Wine Works

CBlack85

South Carolina

3.94/5  rDev -7.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

In Springfield visiting family, and decided to stop by to pick up some beers to share. The place was laid out fairly well, and had a pretty good selection of craft beer. I also liked the fact that you could mix and match any beer in the store to create a mixed sixer. The staff was very helpful and seemed pretty knowledgable. I was informed that they had a cellar where they had some aged beers.

All in all, the place was a nice find; reasonably priced, great selection, and terrific service. This will definately be a regular stop when I'm in town.

04-04-2012 04:25:27 | More by CBlack85

crytion

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I consider this my home base bottle shop. If you live in the springfield area then I highly recommend this bottle shop. They offer amazing customer service and have a very knowledgeable staff. They are also very friendly and highly likable and each employee will take you around the store showing you what they have to offer ensuring that you leave happy.

05-01-2013 02:20:35 | More by crytion

ohiobeer29

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

not a bad place ranks right up there with belemont party supply in terms of beers.they have rares and are willing to show you new stuff they get in.picked up a few vertical epics from years past and were great.if your into craft beers check this place out they have a solid selection

03-31-2013 01:57:23 | More by ohiobeer29

BuckeyeSlim

Ohio

3.69/5  rDev -13.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This is my local bottle shop. For pretty much everything other than Goose Island and Sam Adams, this is the only source unless you're willing to drive to Dayton or Columbus. Here's the good and bad.

The good. They carry a very broad selection of beers distributed in Ohio, and they tend to get good allocations of releases in demand. A couple Christmases ago, the Great Lakes Christmas Ale was hard to find after its initial release into the market, and WW got a couple cases more right before the holidays. They were good about holding back a couple 6-paks for me.

The nice thing about WW is that they encourage rolling your own 6-paks by pricing singles whatever the per/unit cost is of the 6-or-4 pak they sell in, rounded up to the next five cents. Every other store I've been in marks up the singles with a hefty premium. This is a great way to fill the tasting shelf in the fridge with options without spending a bunch extra or buying several cases of beers you don't know if you're going to like.

Most of the time, you'll be dealing with a staff of kids who are pretty knowledgeable about the inventory and most of the beers. They ask if they can help and will make recommendations that are good. They seem to enjoy what they're doing and craft beer in general.

Now - there's the bad, and these two things keep me out of there and in other places more than I otherwise would be. And they both are directly the result of the owner.

The owner (there may be more, but I've only encountered one) is an older woman who has got to be one of the most unpleasant, uncaring people I've ever found running what appears to be a successful business. If you ask her a question, you'll be lucky to get a grunt in reply. Recently, I picked up a 6 that was marked $8.99 on the shelf, but rang up $9.99. When I asked about the discrepancy, the guy on the register wanted to do something about it, but clearly had been ordered not to - just make the customer live with what the computer says. Finally, I insisted he talk to the owner, who was also behind the counter, but down aways, and he looked like I had just asked him to go on a kamikaze mission. I went down to the other end with him, and the owner refused to even look at me, and finally spat out I could have my dollar. But this behavior has been consistent every time she's been involved with a question or request I've had.

The other big negative of WW is that they'll sell anything a distributor gives them, without any regard to how old it is or whether it's gone bad. Awhile back, I picked up a Shiner dunkelweizen from the shelf, surprised because I hadn't seen it before. It was the worst beer I've ever tasted. Then I discovered it was 18 months old and Shiner doesn't even make it anymore. The next time in the store, I poked my head in the back room and told the three people, including said owner, about it, and that they had several 6-paks of seriously stale, bad beer on the shelves. They couldn't have cared less, saying they just put out whatever the distributor gives them. That Shiner dunkelweizen stayed front-and-center on its shelf for a good two more months, until, I imagine, some other poor souls wasted their money on it.

So - it's a love/hate relationship with this store. A solid, broad selection with can't-beat-it pricing on singles staffed by employees who are helpful. But it's owned by at least one person who, if life was fair, would have lost this business a long time ago and who is more than happy to sell old, stale beer to anyone who will pay for it.

Buyer beware - buy only what you know is fresh and check your receipt against the shelf pricing.

04-15-2012 20:14:08 | More by BuckeyeSlim

BaronRVH

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Just moving here from Columbus, I am giddy to find this place. I bought the last two Double Arrogant Bastard bombers and found the rabid Raging Bitch. Their selection in strong for anywhere but they allow mixed 6 packs and anything goes! That doesn't happen anywhere I've seen with the selection they have.

They rotate and bring in seasonals and will look for items you want. This place is truly a godsend for craft and import beer lovers. For example, I found three Weihenstaphaners among the many selections which is pretty damn impressive in a city of 65,000 that isn't Pwithin one-half hour of a major metropolitan city.

