Best Wine Store/Supplier in San Deigo?

[upstarter]

Hello fellow Chowers!

I was curious who has the widest selection of wine in San Diego?

I am looking for everything: Californian, French, Italian, Chilean, etc.

Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance,

Upstarter

[pantani]

San Diego Wine Company.
They have a $10 tasting every saturday.
It's a good way to find wines you like and more importantly weed out the ones you don't like.
I prefer to buy California wines because I have been to many wineries throughout the state and its much easier to pick a wine once you have visited some of the major wine producing regions and I like to support the California wineries. Italian wines IME are difficult and expensive but there some good ones.
Many good California wines around $15 but it would be good to narrow it down to which type of wine you prefer such as Cabernet, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Syrah or blends.
Some recent purchases for example are Niner Sangiovese, Conn Creek Red blend.
Not my all time favorites but decent. When something really good comes in they sell out fast, so you have to buy it quickly.

[ibstatguy]

Italian, Spanish and yes, French wines offer great bargains so I think you should revisit same, given your disappointment with Italian wines. I like Matt at SDWC but that might not be the best place to make a purchase of an Italian wine

[juantanamera]

I find the overall selection at Holiday Wine Cellar at least twice as good as any other store I've been to in the county.

[palmtree38]

Picked up some vino at Costco. Love beringer cab/sauv.
Picked up 4 pound of green grapes , assorted boxes of Breton type crackers, jalapeño havarti, horseradish Gouda, blue cheese and apricot for a fab wine and cheese party :)

[4wino]

SD Wine Co, Vintage Wines, Wine Seller and Brasserie and if you still can't find what you want, www.winesearcher.com

[palmtree38]

WE got hooked on Bev & Mo .. loved the $2 wine sampling concept.. 6 wines to try with cheese and crackers for $2 for us Canadians this was quite a hit on our holiday to come home with story :O)
I visited this one in La Jolla I didnt see one downtown but is there something like this in little italy area or downtown?

[DiningDiva]

Ah, BevMo, the guilty pleasure few will admit to ;-)

This is probably the closest store to downtown, tho' I don't think the selection at this store is as good as at some of their other ones.

http://www.bevmo.com/Misc/StoreDetail...

[ibstatguy]

i have used BevMo's beat any advertised price to my advantage on numerous occasions so keep that in mind...

[palmtree38]

The prices were great .$4.99 Rosemont Estates Shiraz here we pay $17 for the same bottle.. stocked up on a few and then brought 2 home until wooops its a liquid and was confiscated at the airport from carry on.. Lesson learned :O(

Do other stores have this wine sampling adventure too?

[palmtree38]

any new wine sampling adventures in around little italy? OR laguna beach??

Also could you recommend some good POPULAR california wines under $15?? Sauvignon blanc and merlot and cabs??

[Josh]

For sub-$15 wine, I suggest looking to Italy, France, and South America.

[ibstatguy]

Don't overlook Spain

[Josh]

And Spain.

[cstr]

There are some good values around, for example Costco usually posts Wine Spectator, Parker etc ratings. Look for some wines, including CA, that meet your criteria.

[palmtree38]

So a decent Californian wine would be $15 plus??

Australian wines were a 1/3 if the price as we pay in toronto last time we were in SD. Example love rosemont estates Shiraz. At bev and mo for $4.95 and here it is $17 !!
I figured Aussie wine would be
Mire then Cali wine since imported

[cstr]

Yes, I have purchased many good CA wines at Costco. Here's two examples; Kirkland Somona and Toasted Head Chardonnay Woodbridge under $10. per/bottle, both are good drinking. Remember the US doesn't have your obnoxious GST of 14+%

[Ed Dibble]

Try a Ravenswood California Vintner's blend Shiraz. Of course, it'll ruin you for the Rosemont, but I think it's one of the best supermarket red wine buys going these days. Should be under $10.

[palmtree38]

why do you say ruin me for the rosemont? Do you like it better then the rosemont??

Wrote it down and will give it a whirl..

Was hoping to hear others favorites as we are lost in your stores as we hardly have any california wines..
someone said even the kirkland wine was not bad.. so funny costco has their own brew lol

[Ed Dibble]

I like it better than any Aussie shirazes under $15. I am speaking of the 2007 version, and I suspect Ravenswood bought some better than usual juice from that vintage because of the economic downturn. Not everybody has the same tastes, but everytime I open a bottle, I am very pleased.

