The Wine Source

asabreed

New York

5/5  rDev +13.9%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

After eating some great food at The Golden West Cafe, my friend told me we had to walk to this place and that I'd really like it. What worried me is how deep my wallet was and how deep I'd go to purchase some good stuff.

What's great about this place is they have a selection of wine, beer, and liquor that's pretty out of control. High shelves, extremely clean, and a lot of people working, since there are probably always a ton of people there.

The beer selection was a bit oddly placed I'd say, since it was kind off-to-the side and aisle-to-aisle, though I'm not explaining it well. But once you got the hang of it, it was easy to find what you wanted. Belgians. Stuff from Norway. Domestics. Local brews. Micro and craft brews from everywhere.

When I saw the V.2 Dark Horizon I had to get a bottle, which was $22 I think, though I plan on saving it for at least 5 years, if I can do it. The other thing I was never able to find was Weyerbacher's 2009 Riserva, and they had that for $16. A few other bombers, A Little Sumpin Sumpin Extra and Great Divide's Double Wit, and it was a $55 trip. I EASILY could've spent $500 in there, especially with the possibility of some great bottles of wine and good scotch or bourbon.

Overall, this place is highly, highly impressive. I have no complaints whatsoever, and though things can always be better, this place will probably continue to improve. Their prices are also extremely impressive and reasonable as far as what I've seen and heard about a lot of the beers elsewhere.

Don't miss a trip to this place if you're in the Baltimore area. I know I'll be going again when I get back.

11-23-2009 20:39:50 | More by asabreed

BaltimoreBeerGuy

Maryland

5/5  rDev +13.9%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

The Wine Source really has no competition for the best beer store in Baltimore. It used to be Wells until a few years ago, Im assuming when Brian the beer guy took over. Hes extremely knowlegable, has tried virtually every beer there regardless of how recently hes gotten it, provides great descriptions/recommendations for beers, and is always more than happy to hang out, show you whats new and chat beer.

The selection is the best in the area and they always get whats new and hard to get. Excellent selection of domestic craft beers, belgians, sours, etc etc. The place is extremely clean and they dont let beers sit around to get old and dusty, they discount them to move them off the shelves if need be.

Prices are very reasonable,probably a good buck or more less per six pack then the place with the second best selection in the area. Not much more to say.

01-15-2010 00:27:10 | More by BaltimoreBeerGuy

Beervis

Ontario (Canada)

4.85/5  rDev +10.5%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I just can't possibly say enough about this place. The staff is always very helpful and courteous, and their selection of everything (wine, beer, liquor) is fantastic.

Their beer selection is quite large, with selections from all over the globe. They carry a huge selection of the Shelton Brothers imports, which is where I spend most of my money. If there's something that I can't track down in NoVA, I can usually find it here. They also sell a small selection of glassware.

If you're ever in the vicinity, definitely check this place out. They give case discounts too, but you have to talk to the beer guys to get it, as they said that the cashiers don't usually know to do it automatically. A+ for service, and selection.

08-18-2008 16:38:11 | More by Beervis

qchic

Maryland

4.85/5  rDev +10.5%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

So there are plenty of informative reviews that I would only reiterate. Yep, quality and service are fantastic, especially if Brian the "beer guy" is there. Plenty of quality beers to be found: cold sixers of micros, belgians, germans, a growing section of italians, seasonal bombers, single 12 oz. bottles to mix and match. The store is clean, bright, organized and filled with many delicious libations (wine, duh, and liquor). They do unpretentious wine tastings at least a couple of days a week (fri. and sat.) and less frequent beer tastings. Prices are fair and while I can sometimes find things a few cents cheaper elsewhere, I am happy to support this establishment for the solid selection that they provide. When visiting the city of Baltimore, this is the place I suggest you visit to purchase some souvenirs.

10-15-2009 21:00:35 | More by qchic

steebo777

Michigan

4.8/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

My wife and I were visiting family in the Baltimore area so we decided to check this place out. Really cool vibe on the outside with a slick sign.

