No it is not Total Wine although they are dominating the market right now. Whether most wine drinkers want to admit it or not they are not always drinking very good wine. Yes I know drink what you like which is the code word for I am the industry telling you to buy our crap (several wine educators play that game in the Twin Cities). As a professionally trained educator my goals for your wine buying is to become a better wine drinker so yes I do say the following wines are terrible and you need to graduate from drinking them: Ménage à trois, Barefoot, Prisoner Wines, MEIOMI, Joel Gott, Predator and many more… These wines lack acidity and balance and tend to side on higher residual sugar levels. However many of the wine drinkers will drink them. You would never see me serve these at a tasting unless I am comparing a good wine vs. this stuff.
On to the point of this blog post. The point of this blog is that if you like these wines and some really decant every day wines than Morell’s in St. Paul is for you. They have the best pricing on wine in the state on many corporate brands (some good and some bad). France 44 (A Leslle Miller of Amuse favorite wine shop, must be on the payroll) for those who like corporate wines or even good wines has some of the highest pricing in the state. Their prices are the highest I have seen except for the joke of a place called Ace Spirits in Hopkins. This is one shop Jason Kallsen and I actually can agree on.
Here are some alarming deals Morelli’s has vs. other wine shops:
Check out some of these wines they offer.
NV Mumm Brut Prestige $14.97 (Compare at $16.99 on sale at Haskell’s, $23.99 not on sale. Total Wine $15.97, good price and every day price).
Columbia Crest H3 Wines $8.47 (price after $3 bottle rebate) $5.47 (Total Wine Pricing $10.97 or $11.99, Haskell’s $13.99, Ace Spirits $14.98 to $18.99)
Columbia Crest Grand Estates $6.97 (12.99 France 44, Total Wine $8.97, Haskell’s $8.99 on sale)
Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel $16.97 ($19.97 Total Wine, Haskell’s $24.99???, France 44 sale price $22.99,
Prisoner Red Blend $31.97 (Total Wine $37.97, France 44 $57.99 WHAT???, Ace Spirits $54.99, Haskell’s $39.99)
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc $9.97 (Haskell’s $11.99, Surdyk’s $15.99, France 44 $15.99)
A to Z Pinot Noir $13.97 (Haskell’s $15.99, Total Wine $14.97, France 44 $18.97)
Substance Cabernet (A 3 Day Wine Review Favorite) $11.47 (Liquor Boy $15.99, Cotsco $12.99)
Chapoutier Cotes du Rhone Red & Rose $8.97 (Total Wine $11.29)
LaCrema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (good wine) $16.97 (Total Wine $17.77, Haskell’s $18.98)
Wow! Doing some research on local wine pricing was even an eye opener for me. While Morell’s only takes cash or check the rewards you get back will not cover the loses on the savings. Plus too many Americans have credit card debt which adds about 25% onto your purchases which I will not do the math for you.
Check out their current November wine sale.
Wow the price differences are staggering.
Wil Total Wine is solid on pricing overall but Morelli’s beats them on every wine they sell.
As Ihave been playing tennis at Saint Paul Indoor Tennis club, three blocks away for over 25 years, I have been recommending Morelli’s forever. The big extra is they offer equally good pricing on meats and cold cuts. They are a rarity in that they are Grandfathered in for liquor and food licensing. If anyone worries about bottles stored upright under room lighting at comfortable temperatures, Morelli’s turnover is so short that it’s not an issue. Did I mention good beer selection at low prices?
Those prices are crazy low. How do they make any money?
John you are right about Bill Ward. The guy is a joke and I work in the industry. With your honest opinion you will not be invited to many industry events.
Mn wine yes I will not be at many industry events. While I enjoy them it is not a 3 day wine review concept as too many pop and pour newer vintage wines. I feel my snapshots are an estimate of what the wine can be. It is helpful when buying wine to sample them prior to investing $50 on these wines.
Cheers,
John