Five Tips for Shopping a Big-Box Wine Store

By Kate Crowley Thu., Feb. 7 2013 at 1:00 PM

Categories: Top Lists, Vine Geeks

From BevMo!'s website.

Overwhelmed? Don't be!

We love shopping locally, but let's face it: There are times when you find yourself in a national chain shopping for wine. It's overwhelming to take in aisles and aisles of choices and it seems there's always a sale going on. Here are five tips to help you come home with a winning wine. Er- wines.

1. Ask for help. "Every BevMo! has a level one sommelier trained to guide you in your wine purchase," says Kris Mulkey of BevMo! It's especially good to ask for help if there's more than one particular wine you're looking for or if you know the name of the wine, but not the type (merlot, blend, pinot grigio etc.) They roam the store regularly and have access to high-tech computer inventory systems that can track down almost any wine.

Total Wine's facebook page.

Take advantage of those in-store tastings.

2. Don't be desperate. Like the rule of not going to the grocery store hungry, don't go to a box store desperate for a sale. Really. While sales are great, and BevMo!'s 5 cent wine sale is famous, but don't be swept up into buying a case of something just because its on sale. Not everyone wants to drink that b-level merlot for the next month or two just because it was sixty cents for the case. You'll also want to stay away from the trinket-ish cocktail napkins or coasters and the like, you're here for wine....not to purchase items the dollar store can generally supply.