best selection of wines under $10 I have ever seen anywhere.

[StriperGuy]

Hmmm, that sound promising.

[almansa]

And 1.75 ltr Tanqueray for $29.

[phonelady]

My go to place . . .
Also like East Gate Liquors (North Reading location)

[nsenada]

Great list - three things I love about Federal are that it's across the street from me, they have frequent hard liquor tastings (I had what seemed like a half-tumbler sample of Octomore one day), and they seem to have the largest selection of single malts, whiskies, and other "brown liquors" despite their postage-stamp size. Definitely not cheap, though. The bad part is trying to work after an Octomore Big Gulp.

Macy's on Centre Street in West Roxbury was quite good at one time, but I think their prices have crept up.

Gary's on the VFW in West Roxbury is not cheap either, but they have a large selection of both wines and liquors.

When I'm looking for cheap, especially on hard to find beers (large Belgian and British selection) I stock up at Super Phipps in Westfield, MA (my in-laws are out there). Their liquor selection isn't much to write home about.

By the way, anyone know if any stores around here carry Sixpoint Cream Ale?

[erwocky]

Not only does Federal have a great selection of scotch and bourbon, but Joe the whiskey guy really knows his stuff. He also works hard to get new bourbons up here from Kentucky, and uncommon malts from Scotland. I think the prices for single malts and small batch whiskey are quite good there compared to other stores in town, though I don't shop out in the suburbs.

I like the wine guys there, too, they're very helpful regardless of price point. And their weekly tastings are great.

[StriperGuy]

Federal is certainly a top shop. Just FYI on the bourbon front. Many of the "new" bourbon's are really just products of the marketing team at major distillers.

Two notable exceptions are Tuthilltown distillers in NY. Get a hand on some of their products if you can.

http://tuthilltown.com/

Also some of the Old Potrero products from the folks who make Anchor Steam beer are pretty tasty and unusual. Saw some of these recently in Boston, but can't remember where:

http://www.anchorbrewing.com/about_us...

As I said above, most of the "New" bourbons out there are just cooked up by marketing teams at the majors digging up some long lost name, applying a nostalgic label and bottle and appealing to our desire for old-timey hooch.

I could name a dozen of them, but Bulleit is a perfect example of this scenario is made by Diageo a MEGA distiller if ever their was one.

[Infomaniac]

I wouldn't call Diageo a distiller. They are just a company like InBev that owns a bunch of brands.

Bulleit bourbon is made by Bulleit Distilling Company in Kentucky, and Diageo just owns the brand, as they do Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Captain Morgan, etc.

Edit: I just learned from a friend who works for InBev that Bulleit is actuall made Four Roses Bourbon.

Does anyone know where I can get Rebel Yell Bourbon in the Boston area.

[StriperGuy]

My point is that the mega brand owning companies are essentially just booze factories. Most of them own several different distilleries and it is largely irrelevant to them where a brand is made, or who makes it.

The marketing guys come up with a brand concept, a label, a bottle and then they figure out which factory can make sufficient bottles to meet with the marketing plan.

The nostalgic old-timey shtick is just that. There is no old guy with a beard, sitting on his porch making your hooch.

I see Rebel Yell at various places around Boston. I will keep an eye out.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

You say this like we don't know it already.

[StriperGuy]

I'm assuming that is the "Royal We" as I am fairly sure that not every hound reading this thread was aware of that fact. ;-)

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

I dunno, the faux-indie has a long and distinguished history in American commerce. I think it's always been fairly common knowledge that Knob Creek, Bookers, etc. are Jim Beam products, same way pretty much everyone who cares knows that Coors makes Blue Moon, and I don't think anyone who doesn't know already know this would be surprised to find out. But that's a topic for another thread.

[hckybg]

I saw Rebel Yell at Supreme Liquors in Central Square, which actually has a fairly extensive selection of bourbon (including Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, Blanton's, Basil Hayden...).

[skippy66]

NH Liquor store.

$17.99 for 1.75

[Infomaniac]

Thanks skippy....I stopped by the Plaistow, NH store tonight and picked up a bottle.

[erwocky]

Thanks for the recs. Some of the Old Potrero line I've certainly had, but Tuthilltown looks like a find. My point about Federal is they try to bring in stuff hard to find in MA (and thus "new" to me, like Clear Creek Distillery products), and I appreciate that.

[StriperGuy]

What do you like from Clear Creek?

