Carlsbad Wine Merchants - Several Choices for Wine Lovers

Folks in Carlsbad have a couple of excellent choices for where to purchase their wines. Given how many wines there are being produced today here in California, as well as from France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, South Africa, Australia, Chile, Argentina and more, having someone you can trust, especially if you are not highly knowledgeable, is important. [note - photo was taken at J. Lohr Winery in Paso Robles]

Which wines are the best, for you preferred type (Zinfandel, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, varietals and blends, reds, champagne)? How much do you need to spend to buy a good bottle? Which vintages are preferred? And so on.

Carlsbad Wine Merchants, at 5814 Van Allen Way (small shopping center) off Faraday, is an excellent place to begin your journey, especially if you are new to wine or are interested in furthering your knowledge. Kathy, the owner, is extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and can guide you through the process, no matter how new or experienced you might be. There is a tasting room, with weekly tastings (generally Thursday through Sundays - some require reservations and you often get to meet the wine makers), and an excellent selection of wines (all are tested first and they are rather discriminating in terms of what they will stock); they will also arrange wine parties for you. There is an on-line newsletter to keep you up-to-date on wine happenings.

Further down El Camino Real, in The Forum shopping mall on Calle Barcelona in South Carlsbad, is The Wine Loft, a smallish but very well stocked wine store. The Wine Bar is open during business hours, and they have regular wine tastings on Thursdays that, while not requiring reservations, can get rather busy. Bill Boyer, the owner, is a very knowledgeable merchant and likes to select wines from lesser known boutique wineries as well as more mainstream types of wines.

In Encinitas on the Coast Highway, Tastes is another great place to buy wine. It is not strictly a wine shop but a restaurant, with a terrific ever-changing menu, that also happens to have a retail component. Wines are specifically chosen to compliment the food and you can order pairings of wine with any dish or select you favorite; they also have tastings (read more here...).

Lastly, if you are seeking a bargain place to buy wines (Beverages and More is pretty good, or BevMO as it is commonly called) and don't mind the drive, The San Diego Wine Bank in downtown is amazing. The best!! There are rooms filled with wines, terrific prices, plus a tasting room. I never get out of this place without buying a case of mixed wines. And being at 5^th and J in the heart of the Gaslamp you can buy some wine then go have lunch or dinner at one of the many eateries near by.

I'm sure there are other fine wine stores but being unfamiliar with them I don't want to make any recommendations. If readers have any other thoughts, please feel free to share them.