Absolutely amazing place for wines. Absolutely amazing. I wanted to find somewhere to buy a bottle of wine for friends we were going to have dinner with later that day: he's a chef and the former part-owner of a series of very popular restaurants in Seattle (owned by his family)... so no ordinary wine was going to do. We spied Compass Wines by accident driving from Anacortes toward I-5 Southbound, and took a chance that they might have a good selection of wines with which to choose from. Indeed they do. The individual who helped me not only recommended an exceptional wine -- a 2016 vintage of a Cabernet Sauvignon -- but one that impressed my friend... who is not easily impressed. Not at all. What's more, they were featuring Scotch -- and while my partner and I seldom drink, we occasionally have a bit of scotch every once in a while (we still have a few bottles purchased ten years ago... almost all of them have only had 4-5 ounces consumed). My partner and I are very partial to Macallan, but the Gordon & Macphail won out. Single malts rock! It's been my experience that those wine stores that have great selections cater to regular customers who know a great deal about wine -- but they tend, more often than not, to be a bit snobbish and look down upon those of us whose knowledge of wine wasn't genetically-encoded in our DNA. Not these people: the proprietors were very forgiving and helpful, and they know their wines! (And Scotch!) The individual helping me took all the time I needed to gather information about which Cabernet to buy, and it certainly paid off for me! That kind of service should be a standard for other companies to emulate. What impressed me more was their selection of Leonetti Cellar wines: I've known Gary Figgens, the owner of Leonetti Cellar, for over 40 years -- and have a number of their wines in my cellar. I'd give Compass Wines a sixth star if possible... just on the merit of featuring Leonetti Cellar wines, one of six favorite vintners. I do know enough about domestic wines to understand that this store has a superlative selection -- and I'd love to come back and talk about foreign wineries and wines. I know a good deal about Australian, New Zealand, German and Austrian wines.., but I'd like to come back just to see what I might learn. A friend of mine, working in London for a prestigious law firm, thought he might purchase a derby to wear. He spent three and one-half very enjoyable hours in conversation and being fitted for a derby, and felt so impressed by the impassioned storekeeper that he write him a letter thanking him for a memorable day. While I intended to pop into the store and quickly buy a bottle of wine, I spent 83 minutes in conversation about Cabernet Sauvignon, Scotch, and Scotland. There are many wine stores in Washington -- and the U.S. -- but very few of them are of the quality of Compass Wines in terms of selection, knowledge, and customer service. Try them! read more

Great service. Listened to me. Did not try to upsell. Wanted a sweet vermouth to sip. Tastes great.

Best wine store for hundreds of miles. Amazing selection of fine wines and a great selection of wonderful bargains. Great crew always helpful. read more

I stopped in to buy one bottle of specific vermouth and left with two bottles much more interesting than the one I went for because the person helping me was so knowledgeable and eager to share what she's learned and tasted. My second visit was greatly improved when the person who helped me during my first visit stepped in to fill the gap of a not-so-helpful person. I got to sample a handful of vermouth options and left with a bottle of the best vermouth I've tasted to date. PLUS a list of three others that are now in my purchase notes. Impressive variety of stock and the prices won't make you choke. Easy in and out with ample parking. Local Skagit owners for the win. read more

Fantastic collection and choices. Not much for store choice in Anacortes but this is a good one. Pricey but good. Didn't have the basics of which I needed but those can be acquired in Safeway. I loved the hard liquors and the wines. read more

Wow. I lived in this town a year before I went here. This place is really cool. The staff is great, and I was lucky enough to stop on my way home for a bottle... and ended up staying for an hour, learning about wines, the industry, the owner, and tasting several wines. I don't know much about wine, but I've since learned the owner of this place is a legend in the industry. Pretty cool if you ask me. I expected to be up-saled in this place, which is why I always buy wine at Costco or Safeway. But instead they sold and recommended some of the cheapest wines they had (over the more expensive alternatives). And it was great wine! The store is clean, inviting, cozy and well organized... and the staff is great. I will be back whenever I need a wine fix or a present. In fact, I look forward to it. read more

Compass Wines - Building - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

Great place to find great wine! They have a great selection and lots of variety. We let them know our price range and our taste and they pointed us in the right direction. Their prices range from under $10 to some really pricey $1200 bottles, so there is something for everyone. I don't know why there are some bad reviews with customer service. Our experience was great and we interacted with 3 different employees. We let them know we weren't looking to spend too much on a bottle and we're still more than happy to help us. We will definitely be coming back! read more

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Pretty impressive wine selection to say the least. Maybe just a tad snooty. I asked to see their Quilceda Creek wines and she brought me and my wife to them and said "Good luck with that." We did stay around and shop for cheaper wines and ended up with a California red that was disappointing, but she did answer questions and was more friendly than her original comment let on. read more

Great wines, reasonable prices for what you get. I've stopped in before, and never left a review. Delivery only in the age of covid, no curbside service or retail. I didn't realize this, and needed a bottle of sherry this morning... Ordered, and then canceled as I couldn't wait for delivery. Refunded promptly and politely. I'll buy wines here again. read more