[erwocky]

I think the McCarthy's single malt "scotch" is fantastic. Lots of peat, but something quite different from a Lagavulin that I can't really put into words. Tried a couple of their eaux de vie a while ago and liked those (although I'm not a much of an aficionado).

http://clearcreekdistillery.com/whisk...

To keep this on-topic for Boston, Federal is having some problems getting this in stock lately.

[StriperGuy]

Aaaah that's right, I've heard of these guys. Gotta track some down.

[kimfair1]

I just picked up some of the Clear Creek Douglas Fir liquer to make Tom fromCraigie's drink The Northern Lights from Marty's in Newton. Very nice. Their prices might not be the best, but I always find what I'm looking for at Marty's. I recently wanted to make a sazerac, and they were one of the few places I was able to find not only Sazerac brand Rye, but also Herbsaint.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

I've seen Old Potrero at both Martignetti's and Marty's within the last few months, though I don't normally peruse the spirits unless I'm buying, so I don't know what their current stocks are.

[simonr]

What's the best place north of the city for malts - both variety and price ? (I've gotten some good bargains at the Heathrow duty-free, but it's a bit of a trek ;=)

[pemma]

Kappy's in Wellington Circle, Medford is huge. Prices good. There's a wine guy there that can be helpful, too.

[eatanddestroy]

Liquor Land at 1033 Massachusetts Ave in Boston has a good selection of liquors that you can't find elsewhere. Prices are average.

Gary's at 655 Vfw Pkwy always has some great deals. I go here regularly to see what's on sale, and I usually end up with a few bottles of liquor and wine. (I'll never forget when they had 4 packs of Samuel Smith for $1.99- but that was years ago.)

Wine Gallery - Pricey, but great selection and a great staff.

[jgg13]

I've become a big fan of Liquor World in porter over the last year or two. Can't speak for the wine portion, only beer & spirits but they've done a great job ... great craft beer selection, an always growing collection of not-always-easy-to-find spirits, etc. Heck, they sell the bitter truth bitters (which they got in just a couple weeks after I spent all the shipping costs to get the whole lineup shipped to me from germany, argh!).

There's one guy in particular that seems to be behind the transition, it might be a few others, but not everyone that works there is particularly knowledgeable ... if you go in asking for say, punt e mes, they carry it but not everyone there knows what it is.

[chickendhansak]

Agreed on Liquor World -- for beer fans they are doing a great service. For instance they stock Dieu du Ciel beers from Montreal which seems rare around here.

I work near Colonial Spirits in Acton and it is a regular stop for me. They have a thorough selection of world beers, especially Belgian, German and British in addition to U.S. and Canadian craft beers. Their prices are not the lowest, but the large space allows a broad range of items, for example exotic cordials and what looks to me like a decent range of bourbon, rye, etc. I'm not a wine person but they seem to have a decently large selection.

[barleywino]

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Liquor World carries Gekkakow vintage daiginjo sake, among an otherwise small/ unremarkable sake collection (the dessert sake they carry is not particularly good imho)

[hiddenboston]

I love Bermans in Lexington for wine. They really seem to know their stuff there, and I believe they actually travel to different countries to find interesting wines.

[rlh]

Having researched this extensively and concluded there is no ideal, one-stop shop but there are lots of great options, my two cents:

For what they carry, the larger NH stores (like Nashua) are by far the best (e.g., Eagle Rare 750 ml for $21.99!)

Cambridge Wine and Spirits is where I typically go first - fair (but not cheap) prices, broad/deep selection and helpful people with opinions (and even recipes) they are willing to share.

Downtown Wine and Spirits in Davis Sq, Somerville should be added - plenty of metered parking nearby, great beer and pretty good alcohol selection - slightly high prices sometimes

Atlas Liquors in Medford is shockingly large and well-stocked - have only been once but was impressed

Marty's in Newton always seems to have higher prices than anywhere else for my needs (but it's great when they get something like that Luxardo holiday promotion pack...) and there is a lot to choose from.

Brix on Broad St is pricey with limited selection, but carries GREAT stuff in terms of alcohol and will special order anything you want that MA distributors carry (e.g., Old Monk Rum) - super service and convenient if you work downtown

Still searching for that great absinthe selection - any recommendations?

[mc 11]

Bin Ends on Wood Rd in Braintree is a great place to find wine.

[Bluebell]

No idea re absinthe, but Liquor World in Porter has Old Monk, and so does Libby's (?) - right next to Shalimar in Central Sq.

