Spec's vs. Costco vs. Total Wine

[Lidig8r 1870]

Greetings fellow Bacchanalians and Oenophiles!

We are located in North Dallas and have ready access to all three wine providers.

A good friend is throwing 4 parties in the next 6 weeks. And so, I am wondering price wise, does anyone have experience comparing the prices for mostly middle of the road, "John Mackovic would not drink this stuff" wines.

We will be buying by the case so the $10 - $12 per bottle price range is the target. (With some very good bottles stashed away for the true VIPs).

Any thoughts are appreciated.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

I like Total Wine.  Find a good red blend.  Best bang for your buck at that price.

[shnsajax 3591]

Costco just had this for $36 a case.

https://www.totalwine.com/wine/red-wine/red-blend/motto-gung-ho-red-blend/p/150926750

 

[TornACL 7698]

After a bad experience at a Spec's in Fort Worth I decided to give Total Wine a try. In related news, I'm done with Spec's. Long live Total Wine forever. 

[Jerry Callo 8698]

I think $10 - $12 bottles are going to cost the same regardless of the store.

[thrillhammer 683]

If wine is your main target, then Total Wine.  Actually if local beer or bourbon are your targets, then Total Wine between those three choices.  I've given up on all three for bourbon and pretty much sticking just to small, independent liquor stores.

[Mack Tripper 696]

I stopped going to Spec's quite a while ago. Total Wine and Costco/WB are more than adequate for that price point by the case. 

[Llano Estacado 1257]

If you know what you want and it’s there then Costco.

But, we’ve had good experience with Total Wine before. Find a few “store picks” at 90+ ratings, try them next week, and buy a case of your favorites. You may be able to get a $20ish for 14 type deal.

[Zepol87 9185]

Total Wine is the go to. On another note I will be waiting on my invite

[jimmyjazz 45888]

Trader Joe's.  Two Buck Chuck Shiraz.  Break it out in hour 3 and use the savings to subsidize some better stuff for early and really good stuff for the VIPs.

[Liquor and Poker 3659]

8 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Trader Joe's.  Two Buck Chuck Shiraz.  Break it out in hour 3 and use the savings to subsidize some better stuff for early and really good stuff for the VIPs.

But there's always one guy who nurses his glass, so he finishes glass 1 or 2 in hour 3.  You didn't invite him but he showed up somehow - he's someone's date, your spouse's co-worker who overheard, whatever.  And then when you pop the cork on the low-end stuff he calls you out, because, well, that's what guys like that do.

[jimmyjazz 45888]

1 minute ago, Liquor and Poker said:

But there's always one guy who nurses his glass, so he finishes glass 1 or 2 in hour 3.  You didn't invite him but he showed up somehow - he's someone's date, your spouse's co-worker who overheard, whatever.  And then when you pop the cork on the low-end stuff he calls you out, because, well, that's what guys like that do.

Right.  Fuck that guy.  (I quite literally broke my hand at one of my own house parties when an uninvited but not unknown guy showed up and bitched about the beer selection.  Rather than being a rude host, I punched a back wall . . . they call me "stud finder".  Wait, that sounds bad.  Anyway, you get the idea.)

[Fondren & Main 6702]

22 minutes ago, Liquor and Poker said:

But there's always one guy who nurses his glass, so he finishes glass 1 or 2 in hour 3.  You didn't invite him but he showed up somehow - he's someone's date, your spouse's co-worker who overheard, whatever.  And then when you pop the cork on the low-end stuff he calls you out, because, well, that's what guys like that do.

You call his ass out in return.  "Who invited you anyway?"

[Liquor and Poker 3659]

25 minutes ago, Fondren & Main said:

You call his ass out in return.  "Who invited you anyway?"

Seems there's always some impediment to that.  His date is wife's boss, or he's the guy in charge of yard-of-the-month and your wife wants that shit so bad, whatever.  It is always the wife's fault, though.

[elfenix 34223]

the kirkland branded wines at costco are all fantastic for their price points.  get a few cases and be done with it.

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

2 hours ago, elfenix said:

the kirkland branded wines at costco are all fantastic for their price points.  get a few cases and be done with it.

