Welcome to my blog! This is a new endeavor for me, and I hope you enjoy it. I’ll be writing mostly about personal finance, retirement, and my passion for fitness and wine. With that in mind, today’s post is about where the best places to buy wine in Orange County are.
Orange County has plenty of places to buy wine, and while some of the “mega-store” wine shops offer a wide variety, they lack personalized customer service and sometimes knowledgeable staff. Since wine is a a personal and social experience, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite places to buy wine. These shops offer highly trained staff who can make personalized recommendations, and most offer a great atmosphere as well. Here are my top 6 selections for the best places to buy wine in Orange County:
WINEWORKS for Everyone, Mission Viejo
Darren and his wife Jean’s quest to find new, cutting edge producers and respected winemakers is constant and unwavering as they strive to find wines that offer people new experiences. Their wine selection process involves tasting thousands of wines each year. WINEWORKS for Everyone combines a retail wine shop, featuring easy-to-browse, originally-designed displays that uniquely showcase the wines in light, medium and full-bodied categories, with an atmospheric wine bar and bistro focusing on delicious, creative cuisine, featuring bio-dynamic, organic foods in a relaxed, elegant setting.
Wine Gallery, Corona del Mar
The Wine Gallery is located in the heart of old town Corona del Mar; it’s a small, boutique wine shop that has emerged as a landmark for wine lovers locally and nationwide who are looking for rare, small-production wines at competitive prices. They’ve recently added a new tasting bar where you can taste a variety of wine and as a bonus, get to know the owners.
Bacchus’ Secret Cellar, Irvine
Bacchus' Secret Cellar is an upscale wine shop and wine bar that offers over 600 labels from around the world. In addition to the amazing selection of wine, Bacchus has a beautiful wine tasting bar, which utilizes a state of the art wine preservation system. You can create your own tasting experience or choose from one of the 18 creative flights available. Bacchus' wine selection includes dessert wines, sparkling wines and micro-brewed beers. All are complimented by gourmet foods and appetizers offered on a limited menu.
Anne’s Boutique Wines, Costa Mesa
Anne’s specializes in in small production wines, hard-to find wines, and excellent half- bottles, along with a fantastic selection of wine accessories. Many of the wines they offer are available only at Anne's and at restaurants; most of their wines are priced under $30.00 dollars and majority of half-bottles are under $15.00. They hand pick their selection from hundreds of wines tasted weekly, with only the very best making it to the shelves.
Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa
The customer service at Hi-Time Wine Cellars is unmatched and they are experts in just about every wine region there is. Hi-Time is owned and operated by one family and its history of over 50 years in business makes it an excellent place to buy wine.
Laguna Wine Shop, Laguna Beach
Laguna Wine is a fairly new addition to downtown Laguna Beach and is a great place to buy wine. They provide a varied selection of quality wines and beers in an enjoyable environment that does not overwhelm even the most novice of wine drinkers. If you need help finding the perfect beverage to suit your taste and needs, stop by and let them help you.
In addition to wine and beer, they also offer a large selection of specialty foods including oils, vinegars, teas, chocolates, and gourmet spices.
Hopefully with this wide selection, you’ll find a shop near you! If you need any further recommendations, feel free to contact me!
