Total Wine & More

t0rin0

California

4.2/5  rDev 0%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $

Visited 1/28/2011 with lardassescantsail.

Located in a clean upscale shopping center in Orange County. Lots of beers to pick from including some interesting selections and some popular selections. They're learning the ropes and are cashing in on beer nerd's craze and stupidity.

Finding an employee wandering the aisles here can be difficult and while they arent the most knowledgeable about beer they seem to be willing to learn and will have a conversation with you.

My only real complaint is that they put all their IPAs out on the shelf under the lights.

Low prices as always. Will return if I need something and I'm in the area but the one in Brea is closer to me.

01-30-2011 07:12:35 | More by t0rin0

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +6%
quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $

My first beer stop on vacation in California was the highly acclaimed Total Wine in Tustin, a short 15 minute drive from where we were staying in Orange. As soon as we entered, I was amazed by both the size and saturation of wine in the store. At the entrance there was no beer in sight.

A small rack held literature about the store as well as a thick wine catalog. We started here and probably looked overwhelmed because Chris, a fantastic store employee came over right away and asked if we needed any help. We first explained to him that we were visiting from Wisconsin and heard this was the place to get beer. He seemed excited by that and immediately lead us over to the beer section. After a quick intro to what was there we talked briefly then commenced with the shopping.

I immediately noticed the lower-than-usual prices but they weren't so low that I could justify binging. I started to notice more and more than the place was like a liquor warehouse. Giant shelving units held all the beer and down the cases aisle there were cases and cases of beer stacked up to the tall ceiling. Most everything wasn't refrigerated either but the store was kept around 60°F or so if not a little bit lower. Everything was well-labeled in both prices and description.

The selection was pretty good too. I was out for local Cali beer I couldn't get elsewhere and I definitely got that done. Sprecher was there too I noticed, representing Wisconsin proudly. The imports didn't intrigue me since a brief look revealed the selection to be little more than what I already had access to back home. After getting some Karl Strauss, Stone, Russian River, and other locals, my arms started to fill up quickly. As soon as my girlfriend went to grab a cart, another store employee came by with an empty box and a cart for me.

I happily left with a haul of beer and a Duvel Green tulip glass with one and only complaint; in the check out line I realized my Obsidian Stout was exactly one day past it's "best by" date. Not the best impression on Total Wine but based on my experience with Deschutes' Porter being fantastic 4 YEARS after the best by date, I think the stout will be ok.

Thanks to everyone who recommended this place and to Chris for the friendly help! Total Wine was a great experience. I expected my bill to be about $100 and I was blown away by the fact it only ended up being $55. I certainly hope to make it back to Total Wine at some point.

06-11-2010 12:35:21 | More by BeerFMAndy

PeprSprYoFace

California

5/5  rDev +19%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $

I'm not kidding when I give this place a perfect score. This is the best place I have been period to buy beer. And especially if you like wine, I have never seen so much in my life. It's like bevmo on steroids.

Everything is displayed nicely and everything was stocked and in order. Easy to find what I needed. They even broke up slot of 6 packs so you could buy individuals. Very cool. That's not seen around these parts very much.

They had slot of the limited releases that bevmo doesn't even get. So it has the nice layout of a big company but with a smaller beer store selection.

Staff was very helpful in helping me find what I needed and was very knowledgeable and had a happy smile. The guy at the register admitted to not knowing much but he seemed to want to lean and was asking for my knowledge which I thought was cool.

The prices are way cheaper than I have found at other places. For the beers I bought today most were under the MSR.

I can't wait to give this place my business. I will be buying slot of things from this place since I'm in their area at least once a week.

02-16-2010 09:09:13 | More by PeprSprYoFace

JTahoe

California

4.35/5  rDev +3.6%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I was literally drawn to this place... I had no idea it was there... I just happened to be in the neighborhood and had the overwhelming urge to drive in to the parking lot. And there is was, like a mirage in the desert! But this is no mirage, it is a true oasis. I wandered the aisles wide-eyed like a kid in a candy store, trying not to slip on my own drool. Beer displays were scattered here and there throughout the store, along with a selection of single bottles at the checkout lines (lined up just like candy in the supermarket!) begging for me to pick up just one more bottle... OK, maybe two.

OK, down to it: this place has a really, really good selection of microbrews and imports. The place is big and clean and has a good vibe. The staff were helpful and knowledgeable. Really a great selection. One full aisle was dedicated to single bottles to build your own sixers. Being the holidays, they had a really nice range of seasonal brews as well. I wish this were closer to home... beats my BevMo by a mile.