[rlh]

Do you recall the Old Monk prices? - probably much lower than Brix - glad to know of the alternatives - thanks!

[Bluebell]

$18 at Liquor World, and about the same at Libby's I think.

[rlh]

Stopped by there on Saturday - it's now marked $32 on Old Monk! Brix was about $22 for the special - no thanks to Liquor World - insane pricing or a mistake? Liquor prices there in general seem higher than anywhere else I am aware of, including Brix downtown and Marty's in Newton, both of which are far more pleasant experiences, and the parking is a breeze at Marty's

[nsenada]

What size Old Monk, 375 or 750 ML?

[rlh]

750 in all cases - have you seen 375 - I'd be interested in that

[nsenada]

Federal Wines - I think it was $16, though, so not a great deal (though convenient for me). I'll have to check out Brix downtown for the 750ml bottle.

[StriperGuy]

Call me suggestible, saw some Old Monk at Sav Mor in fresh pond for $17.99 for 750ml and bot a bottle cause of this thread. Also bought a bottle of Black Balzam, had to try it...

[nsenada]

That's a great deal. Just ran out of it myself, so may have to head out that way.

[itaunas]

There is a SavMor on McGrath on the Cambridge Somerville line (and next to Whole Foods in Medford) which will have the same sale prices on liquors. Its fairly easy access from downtown, except the Leverett Circle to Lechmere portion gets congested and shopping season at Cambridgeside doesn't help this because it can slow the alternate Cambridge St/Longfellow Bridge route. 93 and then Rt 28 S to the Twin Cities Plaza is yet another alternative. They also have more Marie Brizzard liquers/mixers in Somerville than the old Fresh Pond Store used to carry and a better Cachaca selection.

Striper, although its expensive now, they have some good sales on your preferred JB white and black from time to time, plus they had a really inexpensive Evan Williams white label a while back which was almost as good as the JB white. Always worth a peak in or at their sale prices.

[Canadian Tuxedo]

If you don't mind me asking, why did you have to try the Balsams? I only ask because it is my ancestral liquor that I've been pushing on a few bartenders around town trying to get cocktail suggestions (btw, it makes a great replacement for Fernet in a Toronto...call it a Riga instead...).

They have a bottle at Deep Ellum and Max will make several interesting drinks with it.

[StriperGuy]

Does that make you Latvian? Cool. Dunno why I tried it. Think I read someone on chowhound mention it at Deep Ellum. Just looked interesting, had to give it a whirl.

[Canadian Tuxedo]

It does...well, my folks being born there does, not simply drinking Balsams...

I would recommend it to people who like Fernet and other herbal liquors. Probably the Zwack from Hungry comes closest to what others on this board have discussed in terms of flavor profile.

And keeping with the topic, both Balsams and Zwack are available at the Blanchard's in Allston.

[StriperGuy]

Tried the Balsams last night. Very interesting. Certainly similar to Fernet, Jager, etc. but very nice in it's own right.

I am not necessarily a fan of making cocktails with digestifs like these. I think they stand best on their own.

Had some last night after dinner and really enjoyed it.

[phatchris]

They have Old Monk for $14.99 at the Wild Duck on Salem St. in the North End as well as a great selection of Amaro, Vermouth, and small batch Whiskey and Gin. Also interesting wines and beer.

[StriperGuy]

I am sipping on the Old Monk on the rocks right now. That is an awesome bottle of rum. India, who knew. Sure it's origins have to do with the British Empire... will report back on the Balsams when I taste it.

I do like bitters and herbals so...

[phatchris]

Old Monk is good stuff, I first had it in a dark and stormy at Drink.

[rlh]

FYI - was pleasantly surprised to pick up 750 ml Old Monk for $14.99 at Martignetti on Soliders Field Road this weekend and 1.75 ml of Beefeater on sale as well ($23.99, I think...), but they really need to spiff up their vermouth options way beyond M&R and Stock!

[djd]

Paid $18 for it (a few months ago) at that Porter Sq. plaza liquor store, which is a surprisingly good place.

[StriperGuy]

Recently picked up some Barrilito 3 Star rum at the airport in San Juan, PR, and remembered just how good it is. I have seen the two star and occasionally the 3 in Boston (Martignetti's soldiers field rd maybe?). For the rum lovers on this thread, particularly the Old Monk fans you gotta get your hands on some of this stuff. It is a big, full bodied, barrel tasting (which I am not usually a fan of) rum. Unique and excellent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando...

