Local Wine Shops
There are grocery and convenience stores where you can purchase wine and then there are your preferred local wine shops.
Most of your better wine shops are committed to excellence in service and encourage wine education and are stocked with good selections of interesting wines. As much as I enjoy consuming wine in moderation, I’m equally as eager to learn about our favorite healthy beverage. Being a wine novice, I find wine to be an extraordinary hobby with new adventures around every corner, and of course there is so much to learn and enjoy. Early this year walking into a wine store was a mind boggling experience for me; there were so many selections, the names were confusing, and the French section totally sent me running for the door. Needless to say, when you visit a wine shop with a friendly, experienced and helpful staff, all these initial fears fly out the window and wine shops become very fun and enjoyable places to visit. Also as you taste and learn more about the wonderful world of wine, you will develop a taste for what you are looking for and what to ask for when you visit a wine shop; staff recommendations never hurt either.
The wine shops I visit in my local area are Unwined in Alexandria , Planet Wine in Alexandria , and lastly Total Wine in Springfield . Each of these stores offer free weekend tastings, as well as periodic weekday tastings. I recommend visiting their web site for a tasting and store event schedule.
Educational opportunities, wine tasting and dinner events can also be found at local wine shops. For example, Total Wine offered weekly and weekend wine educational courses at their Chantilly store this past summer (sorry its about over). Just recently at Unwined I was part of a diverse group made up of wine enthusiasts of all levels to be tasters of never before stocked wines, and give impression of those wines in a round table discussion. More recently I visited Planet Wine and attended a tasting hosted by a small boutique producer of quality California wines, Surh Luchtel Cellars. There was a lecture after each pour and delectable hors d’ oeuvres served. Below are pictures of the pleasant and intimate event, and I encourage readers to check their site, as well as the others for future wine events.
Kerry of Planet Wine setting up for the event
Winenaker Don Surh lecturing to the crowd on his wines
Now that I have shared a few of my favorite wine shops with you, let’s hear a little about where you shop for your wines.
Also stay tuned for reviews of Three Fox Vineyards, the Harvest Festival and Lobster Feast at Breaux Vineyards, and several wine reviews.
Happy Sipping!
Dezel