12-10-2009 06:46:29 | More by JTahoe

bargerking

California

3/5  rDev -28.6%
quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 5 | $$

Visted the store 12/02/09.
Has a good feel about the store when you walk in. The store itself was not that busy. I was never approached by anyone for assistance. Even though I didn't need it, it would have been nice to atlest be asked if I needed it or show me around. Oh well...
Selection was something I have never seen before. (There isn't very much of a rare selection in San Luis Co.) There was alot of Lost Abbey, Alesmith, Port, etc. RR selection was: Consecration at $19, Damnation at $8, and BPIPA at $5? All of the PtE and PtO was gone from the fridge display. May have been on the floor somewhere though. I picked up what looked to be the last of BCS 09 and Old Viscosity. Im sure they had more in back but didnt ask. Also picked up Stone Sublimely self righteous, Alesmith Grand cru, Speedway Stout, and a Brewdog Glen Grant 12oz. With all of that, a bottle of wine and a few Thomas Kemper root beers the damage was a little over $70. Not too bad considering the rareity of what I got.

Everything about this store was good with me until we got to checkout. I was blessed with an unwanted ability to pick the slowest checkout line of any store. Today was a prime example. The checker was an older woman who looked new. She had difficulty with the customer ahead of us and had to get assistance from several co-workers. Once she got to us, we had to do the expected waiver as my wife is 21. Not a big deal, just more time consumption. The icing on the cake and the 1.0 for service is what did me in. She selected a box and started scanning and putting beers in it. She got to the Grand Cru and put it upside down in the box because the base wouldn't fit in the dividers! I about flipped a lid! I immediatly flipped it rightside up and seated it correctly. WTF! She then did it again with another beer! I pulled it back out and said under my breath: "You cant put beer like this upside down!" I think she heard me but was so much in her own world that it didnt click. I don't know about you guys but thats a big pet peeve of mine. To top it all off, the speedway stout wouldn't register on the scanner or when she tried to pin it in. I told her I was pretty sure it was $9.99 but she ignored me and proceeded to scan and try to pin in. After several time consuming attempts, she got on her little mic piece and called for help. The manager came over took the bottle, went to his pod, came back and asked her if she started with a certain number on the upc code and she said, "no". First try, it worked ($9.99) and it was finally time to pay. WEW. Once I got my receipt, all I got was a "sorry for the wait." I work in customer service and IMO the checker was not properly trained. As pathetic as it sounds, turning any bottle upside down is a big no no and should have not happened. I could have made a big mess out of it but didn't. I blame management for her faults, not her. It was obvious she needed more trainning.

Even with a unwanted experience at checkout, I was still pleased with my visit and brushed the incident off as soon as I walked out the door. Ill be back again... just a rare and unfortunate experince for me. If it wasnt for the bad service this store would have got an A+

12-03-2009 01:09:23 | More by bargerking

womencantsail

California

4.35/5  rDev +3.6%
quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | $

I went to Whole Foods so I figured I would stop here as well as it's just back on the other side of the 5.

Large warehouse type store, tons of liquor and wine to go along with two aisles of beer. Pretty good selection of six-packs on one aisle, but the singles aisle is where this place really shines. I ended up getting way more than I anticipated buying, Black Butte XXI, Consecration, Lips of Faith Biere De Mars, Ten Fidy, Victory Storm King, and another Old Rasputin XII.

Besides having a pretty impressive selection, the prices here are great. The Consecration was $19 and the OR XII was $18.50, for example. They also had Mirror Mirror for $10.

While they do have a great selection and good prices, the service was definitely lacking. I do not really need much when it comes to buying beer, but the only human interaction I had in the store was answering a question of a family that was also in the beer aisle and then when paying for my items.

07-18-2009 18:30:37 | More by womencantsail

sweetbrew82

California

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $

Holy mother of god! This place should be the second home of any beer lover living in the vicinity. Located right off of the 5 freeway in "The Marketplace" shopping center.

Total Wine & More has a great atmosphere and vibe to it. As soon as you walk in you notice the clean, attractive, modern decor that really has a cozy feel to it. The place is spotless and I couldn't find a speck of dust on any of the bottles. The employees I talked to (while not beer geeks) were pretty knowledgeable about the products they sell. Unlike some BevMo's I've been to, you don't have chicken-hawking employees stalking you while you're shopping, making sure you're not stealing anything. They were friendly and let you shop on your own, but were more than willing to answer a question should one come up. I like that!