[aadesmd]

The chief wine buyer for the NH stores, Gordon Heins, is wonderfully knowledgeable, and is getting hold of gems that other stores cannot get, such as d'Yquem 2001 and the Guigal LaLa wines. He finds great bargains from Bordeaux, and is doing a heroic job of education the staff about wine. The best, in my experience, are the Nashua wine store, and the state store on I-95 north. The markup on wine tends to be a set amount, rather than a percentage. Usually some of the high end wines have the best prices in the country. Their only competition os Costco.

[bostonbroad]

Second the shout out for Brix - they stock Creme de Violette. Also, someone mentioned Macy's in WR. Not sure about price creep, but they have a solid liquor selections. Blanchard's in JP and WR both pretty good on the liquor front, with WR having a slight edge on the wine front. Gary's in WR, despite the expansion, has gone a little downhill on the liquor selection.

[skippy66]

Price-wise, any liquor store in NH.

Liquor generally runs between $10-12 a bottle less than what I can get it for at my local store. And, you don't have to pay sales tax. Selection is good too, unless you want some obscure liquor from Kazakhstan. It's definitely worth the trip, especially with the holidays right around the corner.

[Alcachofa]

I would say the hard booze selection at the NH stores is "OK", maybe "acceptable", but not "good". It doesn't have to be that obscure for me not to find something there. Otherwise, I do agree that the prices are good, and if the item is on sale, awesome. Still, given the cost of gas, it is only worth visiting if you're stopping in on the way to Vermont or Maine.

Charles St Liquors has some good beer. Not quite Downtown's (Somerville) selection, but good stuff for a fairly small store.

[jgg13]

On the spirits side though, I've found the Charles St crew to be fairly clueless. They have some decent stuff, but they're definitely more beer oriented (again, can't speak about wine, that's not my bag)

[aadesmd]

It may be that you have hit the wrong stores, as some have a wine specialty designation. The selection of the hard stuff and wine at the store on I-95 north exceeds anything that I have seen in MA.

[Alcachofa]

I was referring to hard stuff, don't really go there for wine. Have not been to the I-95 store, but would like to hear what places you have been to in MA you are comparing it to. The I-93 store is quite large, so shelf space should not be an issue.

[aadesmd]

Mainly Kappy's Medford, Blanchards, I think in Revere, and the RIP Marty's. I have to admit, I don't much of the hard stuff, but on my last visit the selection of single malts was stupendous.

NB- They do not sell beer.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

RIP Marty's?

[FoonFan]

Bauer Wines and Liquors on Newbury Street Boston. Very savvy wine selection. Good phone and web service, and free delivery over $75.

[BostonZest]

I'm a big fan of Bauer Wine. Ed and I have learned so much from Howie and crew. We buy their samplers to edge ourselves out of our comfort zone where we buy too many of the same wines.

They also feature good values in wine when you shop the specials.

[okra]

David still writes for the Gordon's newsflash - at least as recently as last week.

[StriperGuy]

Yup, he writes for em, and still advises them, but does not spend any significant time in the store.

[RoyRon]

For a great selection of wines and liquors at the best prices I have ever found anywhere in the Boston area try Rapid Liquors on Rte 28 (Main St.) in Stoneham. I have found that they are anywhere from $3.00 to $10.00 per bottle cheaper than most other places.

[rubysdad]

Metrowest seems to be under-represented on this list, so let's mention a few words about Acton, a good town to buy wine in and also where Ruby lives. Colonial Spirits, Acton Wine & Spirits and Donelan's Supermarket each have their strengths. We like the French way: shopping for fresh food everyday, and find ourselves in Donelan's (http://www.donelans.com/departments-b... ) quite often. Kathy, the wine and beer manager, is friendly, knowledgeable and patient. She seeks out quality wines from small family owned wineries both here and abroad. Many Fridays you'll find reps from various wholesalers showing off their product at tastings. There's usually some cheese and prepared food from the deli department. Once, they served oysters on the half shell, forcing me to inflict a good strong pinch upon my very person. The oysters were still there, post-pinch. Space is limited and prices are fair but not "cheap." At this very moment, I'm enjoying a glass of Gouguenheim 2008 malbec (9.99 bottle). Time for a refill! Ciao.

[jajjguy]

While we're in metrowest, I'll plug Post Road on route 30 in (i think) Wayland, for wine. Also Kappy's in Sudbury for the warehouse approach.

