Costco vs Total Wine for Spirits ?

[rotuts]

had anyone been able to compare prices at Costco vs Total Wine for spirits ?

 

Total Wine is near me and I get some wine from them and some from TJ's

 

it seems that in MASS i can buy alcohol at Costco w/o a membership . it father away , but Im curious how the two store compare in price.

 

I may have to do this study myself , in the next few days.

[Porthos]

You can buy alcohol in CA without a membership also. No matter for me, a long-time member.

 

I buy very little alcohol at Costco, mostly the hard stuff on really good sales, and the occasional case of beer. I generally like the prices and selection better at Total Wine. Total wine gives me many, many choices for a given varietal or style of beer, along with many more price points than Costco.

 

I am spoiled beyond definition, however. My local Total Wine is about 10 miutes away. One of the two Costcos I typically shop at is five minutes away from the Total Wine location. My local TJs is about 8 miles from my house. Thus, I never really have to plan on a special trip to purchase alcohol. My local BevMo is about a mile past the Total Wine location. However, I only go there for gift certificates for gifts for family members that don't have access to Total Wine.

 

Total Wine has one more advantage for me, the cigar humidor, making it easy to pick up the occasional cigar. (I have a playlist titled "scotch and cigars" so that occasional cigar is normally smoked with a glass of scotch while listening to music)

[rotuts]

this is as Ive thought.

 

@Porthos    thanks for your reply

 

Total Wine has its prices on the web.   Costco does not.  that says something right there.

 

however , Monday , I plan to Motor Down to a Costco about 30 min from me as there are 3 Car dealerships Id like to sniff around.

 

my reward ?

 

a Shake Shake   SmokeShack burger.

 

at some point Ill need a new car.  but not right know.

 

I may have to Pull a Cork  before I venture into that Miasma.  Preventative of course.

 

Ill post my results them.

[Paul Bacino]

Use----- WineSearcher..  it will give you a good idea of prices around the USA

[boilsover]

Hi, rotuts:

  In Washington state, Total Wine is the clear winner as to both price and selection.  I've also been impressed with the helpful expertise there--I was recently recommended a Reposado tequila there for $25 (before taxes) that is definitely superior to the $50 one I had been buying.  You do not get that kind of help from Costco.

  OTOH, you don't get free samples of frozen, oversalted, pre-prepared food, or hellacious lines, either! 

Cheers.

[Porthos]

27 minutes ago, boilsover said:

I've also been impressed with the helpful expertise there ...

 

I failed to mention that, but I agree that the help you receive is indeed knowledgeable and useful. Even more important to me personally is that when they offer help and you decline, they leave you alone.

Edited February 25, 2017 by Porthos (log)

[fledflew]

At Costco and Total Wine, the selection of alcohol and their prices varies by region - I have observed this between Phoenix, the SF bay area, and Las Vegas.  Presumably, each states' taxes play a role in the final pricing, but there must be other market forces that influence the prices as well. 

That being said, I have found some exceptional deals at Costco over the years that I can't imagine could be matched by any other retailer. 

A couple examples - Bottles of JW Blue Label for ~$130 ea (after a $25 off coupon, limit 2) during the holidays in the Bay Area.  Without the coupon, they were $155 which is the same price as the Total Wine in the area.  I just checked the price of JWBL for the Phoenix Total Wine and they sell the same bottle for $170. 

I've also picked up bottles of 10y/o Laphroaig at Costco for $10 each, but that was because there were only 6 bottles left and I'm guessing that they were closing out the last of the selection to make room for something else on the shelf. 

I just price checked a couple items that I recently purchased at Costco against the Total Wine online prices for my local store and they are comparable (without coupons and special closeout deals).  1.75L Sauza Hornitos, and 1.75L Bulleit Rye were both the same price.  The Total Wine price on the Bulleit Rye did drop by a couple dollars over the past few months though - I recall buying  bottle there in Nov for more than the current price.  I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find that they are doing price surveys and matching prices with Costco. 

[rotuts]

Thank you all !

 

I have a friend in the BayArea , where I grew up

 

and he gets seasonal deals at Costco for massively expensive stuff :

 

some sort of JohnnyWalker ExtraExpensived Scotch   etc.