The selection is fantastic! All of the American micros that you can think of are represented, with almost every brewery's complete lineup in stock. The selection of Belgians is second to none, at least of the stores I've been to in SoCal. But what's best, is the fact that they offer mixer sixers. And we're not just talking about some shabby lineup of singles to choose from, either. Everything from Sierra Nevada to Dogfish, Blue Dot to Flying Dog, Drake's to Allagash, just to name a few. Seriously, the selection is incredible!

But, the selection would mean nothing if it was over-priced. And, um....this place is about as far from over-priced as you can possibly get! These are the best prices that I have ever seen. They had a 750 ML Allagash Curieux for $13.99 for god's sake! Speedway Stout for $8.99, Mirror Mirror for $9.99, six packs of Union Jack for $6.99, four packs of Palo Santo Marron for $11.99, Old Raspy XII for $18.99, and Consecration for $18.99, the list goes on. I thought I had died and went to heaven! This place is as much of a "must-visit bottle shop" as any place in SoCal. I spent $37 dollars here and walked out with so many beers that they wouldn't even fit in my fridge. Cheers to that! Now, be on your way...

07-09-2009 05:44:41 | More by sweetbrew82

dalion037

California

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $

Wow! Ran into this place on the shopping trip with wife. Could not believe the prices or the selection. They had Abyss and Hop Trip on the shelf for 9.99 and Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale for 12.49 for a six pack. They even had Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig in the fridge for 4.49. This is a great new place with great beers. They beat BevMo prices on my top 5 buys. This is a must shop.

I spoke to the manager and he said their goal is to beat BevMo prices on every beer in stock. They even have have sixers broken into singles so you can mix and match your collection.

12-24-2008 04:33:08 | More by dalion037

whiteskittlz

California

3.6/5  rDev -14.3%
quality: 4.5 | service: 1.5 | selection: 4.5 | $

This place was great, with one thing at the end that...well you'll see.

i'd say nicer, bigger, and cheaper than BevMo. the interior is definitely nice, with faux-marble linoleum.

lots of single beers, six packs of craft, and cases of more common stuff. puls when i asked an employee if they had Nogne-O, their beer manager said he was still trying to get alot more craft in, including that.

but there was a bad aftertaste....they made me sign a declaration that i was 21, which held up the line. it was that little tiny annoyance when you are asked for i.d., but times...alot. and i need to that every visit until im 22!!! i understand it's so that if they get accused of selling alcohol to minors, they can pull up the declarations...it's for the corporation to cover their ass...but what if somebody has a fake id that says they're 22???..which is the smart way to do it anyways.

anyways, i'll say that the selection and prices were great, and i'm lucky to live just down the 5 from it...but i'll take it with a grain of salt. i guess i won't care when i'm 22, but still. it just ain't neighbourly. i feel much more at home at corporate BevMo where i always end up talking to the same employee about the beer, though they may swipe my card and don't accept out-of-state licenses. or little giant trader joe's. or over-priced hollingsheads (sorry guys).

so anyways, if you want a good selection and good prices and live nearby, check it out, on the border of affluent south orange county. but if you're 21, be prepared to fill out a bullshit piece of paper (we sign our personal information and signature all the time, right??)

12-15-2008 07:32:04 | More by whiteskittlz

Halcyondays

California

4/5  rDev -4.8%
quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $

Look at those prices. That's what I thought when I walked in the beer section, it's like I went back to 2005. Racer 5, Stone IPA, Ballast Point Yellowtail/Calico bombers all $2.99. Moylan's bombers for $2.79. Alesmith Speedway/Old Numbskull 750s, Green Flash West Coast IPA sixers, Delirium Tremens and Nocturnum 750s - $7.99. Hennepin, Rare Vos, and Ommegang Abbey for an unheard of $4.99 - that's what they pay back east. Deschutes sixers for $6.49, Kona sixers - $5.49, Rogue bombers under $4 - I haven't seen that in a long time. Lots of German 500s for $1.79.

The selection is very good, better than your average BevMo and the prices are the best I've seen in all of Orange and LA Counties. Service is nothing special, but friendly and courteous at ringup. I just wish it wasn't 20 odd miles away in Tustin or this store would replace BevMo for me for regular shopping, due to the prices, selection, and the fact that there's tons of singles.

Edit - The low prices have come back to Earth a bit, but they're still the best you're going to find in North County.

11-29-2008 21:16:06 | More by Halcyondays