Inside was laid out nicely. Everything was very logically placed and very easy to get to. Nothing was out of stock and there were a ton of things I wanted. Prices were exactly were I expected them as well.

The staff was very friendly and courteous at the front counter. We chatted for a few minutes and as we walked out my brother-in-law said this is his go-to place from here on out.

All in all a great beer and wine store that I would DEFINITELY hit again and again.

01-09-2012 16:32:43 | More by steebo777

cwps48

Maryland

4.65/5  rDev +5.9%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $

The Wine Source definitely has a great selection. They're constantly getting in new imports and always have a good stock of some great beers (Bernardus 12, Mikkellers, Nogne O's, etc). Every time I go, I manage to leave with a good haul and it generally doesn't hurt the wallet too much (unless it's my birthday or something). The staff is unknowledgeable for the most part, being that it's a wine store, but there is the token beer guy who is friendly, outgoing, and knows what he's talking about. I have yet to be disappointed with something he's recommended. This place is definitely worth checking out.

08-22-2009 15:02:09 | More by cwps48

shageman331

Maryland

4.65/5  rDev +5.9%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This has been my go to shop for quite some time now. Although their main focus is wine, the selection is very good with most of the heavy hitters present (Stone, DfH, Sierra Nevada, Trappists, Cantillon, Mikkeller, Nogne O, Allagash, et. al.). Not to mention the extensive wine and liquor selection. Also, it seems that every other week or so there is a tasting of either wine or beer (last week was Flying Dog). The service is friendly, but other than "the Beer Guy" not many seem to know that much about beer. That being said the Beer Guy really knows his stuff, and I have yet to be disappointed by any of his recommendations. Overall, this is a very good store and one that I would recommend visiting.

09-10-2009 02:34:29 | More by shageman331

cvito

Maryland

4.65/5  rDev +5.9%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

The Wine Source is the place for beer in Baltimore. Although is has mostly wine, there is an extensive beer selection by Great Divide, Nogne O, Stone, and others. The prices are reasonable for the great quality of beer. The staff is friendly, and there's "the beer guy" who really knows his stuff. If you are in need of beer, talk to him. The beers he recommends are quite tasty, and I haven't regretted purchasing one of his choices. All-in-all, this place is a must-visit, and I highly recommend it.

03-05-2010 18:10:15 | More by cvito

Kanegarden

New Jersey

4.54/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.25 | $$

First time to the Baltimore area....definitely enjoyed some of the local estabilishments i.e. Of Love and Regret Pub and Provisions and Max's taphouse to name a few. Decided to pick up a few bombers at Wine Source after reading some of the reviews on BA. Greeted with a friendly and knowledgeable beer bro who first introduced me to a few of his favs current favs. Jolly Pumpkin's Madrugada Obscura, Boulevard's Harvest Dance, MOA a NZ brewery's Pale Ale, Maine Beer Co.'s Titus, an austrian brewer Stift Engelszell 's Benno, and lastly a local Heavy Seas Siren Noire. Then the helpful fella offered me a tasting of one of Flying Dogs single batch imperial ipa....a definite gold star for service when offered a private tasting. Nicely organized with domestic/american craft beers, german, belgian, all separated. Definitely will be back to explore other destinations in Baltimore i.e. Brewer''s Art, Heavy Seas, Stillwater...and of course this place again for some new beers to try. Cheers!

01-27-2013 19:58:57 | More by Kanegarden

Swift989

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

Great selection especially of local wines and east coast beers. Was there on a Wednesday and they had a nice wine tasting with Tablas Creek Vineyard with the owners/operators there.

Employees are SUPER helpful and nice and love their products. I talked with one guy for 20 minutes about different beers and whether organic beers really mean anything different and whether their quality is worse. He had legit recommendations for craft brewery batches that came in inconsistant and not worth the $$ or up to par with past years. Really really fun and interesting chat.

03-14-2013 17:14:13 | More by Swift989