[ns538bmk]

I'll put in a plug for Bacon's Spirits in Hudson. They have a good and varied selection of wine and beer (can't vouch for the hard stuff, it's there but I don't drink it). Their annual wine tasting (coming up mid-November) is always mobbed. Michael is their 'wine guy' and is a great resource to match people's preferences with the right wine.

[ceo]

I should put in a plug for my local purveyor of booze, Ball Square Fine Wines and Liquors in Somerville. They used to be ridiculously undersized, but last month they expanded into the space next door. Good beer selection (not as extensive as Downtown Wine & Spirits in Davis Square, but nobody's is), wide range of good wines, extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff, wine and/or beer tastings every Friday night.

[Aromatherapy]

And a good-sized selection of Greek wines & liquors.

[celeriac]

HUGE commendation to the staff at Ball, who were incredibly friendly and helpful as I was trying to hunt down their Farnum Hill Cider just as they were moving into the new space and hadn't finished unpacking yet. One staffer dropped what he was doing and dug through boxes to find what I wanted. The service was good enough that I'll go out of my way to stop there now.

[StriperGuy]

Wow, this thread has turned into quite the awesome resource. Will definitely check some of these places out. Thanks for contributing folks.

[aadesmd]

How much I miss David Raines. He was ever so helpful at finding obscure wines at great prices and avoiding overoaked California fruit bombs. Not only are the present employees lacking in terms of David, they are getting into mass marketing and they are woefully ignorant of even basic wine issues.

This may reflect the new generations of Gordon kids taking over the store. If you don't need help, the selection is still excellent. The newbies are probably buying what David has found in the past.

[StriperGuy]

Gordon's has one guy now who is very experienced who has worked at 5-6 area wine stores over the years. Unfortunately he is a total snob, and has been asleep for 20 years, because if it does not come from France he has no interest. He also upsells mercilessly. If you say you want wines in the $10-20 range, every wine he presents you with is $19 to $23. David used to do the exact opposite showing me $12 gems that blew me away.

[Tir_na_nOg]

I buy a lot of wine and these places have to be on the "Best Of" list (plus the aforementioned Marty's and Brookline):

Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors (flagship store)
599 Moody St
Waltham, MA 02453-0507
[phone]
http://www.gordonswine.com/

~One of the best selections of wine in Boston area. Also the fantastic new Wine & Culinary Center does a lot of interesting tastings, classes and even fun movie & wine events with food catered by next-door Il Capriccio. Highly recommend going to the "Sideways" showing, where you get to taste and discuss wines from the movie while you watch it!

Costco Waltham
71 Second Avenue
Waltham, MA 02451
[phone]

~2nd largest sales Costco wine department in the US. Selection isn't all that impressive, focusing on high-volume, big name wines (both cheap and expensive), but you will regularly see great names like Dominus, Caymus, Foley, Grand Cru Bordeaux, Beaucastel, etc. Their prices on most wines are 10-30% lower than you can find anywhere else in the area. In fact, very often they are the lowest prices in the US (at least before the recent sales tax change!). However, you do have to be careful (for example, the '05 d'Yquem they are selling now is way over-priced compared to what you can find over the Internet). Little known fact: by MA law, you do NOT have to be a Costco member to purchase wines & liquors. But the 2% cash back Executive Membership is worth it if you buy a lot of expensive wine.

Berman's Wine and Spirits
55 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02420
[phone]
http://www.bermansfinewines.com/

~Knowledgeable, particularly strong selection of Italian wines, many of which you won't find anywhere else.

While we are on the subject of Italian wines, there is a brand new boutique in Waltham:

Vino Italiano
248 Moody Street
Waltham, MA 02453
[phone]
http://www.vinoitaliano.com/

~Only been there one time, but I believe they are owned by La Campania (hence the 100% focus on Italian wines). A very beautiful store, just how I would design a boutique wine shop. Can't say much about them at this point, since I was only there to quickly pick up a bottle of wine I had ordered via the Internet. But the '89 d'Yquem was priced at 1/2 what it was worth at auction (I'm wondering if La Campania is dumping some of their cellar at bargain prices? They had quite a selection of high-end non-Italian wines listed on the Internet, despite their Italian focus.).

[MtVernon]

I love the Wine Gallery. They have a lot of unique wines that are not sold everywhere, that are very good. I also love the wine jukebox, which has about 40 wines you can try before you buy them. It is kinda dangerous, because I can find many wines I like.
The beer selection is quite good too.

