Waves of change have rolled through the desert wine scene
over the past few years. On any given week, especially in season, wine lovers
can choose among a growing number of wine dinners and winemaker events, most of
which offer diners and tasters the chance to stock their cellars or to purchase
a few favorite bottles.
A funny shelf-talker at the now-closed Palm Desert LA Wine location.
Country clubs and other venues have also gotten creative,
giving members or invited guests the chance to sample and buy wines at close to
wholesale prices, practically direct from the distributor. Seasonal residents can
often purchase enough wines for the season without ever having to venture out
to a wine shop, which can make it tough on some local small wine businesses.
The 2013 arrival of Total Wine and More in Palm Desert
brought a huge selection of wines from around the world in all price ranges to
desert residents, satisfying connoisseurs and bargain shoppers alike. Customers
who before might have favored the smaller wine boutiques now had another place
to spend their wine dollars. Besides its frequent in-store events and trained
staff, that superstore also offered a convenient location, ample parking and
extended store hours that folks working 9-to-5 appreciated.
Since that opening and the increased number of private event
wine-buying ops, Palm Desert has lost two wine shops, Los Angeles Wine Company
and the local outpost of The Third Corner Wine Shop and Bistro. Both
shops offered newbies and wine sophisticates personal attention and guidance.
Plus, their wine selections were just plain fantastic, with the prices at LA
Wine in particular hard to beat.
Palm Desert still has Dan’s Wine Shop, and that’s a good
thing for the valley. Run by Dan Sullivan, who split off from LA Wine long ago and
opened his own shop on the north side of Highway 111 between Lupine and Sage,
Dan’s features an ever-changing variety of well-chosen wines from around the
world at great prices, whether you’re looking for a $15 bargain or a $75
splurge. Join his email list to attend minimally priced tastings in his cozy
space. Ladies, leave the bulky handbags at home.
La Quinta has a couple of shops that offer tastings, wine
shopping and, in Old Town, a few food choices as well. Near Trader Joe’s on
Washington is LQ Wine. Smaller than Dan’s, this shop offers moderate pricing
and is a step up in quality from Trader Joe’s. Attend a tasting to see how this
wine shop’s selections match your tastes.
On Main Street in Old Town, La Rue Wine Bar offers dining, wines
by the bottle, wines by 6- or 9-oz pours and live music. Besides familiar
choices, they also offer a number of what they list as “Interesting” wines, such
as a Cabernet Franc from Jeff Runquist.
In the West Valley, which lost Vino 100 back in 2011, Desert Wine and Spirits remains a Palm Springs destination wine shop, located inside the Go Deli
Market on South Palm Canyon near Ramon. Headed by Zola and Costa Nichols, this
shop offers excellent prices, well-chosen selections, Saturday tastings and
in-store events. They also have grab-and-go deli items, sandwiches and gifts.
Costa maintains an informative blog with tasting notes of their winner-laden revolving
wine stock.
These smaller shops offer a number of distinct advantages
over the big-box stores and grocers, especially when it comes to service and
being responsive to your budget, needs and taste in wine. However, bigger wine
sellers have also stepped up their games in recent years. In another post,
we’ll explore some great finds and tips for shopping at locales such as Costco,
Trader Joe’s, World Market and local grocers too.