Yeah but buy a few bottles of high end stuff and refill them with the Costco wine. You'll look like a total baller and no one can tell the difference

[RPM 26317]

Total Wine does not give mixed case discount on liquor. Spec's does. Spec's are hit and miss on wine depending on location. They have a lot of smaller stores around DFW that were old Centennial locations. Most of those focus on liquor and beer. For wine I go to Beverage Depot in FW or Goody Goody in Dallas. Usually find good liquor deals there, too. They also give mixed case discounts.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

On ‎4‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 6:58 PM, RPM said:

Total Wine does not give mixed case discount on liquor. Spec's does. Spec's are hit and miss on wine depending on location. They have a lot of smaller stores around DFW that were old Centennial locations. Most of those focus on liquor and beer. For wine I go to Beverage Depot in FW or Goody Goody in Dallas. Usually find good liquor deals there, too. They also give mixed case discounts.

I don't drink much hard liquor.  But I bought a handle of Tito's a couple weeks ago at a small Spec's near Memorial Park a couple weeks ago.  It was about $5 more than the price at the big Spec's near my house.  I noticed the prices were all higher at the small Spec's.  Is that common?

[SydneyCarton 48054]

1 hour ago, Johnny Sack said:

I don't drink much hard liquor.  But I bought a handle of Tito's a couple weeks ago at a small Spec's near Memorial Park a couple weeks ago.  It was about $5 more than the price at the big Spec's near my house.  I noticed the prices were all higher at the small Spec's.  Is that common?

Yeah, that's common practice. Basically, the Spec's Warehouse downtown has all the special pricing, and the local neighborhood specs are more like typical liquor store rates. I only bother going to specs if it is the big downtown one. 

[Hagbard Celine 10851]

Team Total Wine, up until recently, when i was gifted a recommend for an $8 bottle of Pinot Noir that is simply unbelievable at that price point.  Better than every $16-$18 bottle i've ever had.  Will share with the group when Brisket posts un-blurred Norwegian teens.

[relapse98 634]

Total Wine is by far my favorite.

Costco if you know exactly what you want, liquor wise - supposedly their house brand isn't bad, or their house brand wines inside.

Specs, least favorite of the 3 (*), but closest so it gets my dollars usually.

 

(*) And Twin Liquor can suck a dick. That place is fucking expensive even compared to my podunk Specs'.

[billfromlaketravis 11448]

Spec's Walnut Hill has a terrific wine selection. It's a very mixed bag at every other location. 

I think Total Wine beats Spec's doors off in beer/wine pricing. 

[Horn_Spanker 524]

Fuck Spec's!

In south Austin just drive two blocks south on Brodie to get to a Total Wine.

If you just want wine or beer, go next door to Sam's Club.  Don't need a membership card to buy alcohol in TX.  (works at Costco too)

 

[rage-a-holic 4379]

41 minutes ago, Horn_Spanker said:

Fuck Spec's!

In south Austin just drive two blocks south on Brodie to get to a Total Wine.

If you just want wine or beer, go next door to Sam's Club.  Don't need a membership card to buy alcohol in TX.  (works at Costco too)

 

except Texas Sam's Clubs and Costcos have a terrible beer selection.

[HenryJames 66038]

For a place called Total Wine...their wine selection sucks.

[RPM 26317]

and they're owned by Yankees from Maryland.

[TonyTexas 10507]

15 hours ago, HenryJames said:

For a place called Total Wine...their wine selection sucks.

Their “winery direct” crap is annoying and feels scammy. 

Edited October 5 by TonyTexas

[Gil Bang 25919]

On 10/4/2024 at 1:26 PM, HenryJames said:

For a place called Total Wine...their wine selection sucks.

Holy shit, really?  Out here (CA) they have AMAZING wines at fair prices.   