[Chrispy75]

Wine Gallery's (Brookline location) beer selection used to be MUCH better before they stretched themselves too thin by opening the Kenmore and Dedham locations. I've pretty much written them off because I would go there only to find a lot of empty shelf space that was never being restocked. I used to shop for beer there once a week and watched their decline for awhile. Too bad because their beer manager is a great guy and I enjoyed supporting a local business.

[jgarnache]

I really like Wine Gallery on Route 9. It is a little more expensive than a lot of the other mentioned, but most of the wines have a great price to quality ratio. The staff is really friendly and helpful and you can taste something like twenty wines before you buy.

[ipsofatso]

The best prices and very good selection is at The Ipswich Bottle Shop, Rt. 1A. They have many "2-fer $20" selections that simply can not be beat; comparable wines cost almost 25 - 40% elsewhere. Cash only or local check; I rarely buy wine or spirits anywhere else.

[StriperGuy]

I've got a buddy who loves that place and I always thought he was imagining things...

[invinotheresverde]

If you're up for a drive, the three Yankee Spirits stores are awesomely cheap and stocked. The one in Sturbridge has an amazingly huge wine department, with prices and selection that kill the NH stores, as well as any other MA store I've been to. The beer selection is above average, but not as great as, say, Julio's in Westboro.

EDIT: Didn't mean to add this to you, Striper.

[shopgirl]

What about Trader Joe's in Boston? We pass it on our way in, and always say we're going to stop on the way home....but i have no idea where exaclty it is and how to get there, only that we pass it while on the highway. Does anyone know? And do they sell wine?
Thanks! Maybe this trip we'll actually get there!

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

Which one? There's a ton of TJs in the BMA, but only a few sell beer and wine. (None sell liquor, although apparently some do on the west coast.)

[SeaSide Tomato]

Great thread! I missed it last month (my liver is gratefull!), so I'm glad it resurfaced.

I would add Wollaston Wines to the list. John Sano is a great resource on wine and will spend all sorts of time with you making recommendations in your price [e-mail]. And they have a great selection with reasonable prices.

My liquor cabinet has mostly the basics, so I cannot say how varied the liquor department is, but I know they have lots of it and it all looks good. :)

A bit further south I really like Lukes Liquors in Rockland, too. Big selection and terrific prices. Not aware that they have anyone there who advises folks the way John does at Wolly, but I may never have hit it at the right time. They have another (good, but not as big and varied) store in Plymouth, too.

[chassroc]

"If you want to save $$ and make a big purchase it is hard to avoid a trip over the border to NH. Better prices at the NH State owned stores and some of the big ones have excellent selection"

Not so!!! I shop at several Mass Liquor stores for wine and you would be hard pressed to beat the prices and selection at Colonial Spirits in Acton or DL Liquors in Waltham for $10 and under wines. Consider a few wines I have bought lately like cassilero del diablo for 7.99 and santa rita 120 for 5.99 and guigal cotes de rhone for 8.99 and Monte Antico for 8.99 and various penfolds selections. Even with Mass. ridiculous and onerous sales tax added this past year, you still can come out on top in Mass. When NH had better case discounts(including sales items, they were hard to beat). They dont do that consistenly anymore

[StriperGuy]

You know, I was in NH lately and was not really that impressed myself... In short, I agree.

[rlh]

If and when they have the liquor (not wine) you are looking for on sale, it's a real deal - e.g., Eagle Rare bourbon for 21.99 per 750ml vs. $30+ everyone I've seen it in MA.

[dzop]

Vintages, out in West Concord, is the best selection I've ever seen in the Boston area. Prices are a tad high (maybe 10% more than typical MA retail) but the selection is astounding, especially in Italians and Burgundy.

Their Pinot rack basically consists of Chevillon (from generic Bourgogne to his LSG), Mugneret (from generic Bourgogne to her GC's), Hubert Lignier, Kistler and Belle Pente. Plenty of wines from great importers like Kermit Lynch and Neal Rosenthal. Even some interesting half-bottles: last time I was there, they had halves of Domaine Tempier, out of Bandol.

I wouldn't go in there wanting to spend less than $20, but for mid-high end stuff it blows away the other places I've been to (BLM, Martignetti, Gordons, Bermans, VinoDivino (which is a joke), Blanchards and Martys)