 

Ill going in Costco's direction monday anyay

 

and will add what I make of it that day.

 

re : information at Total Wine  :  I asked about a bottle of Pinot Noir from France , not of course Burgandy.

 

I was told it was superb.   9.99   so I tried it.

 

it was as bad a bottle of wine as Ive ever had.  they were promoting it , on a large EndCap.

 

Ive noticed this in other way when I asked about several Ridge Zins  similarly priced at TW.

 

had my WineBuds  suggested that same wine at TJ's, and the result being the same  

 

Id have take the bottle back.

 

for me :  I buy at TW for price

 

at TJ's  I get decent advice as they have actually tasted the wine's in question and they do not hesitate to take the bottle back

 

and they kinow at Tj's I do not want to take a bottle back.

 

just different sorts of places.

 

P.S.:  if you've gotten good rev's for wine that you've liked from TW   that's terrific  

 

I just haven't 

 

they do have tasting that you can subscribe to , and then its up to your taste buds.

 

TJ's has opened a bottle or two for me from time to time as 

 

" Im Well Know There "

Edited February 25, 2017 by rotuts (log)

[Smokeydoke]

I'm a Total Wine and Costco devotee, I love both places, if you don't mind buying Kirkland brand alcohol, Costco wins in price, hands down. 

 

I love Total Wine's selection and they sell rare cordials in 350 ml, but they're not cheap. They're actually pricey, if not on sale.

 

For example, I saw Cointreau, 750ml for $40, and down the street at Lee's Liquor, Cointreau, 750 ml was $34. But Total Wine sells the 350ml for $20.

 

Of course, Costco's selection is so limited, but if you need a specific alcohol, I might know the price.

Edited January 16, 2018 by Smokeydoke (log)

[blue_dolphin]

Interesting.  Cointreau 750 ml is $28.99 at my Total Wine.  The 375 ml size is $17.99.

[Smokeydoke]

My bad, the 750ml is 29.99, I must've been looking at the 1L for $45.

http://www.totalwine.com/spirits/liqueurs-cordials-schnapps/citrus-triple-sec/orange/cointreau/p/532750?igrules=true&defaultPosition=532750-1&s=

(I wonder if this will link you to Summerlin's Total Wine or your Total Wine)

 

But the 375ml is $19.99, at least the one in Summerlin is.

http://www.totalwine.com/spirits/liqueurs-cordials-schnapps/citrus-triple-sec/orange/cointreau/p/532375?igrules=true&defaultPosition=532375-1&s=

 

[blue_dolphin]

1 hour ago, Smokeydoke said:

(I wonder if this will link you to Summerlin's Total Wine or your Total Wine)

The links took me to my local Total Wine, where the liter of Cointreau is $40.99.

It's 2 bucks cheaper at Hi-Time. 

[Smokeydoke]

Shipping of spirit alcohol is prohibited to this state. You will need to remove all products with spirit alcohol from your shopping cart to ship to this address.

 

[Smokeydoke]

35 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

The links took me to my local Total Wine, where the liter of Cointreau is $40.99.

It's 2 bucks cheaper at Hi-Time. 

 

 

I think it was $40 here around NYE.

[rustwood]

For frozen gin and tonics, I am very happy with Kirkland London Dry Gin (1.75L for under $20).  In Delaware,  I'd say Total Wine's selection is at least 10X larger for both beer and wine, perhaps not as much for spirits.

 

[rotuts]

in my area ( MA )

750 cc  23.99

 

375 cc  16.49

 

also I think the stuff in the US is made here , and not the stuff sold in FR

 

it used to be different in taste

 

there is no tax on liquor in MA when sold

 

there is an excise tax before the stiff gets to the shelf

 

Im wondering if that explains some of the Total Wine price differences

Edited January 17, 2018 by rotuts (log)

[TechieTechie]

Although Costco is good, on any given day, for run of the mill wine, I find the prices and selection to be better at Albany's Empire Wine and Liquor.  I have made a couple of runs up there to build out my cellar (particularly for French 2009 and 2010 vintages) and loved the place.

 

YMMV