[horn4life 3759]

Total Wine earned my business a few years back, as I was planning for my daughter's wedding.  Now I have thrown a lot of parties, and I am VERY good at determining what and how much folks will drink.  I knew that since the crowd was going to be a little younger that booze more so, than either beer or wine.tner in Austin  But my wife and daughter were very concerned that I was not conforming to the "suggested guidelines."  Well I discovered that Total Wine would accept RETURNS!!!!!  So I bought a lot more champagne, and wine that made the wife and daughter happy, and made me happy because I was not going to have to drink the leftovers for a year.  So that ability to return unopened bottles was the lynchpin for my loyalty.

I just did some research on Scotch yesterday comparing specs and Total Wine.  I don't think I found a bottle I was interested for less at Specs, and they always beat Costco's Western Beverage partner.  Spec's wins on the cheese front though....

Total wine also has classes I had a lot of credits to, but I never used any of them

 

[billfromlaketravis 11448]

Spec’s flagship locations have a good wine selection. 
 

The problem with Total is they beat you to death with Spirit Direct bottles. It’s taken over their shelves to the point where they’ll carry inferior SD bottles over better bottles. I suspect they get a higher percentage on SD products.

[VivaNaranja 466]

I am a certified somm that worked at TW for two years after leaving the restaurant industry, led the wine program at my store, and taught classes.

Total Wine does get a higher rate on SD and WD products. This is largely because they control the distribution of those products, as opposed to third party distributors that take a slice of the profit. The owners/founders are also from PA, not MD. They absolutely train their associates to push those products, sometimes through questionable claims. I found quite a few of their WD wines were very good. Typically they were European families producing at a mid scale. TW would demand exclusive distribution of their wines in the US in return for wide scale distribution. The WD program also includes First Growth Bordeaux's and other seriously quality bottles.

SD products were more disappointing. Tons of bourbons that source from MGP. Labels that intentionally mimic major brands like Tower Texas Vodka (Tito's) and Lonehand Whiskey (Jack). The classes will only feature SD or WD products, and they offer free tastings of almost all Direct products. They train their staff pretty much exclusively on WD/SD products and offer bulk discounts only on those beverages. The stores keep metrics for % of sales that are WD/SD, and they reward the best performers in each region. I've had much better results with their WD wines than their SD spirits, but just ask for a taste before you buy, as some of them are quite good.

[billfromlaketravis 11448]

3 hours ago, VivaNaranja said:

I am a certified somm that worked at TW for two years after leaving the restaurant industry, led the wine program at my store, and taught classes.

Total Wine does get a higher rate on SD and WD products. This is largely because they control the distribution of those products, as opposed to third party distributors that take a slice of the profit. The owners/founders are also from PA, not MD. They absolutely train their associates to push those products, sometimes through questionable claims. I found quite a few of their WD wines were very good. Typically they were European families producing at a mid scale. TW would demand exclusive distribution of their wines in the US in return for wide scale distribution. The WD program also includes First Growth Bordeaux's and other seriously quality bottles.

SD products were more disappointing. Tons of bourbons that source from MGP. Labels that intentionally mimic major brands like Tower Texas Vodka (Tito's) and Lonehand Whiskey (Jack). The classes will only feature SD or WD products, and they offer free tastings of almost all Direct products. They train their staff pretty much exclusively on WD/SD products and offer bulk discounts only on those beverages. The stores keep metrics for % of sales that are WD/SD, and they reward the best performers in each region. I've had much better results with their WD wines than their SD spirits, but just ask for a taste before you buy, as some of them are quite good.

Any recs on WD bottles? I really like Alexander Valley Cab to give you an idea on what flavor profile I enjoy. 

[elfenix 34223]

20 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

Holy shit, really?  Out here (CA) they have AMAZING wines at fair prices.   

[VivaNaranja 466]

1 hour ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Any recs on WD bottles? I really like Alexander Valley Cab to give you an idea on what flavor profile I enjoy. 

Try a Nero d'Avola. Sicilian reds grown by Mt Etna. Typically bold, dark fruit forward and medium body - not too earthy. Also usually a phenomenal price point. Nero Oro or Terramore are two WD's. If you want to stick to California River Road is a pretty good Alexander Valley Cab. Iter has a similar profile and price point but they purchase throughout Napa, not just AV. La Mascota is an Argentinian Cab that's a great value as well.