How to find bargains at the wine shop

To find good quality, inexpensive wine you don’t have to break the bank. All you have to do it to follow some strategies that can stretch your dollar value, bringing a higher profile wine at your table for the lowest price.

> Shop in large retail stores

First of all, make sure you shop at a large retail store. Large retailers can receive great bargains both from producers and distributors, passing all cost savings on to consumers. Instead, small retailers pay higher prices to producers and distributors, and, therefore, they sell at higher prices, passing all expenses on to consumers. Go to the retail store that matches your profile and look for bargains within the wine range of your interest. You can find great deals at Whole Foods, Jewel, Dominick's, Costco or in any of the local supermarket chains of your area.

> Shop in large liquor stores

Large liquor stores can offer you great bargains from a variety of labels and specialties from different countries around the world. Typically, in large liquor stores you may find a broad range of prices that will allow you to choose the wines of your preference within your budget limits, but also to familiarize yourself with new varieties. Conveniently located around the corner of your condo or close to the mall, liquor stores are always the place to take advantage of discounts, freebies, promotions and year-round free wine tastings.

> Shop in mid-sized chains

Mid-sized wine chains are a good choice because they always have sufficient influence on distributors to promote the wines in lower prices. For instance, if you live or you ever visit San Francisco or Chicago, go and check out The Wine Club and Binny’s respectively. Both chains are great examples of exceptional wine selections at affordable prices.

> Shop at free tastings

Wine production every year is overwhelming for consumers and retailers know that. In order to make things easier for consumers, but also to sell their products, retailers often organize free wine tastings. Typically held on week evenings or Saturday mornings, free tastings are a great opportunity to get a better understanding of the different wine styles available, to enhance your knowledge, and to shop for free.

> Shop on seasonal sales

All wine retailers offer seasonal sales because, usually in spring and fall, demand is slow and they want to sell their inventory before the new products arrive. So, be ready to stock up on seasonal sales. It makes sense cost-effectively, but also it provides a thrilling feeling having all that wine at home, provided you can store it properly.

> Check for incentive programs

Check out for the loyalty or incentive programs of a wine shop that offer you the best wines at lower prices. For instance, you can find a mixed case (12 bottles) at a discount of 10, 15, or even 20 percent. You can also use this as a way to check markups at a wine shop: the higher the case discount, the more you can be sure that the average price per bottle is marked up.

> Shop online

The great potential of the internet has fully developed for wine shopping after Amazon’s partnership with Wine.com. For some people, it still seems weird not to hold the bottle, neither inspecting its label. However, you may search at wine-searcher.com and winezap.com where you can find any wine producer or vintage you’re looking for, generating multiple vendors. Moreover, there are great websites or online wine shopping such as vinfolio.com, avalonwine.com, chambersstwine.com or bountyhunterwine.com that are easy to use, offer great customer service, a wide selection of wines and, most importantly, top prices. Just check out the shipping expenses as this alone can trade off any cost or tax savings.

As a matter of fact, you have many alternatives at your disposal for buying fine wines at great prices. Just check out your options, decide which one suits you the best in terms of budget constraints and head on! Never forget to take into account the atmosphere of the store, how knowledgeable the employees are, how willing are to help and to give you advice, and finally how experienced they are. This is essential particularly for wine shops and liquor stores that consumers develop a personal relationship with the owner and the employees.