Comments on: How To Save Money Buying Wine

By: Lori Grove

Lori Grove — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:46:51 +0000

Hello, great article. tyvm!
I have found over the years that I appriciate the tatste of a sweet Riesling to a dryer wine.
Now I have a question.
Can you give me a short list of wines to keep in stock that lean toward this tatse and flavor, including a few reds? My wine rack will hold up to 18 bottles at a time. I would like to keep it full, but I also know I will have to add a variety, to please my guests as well as my husband and myself.

By: Charlene Haugsven

Charlene Haugsven — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:32:50 +0000

Great tips! I posted an article on getting great deals on wine last week as well. I love the idea of going to festivals as it is great entertainment for very little money.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:57:48 +0000

1. Excellent point, we joined an in-state winery so we skirted by those issues.
2. I’ve never shipped wine but this sounds like a good tip. The worse thing to do is buy whole case of wine only to get it ruined.
3. They have their six-carrier deals where you get a discount off purchase if I remember correctly.
4. Well, I think it helps a little… I wouldn’t keep it around for WEEKS but it should help.
5. There are a ton of wines at the 5-8 range that are great, $3 can sometimes be a little too cheap… heck the bottle costs something right???

By: mapgirl

mapgirl — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:35:50 +0000

Hey Jim a few thoughts from a self-described wino:

1. Because states regulate alcohol sales, vendor accessibility varies, but the most important one is that ‘case clubs’ are restricted to where they can deliver. When I lived in MD, I had to get a case shipped to a girlfriend’s office in DC and gave her a bottle as commission for the favor. Before you sign up for a club, note if they can deliver to your state or make alternate arrangements.

2. If you ship a case of wine in the summer, buy insurance. While I haven’t had a case ruined yet, it would be sad if the wine sat in a container in the hot sun and spoiled before it arrived at home.

3. Some vendors sell wine at a discount even for a half case. (Safeway in DC does this.) It’s a great way to buy a few expensively priced wine with some cheap wines and average out your cost. For instance, I’ve bought 10 $12-15 wines and rounded out the case with 2 $30 wines I wouldn’t usually buy.

4. Vacuum wine corks are useless. I’d either, drink it the next day, or fill it with a gas that prevents oxidation. I never have a drastic problem with taste changing within 24 hours of re-corking and putting in the fridge. Part of the fun is tasting evolving flavors! (And writing it down in a wine journal!)

5. Three Buck Chuck is great, but crawl your local wine/food distributors for cheap $3-8 wines. There are a ton out there. I’ve been changing my boyfriend’s palate because we can try really cheap reds from all over the world for less. Buzz me and we can take a trip to my favorite DC spot.

By: Stella

Stella — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:16:37 +0000

I’ve found you can get some great deals with online wine vendors. If you add a coupon code from a site like Savings.com (which incidentally has coupons for wine.com, The Wine Enthusiast, My Wines Direct, Morrell Wine and The Wine Messenger), you can really score a good price.

By: My Journey

My Journey — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:39:57 +0000

In New York Wine isn’t sold at supermarkets! Every couple years it comes in front of the legislatures and the liquor stores rally together to lobby against it.

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:11:11 +0000

I go to the supermarket here in California and every so often the wine I like goes on sale and on top of that you get 10 % off if you buy 6 bottles or more. I get a case at this time and for about $4.00 get a great wine and enjoy until it comes on sale again:)

By: Lisa B

Lisa B — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:51:58 +0000

Aldi actually has some decent cheap wines, believe it or not.

By: SimplyForties

SimplyForties — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:45:19 +0000

A lot of vineyards have subscription services, which, if you can get on their list, you get advance notice of their production. I’m not sure it’s any cheaper but sometimes you can get wines which sell out so quickly they are never available to the general public. If, like me, you live in a rural area where the selection is pretty tight, K&L Wines in California has a great selection, which you can order online. Their shipping is fairly reasonable and they also offer case discounts. If you live in a state where you can get wine shipped to you, check out wine.woot.com. They offer different wines every week, many fantastic and many very inexpensive.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:29:15 +0000

Hahaha, just 20 minutes on the LIE… unless it’s rush hour, then it’s 2 hours.

By: My Journey

My Journey — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:44:51 +0000

They are amazing out here, and from stony brook you are talking maybe 20 mins (but isn’t everything on LI…20mins away lol)

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:31:26 +0000

I grew up on Long Island (Stony Brook) and never went to the vineyards, maybe next time I go home we can meet up and I can finally see them.

By: Stacey

Stacey — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:30:33 +0000

Sam’s Club has unbeatable prices on wine, and a decent selection.
The little-known secret is that you do not need a membership to buy alcohol at a membership-based club. Apparently, it’s illegal to restrict alcohol sales, so as long as you’re only purchasing alcohol, anyone can enjoy the discounts at their local Sam’s Club. (Sometimes the sales associates don’t know this, but the managers will.)

By: My Journey

My Journey — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:51:06 +0000

Jim,

If you ever visit the vineyards on Long Island let me know…the Wife and I would be happy to show you around!

We have about 30 of them on the east end.

By: RAJEEV KUMAR SINGH

RAJEEV KUMAR SINGH — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:42:01 +0000

great article.. most of the points can be replicated for purchase of other items as well. The key is to shop around and land the best deal for you before you loosen your purse strings.. be frugal and that will get you rich..