[smile81]

shout out to fifty-seven degrees wine shop. I found this new place just by driving by (actually on the way home from specialty produce). they have an intriguing selection and i always leave with more than I planned on buying. good prices and super friendly staff!

[palmtree38]

Yes super annoying taxes therefore thought in Cali the Cali wines would be
Low priced. That bring said our Ontario wines where we Live many don't buy as they are ad much as imports

[cstr]

Some of my friends north of the border are in shock when they see prices in the US, like it's free! Almost any wine and hard liquor will be significantly less than ONT.

[littlestevie]

When I was up in the great white north, we were at a nice place in Montreal and I had a look at the wine list and I just about went into shock. I know my California wines the best, and the list was really nothing special. I had to ask the waiter about the price for a bottle of ehh Gallo. The waiter said to me "Ahh, but you must remember it is imported" At that point I asked for a bottle of Molson.

[cstr]

Betcha that Molson was no bargain either, though I think the Molson has a fresher taste than we get here.

[palmtree38]

Lol. I have to laugh as many drink beer including women when out as mixed drinks and wine cost too much out. This is why making your own wine at establishments is so popular here as well .
Also ordering one out and having wine at home seems to be the cheap and cheerful trend

[ibstatguy]

cannot agree, at all, on 57. about the only reason to go there was to see Bryan but I don't think he'll be there much longer, if he is still there.

[smile81]

its at least miles better than bevmo. and closer than san diego wine co.

[ibstatguy]

to say that it is better than BevMo isn't a strong endorsement and might not even be correct. try 3rd Corner if you want something closer than SD Wine Co.

[palmtree38]

Ok so if staying around little Italy where foes one pick up vino and brewskies??

[DiningDiva]

Actually ibstatguy's suggestion of 3rd Corneris pretty good. It's not too far from LI and they've got a very good selection of wines at affordable prices. It's a combo retail wine shop/wine bar/casual dining place on the outskirts of Ocean Beach

[mikec]

Anyone been to 57 degrees (which is in the old Cost Plus building off I5+Washington)?

[rotie77]

I'm going there today to say hey to Brian and check it out.

[ibstatguy]

that would be "Bryan"...

[belsho]

Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido. est 1965

760 745 1200

www.holidaywinecellar.com

rare and fine wines. (i love to shop this place for belgian beer as well)

[Josh]

San Diego Wine Company has been my go-to for years.

[stevewag23]

Yeah, that is pretty much the spot.

Especially if it is convenient for someone.

[Ewilensky]

Recently popped into Del Cerro Liquor and was impressed by the selection - not the largest one in San Diego but really well thought out. Excellent selection of liquor as well - some really rare bottles of rye and some wonderful rums. Sure a far cry from when I used to pop in there for $1 subs.

[DiningDiva]

Del Cerro Liquor has been KnB for a couple years now. Here's the link
http://www.knbwinecellars.com/ (just click on the graphic to enter the site

)

I've been a faithful customer ever since it changed ownership and really love the new direction in which they've taken the store. The staff is wonderful, they're friendly and helpful. They're also developing their beer selection as well as the wine.

[Ewilensky]

You know, I never looked at the sign, Will always be "Del Cerro Liquor" to me. But yes, awesome staff , awesome selections and clearly not afraid of Earthquakes, stocking that $500 bottle of Rye on the edge of a shelf 8 feet off the ground...

[DiningDiva]

I know what you mean. I still call it Del Cerro Liquors...but then I still think of Windmill Farms as Alpha Beta ;-)

[Ewilensky]

Yep, Alpha Beta and the Keil's on Navajo is still Big Bear to me as well..

[oerdin]

I've recently been on a kick of Lebanese wines and SDWC has come through with some very nice selections. Not bad considering most of the small Christian owned wineries don't even officially export.

[goodhealthgourmet]

these might help:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/351172
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/651153
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/582338
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/83907

[mcgrath]

Thread # 65113, above, is the most recent and therefore, the most helpful.

San Diego Wine Co. and Vintage Wines have excellent selections at rock bottom prices, but are a little out of the way.

The Wine Bank downtown in the Gaslamp probably has the broadest selection, but the prices there are unreasonably high.