I've lived in A-town for about a year before I went in here. This fantastic wine shop is located in a little strip mall along the main Commercial Ave. and I never thought a place like this could exist in this location/town. Upon entering we were warmly welcomed by the ladies working the tasting area and store. After some nice discussion about wine we tasted a nice mixed flight of several styles of wines. We were then showed around the store to the various price points, locales, and styles available. To say their selection is impressive is an understatement. They have some fantastic wines from some hard to find vintners. I believe they have the largest selection of Washington wines in the state (at half the store) and they maintain a sizable selection of wines at $10-$20 as well. For you big time wine players, they have a private locker area that is secure and kept and proper temperature with various size lockers for rent. They have a mailer and in-store events as well. Why shop at Safeway for wine when this joint is just next store and you can definitely get a better bottle of wine at the same prices. Quench your thirst my friends. Cheers! read more

Randomly stopped in while in the area, curious due to the displays and signs in the window. Quite a surprise, me from Seattle and with a world-class wine collection, to find such an impressive selection and knowledgeable staff. Aged Petrus and Hermitage here!? Yes. Reasonable prices. Great choices for white Burgundy. Good Washington picks, too. I picked up 1990 and 1997 Quilceda, though not at bargain prices. I look forward to visiting Anacortes again. read more

One of the best wine stores in the state isn't located in Seattle, Spokane, or Walla Walla. Nope it's in the bustling north coast city of Anacortes. Here local industry icon Doug Charles operates one of the most respected wine shops for Washington and Northwest wines. Recently I stopped in on my way back from San Juan Island. I had heard so much about the shop but never had the chance to make it up. Boy was I missing out! Being a huge fan of Washington wines I was amazed by the selection, including some of the most sought after wines in the state from renowned producers as Leonetti and Quilceda Creek...1990 Quilceda Creek anyone? There are also plenty of offerings from small and literally unknown producers that you may have never heard of but should definitely get to know. Laura, who was working that day, was more than helpful in pointing some of these rare finds out. After taking me for a tour of the store, covering all of the major wine sections and highlights, she preceded to suggest a few bargain bottles that I had never heard of. It's not everyday that a wine shop will enthusiastically promote some of the least expensive bottles in the store. After leaving the store with bottles in hand I had the thought that it was too bad Compass Wines wasn't closer to Seattle, but in reality I was glad for the distance buffer or I would be in there everyday. At least I know where to stop on my next trip to the San Juan's or up to Canada. If you can't make it in either then I highly recommend you checkout the website, where most of the wines are available for purchase, and make sure you get on the mailing list for Doug's recommendations. read more

The best customer service on the Island. Informative but, not snooty. Always greeted with a smile and helpful advice. An asset to Anacortes, and the San Juan Islands. The wine selection is fantastic! Devout customers read more

I have had the pleasure of dealing with Doug and Compass wines for close to 20 yrs. Having the very best Washington wine selection anywhere( and I could make an argument that they are the best US wines) I find the service as top notch. I have never been to the store since I am on the "right" coast. Doug and the entire staff always have time for me, will store my wine until weather permits safe shipping( at no charge) and I they keep me informed of his specials. If you never had Washington wines, I recommend Compass you take you for a wonderful journey at a price point that you are comfortable with. read more

We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful wine merchant in a small town like this. I was referred to Compass originally by someone who thought I would be interested in their considerable inventory of rare Washington wines. Granted their selection of rare WA wine was impressive, but what really caught my attention was the diversity of wines from all over the world and an excellent selection of higher end California wines. There is no shortage of cheaper wines at Compass either. Cheaper does not mean lesser however, as they have a good cross selection of reasonably priced Argentinian Malbecs for example. Another reviewer pointed out that Laura gave him a tour of the store and then suggested some bargain wines. I have found this to be true on every visit. Doug Charles runs a very professional shop, and his staff is quite knowledgeable and helpful. Why go to an impersonal warehouse like Costco and buy your wine when you can truly interact with a professional locally? read more

Had a very unfortunate situation and conversation with the owner regarding a recent purchase. Very disappointed at his total lack of customer service in handling a small input from a longtime client. We had been shopping there for years and regarded them as a trusted advisor in wine matters, but no more! We will go by his recommendation that we take our business to the Safeway wine department. At least we know the pleasant and knowledgable manager at Anacortes Safeway will take the time to research a particular wine, not up-sell unsuspecting customers, and take the time to advise and order what a customer is looking for. read more

So friendly and helpful.......allow a person to browse the inventory.....unpretentious and knowledgeable. I guess it goes with being a Coug!

This is a wonderful wine shop with a huge selection and price range. The employees know a bunch about wine and are very willing to help you pick out a bottle in your price range. They also have weekly free wine tastings and an array of wine clubs for the uber wine lover. read more

Unbelievable. An amazing and knowledgeable place. My parents are from out-of-state and huge wine-heads, so when they visited they wanted to find the best wine store on their way to Anacortes from SeaTac. They couldn't find anything, and I'd heard good things, so we decided to stop here. We ended up spending 45 minutes and I think over $300, and my parents fell in love. The staff was extraordinarily helpful, even though the place was packed. They were able to find the wine from a vineyard my parents had been to but couldn't remember the name of. When we couldn't decided between two wines, they uncorked them and gave all three of us tastes of the two wines. They were able to find half a dozen wines perfectly fitted to our tastes. They have everything from the $5 wines I wanted to the $75 bottle my mom wanted. My parents said it was the best wine store they had ever been in, and that is saying A LOT. read more

No pretense, just the perfect wine shop. The staff can provide spot-on recommendations for any menu, palate or price range.