Along with the impressive beer program, they have an outstanding wine selection and a very impressive, albeit small spirits selection. I bought the brand new release from Makers Mark, their "46." A great new addition to the bourbon scene. I also found what is probably the best all-around single malt whisky available, Highland Park 12 years old!

For wines, I found Al

09-16-2010 22:44:46 | More by BaronRVH

vinneef

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

This was the best selection of singles available for purchase,I have ever seen.They have a great selection of crafts and imports.Any beer can bought as a single.Nobody in the columbus area has a singles selection near this one.Will be a regular stop.Worth the drive.They have all the regular big name breweries and many west coast brewerys.Their import selection is very extensive.The staff was pretty friendly.If anybody in the columbus area has a place that sells singles ,that could compete with this ,please let me know.They have lots of bombers ,mini kegs,etc.also.They also have a state liquor license.

06-05-2010 22:56:52 | More by vinneef

jdflyer06

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -9.8%
quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$

I've been working in Springfield for over 6 months now and was looking for a place to kill some time during my lunch break. Found Wine Works through BA and based upon the few reviews, figured it would be worth my time to check out.

The selection was pretty good. However, the shelves could have been a bit more organized but overall they managed to at least group the beers by style. A good bit of the craft stuff gets some cooler space, which is nice. Definitely above average selection, but not the best I've seen.

My biggest complaint would be that the bottles were all very dusty which gives the impression that they've been sitting under the oppressive glow of the flourescents way too long. The shelves were also a mess in places which kind of threw me off.

Overall, I'll probably check this place out again due to the decent selection but I wouldn't seek this out if you are happy with your craft brew store of choice.

02-17-2010 18:02:08 | More by jdflyer06

amietaj1

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

This is the place that first pushed me over the edge when dabbling in craft beer. The are located just off Bechtle on Commerce Road, and as noted in other reivews, are housed in a modest-looking, unassuming building. Once inside, the store is roughly 50% wine (and a pretty good selection here too!), 25% liquour, and 25% beer.

The beer selection is excellent. They have everything local you can think of from the surrounding states, all of the big names in US micro-brews that are distributed in Ohio, and a great import selection as well. At any given time, they probably stock 60-70 different bombers, 30-40 different Belgians, 50-60 different English and German beers, and 50-60 different 4/6-packs of 12oz-ers. The best part, too, is that you can do a mixed sixer of anything in the store. No 6-pack is off limits.

They do get in a decent number or rare or hard to find beers, but many times the staff keeps these tucked away in the back, and you have to ask for them. This seems at first a chore, but engaging the staff in beer conversation is great fun, as they are as knowledable as they come. If you are in or around Springfield and a fan of craft beer, you place is a must. Eventhough I live in Columbus now, I still make the drive back every month or two to see what they've got in stock.

01-29-2009 19:16:37 | More by amietaj1

jwhainey

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +12.4%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I love this store. From the outside appearances can be misleading. A modest exterior at the periphery of a manufacturing district it could be easy to drive by it without taking note if you weren't aware it was there. They offer a wide range of brews both domestic and imported with the distinct advantage of allowing mixed pack purchases for sampling the new and/or unfamiliar offerings. The staff here have always been exceptionally friendly and helpful offering suggestions and explanation with courtesy and a smile. My favorite place to buy here in my neck of the woods.

10-18-2008 21:05:12 | More by jwhainey

cashew70

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $

What a great find, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. I had to conduct a training session in Springfield and figured that I would be able to stop in somewhere and grab some local stuff, maybe some Great Lakes at a Kroger or something.

Luckily, I checked beerfly before I headed up there and mapquested Wine Works. It was only a one day training session, I was in and out, but WW was on my way back to the Dayton airport, so I whipped in. And I thank my lucky stars that I did make the time. I only wish I had brought a bigger bag to take home my goodies. They had a great selection of Belgians and other European stuff; but all I wanted was locals and Wine Works did not disappoint there either.

Their micro selection was extensive, the full lines of: Great Lakes, Hoppin Frog, Buckeye Brewing, Bell's, Weyerbacher, New Holland, Southern Tier, Stone and a few other locals that I had never heard of; but tons of stuff that we can't get down here.

The staff wasn't as friendly as some have indicated, but I wasn't looking for help, so that was ok. Prices seemed very reasonable to me and the fact that I could mix singles was awesome.

I'm not sure if I'll be conducting anymore training in Springfield, but if I do get back there, 2 things are assured - I'll be visiting Wine Works and I'll be bringing a larger bag to check.

Cheers

05-30-2008 22:35:01 | More by cashew70