Finewine is a gem -- I love stopping by for the Saturday tastings and attending their classes, which are always fun and informative. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and always spot-on with their recommendations. Great selection, great people, and a great place to learn more about wine. read more

I visited while on a date. I had no expectations walking through the door as I thought we were just entering to kill time. Turns out, it's a nice wine store with an area for drinking. I'm far from a connoisseur, however, the store appears well stocked with affordable options. This is a great concept in terms of an affordable experience. read more

Finewine - Really good stuff that was picked following a tasting session. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Have been going here since it opened. ""Happy hour tastings!" And just to browse or ask on a particular wine. Karen is very knowledgeable as are the guys and presenters from various distributors. Participated in group class in June and purchased a nice Rose. The theme being 'the favorite wines of staff' fun!. Met a few nice people signing up for the Rhône segment. See ya there, cheers read more

Finewine - a glass of wine and a bottle of wine - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

What's a nice way to "wine" down a lazy Saturday afternoon matinee. As soon as we walked in, vino salutations were all around us. After the quick 411 of what was offered, we settled for a table in the corner & grabbed a nice bootle of Malbec. Which bottle one may ask? I really enjoy the approach the staff exudes not assuming everyone who walks in is a Sommelier at heart. They provide an easy lesson of sharing their wine values on all accords for the novice and connoisseur alike. To ask all that I can regarding my favorite wine-Malbec and getting great feedback that is accurate & from a modest perspective, makes the schooling of wine so much more exciting. The wine tasting is always a treat, and with the regular tastings and other events they host makes the grape manifestation of comprehension more consumable. :-) To be intrigued discussing the vast styles of wines, vineyards and of course the price points, ensues the wine experience to the 10th power. On the foodie note, the glazed almonds was a nice nosh while waiting for our bottle. I tried the Hummus to snack on, which was a extra creamy seasoned concoction. We chose the Zuccardi Malbec and it was an inky and medium bodied of strong dark fruits...a very good Malbec I've tried thus far. In the midst of enjoying this great bottle of wine and casually getting additional feedback made the vino experience a nice outing. The no cork fee is always a treat, although it wasn't needed this go around :-) To continue their strive of great customer service and fantastic exposure, the weekly emails and announcements are a plus. Especially the Top Wines Under under $15 promo. By far, this is one of the best wine stores/bar I've been to since being back in the DMV, especially for this area. read more

Finewine - A bottle of Zuccardi-Malbec & Hummus. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Love this place, always helpful and informative when I come in looking for a wine to try. They always have a good selection of wines for their weekend wine tastings. Highly recommend! read more

I would love this place if not for the service. I like to walk to Rio, and stop by to pick up a couple of bottles of wine. As such, I tend to be wearing a backpack so that I can carry my wine home with me, you know, instead of just in my hands or on my head or whatever. A mile is a long way to balance a half case of wine on my head. That does not stop one of the workers there from following me around every time, with a fake smile and a weird reaction every time I tell her "no, I'm ok, I don't need assistance." She will ask several times, clearly making sure I'm not taking anything, despite the entire store being visible from the counter. I would not mind being watched, I understand the danger of theft, but the weird engagement is not appreciated. I would consider it a courtesy when she takes my bottles directly to the register as I pick them out, but due to all of the above, it seems weirdly accusatory and very unwelcoming, especially considering I am spending hundreds of dollars each time. And once she brings it to the register and I'm ready to get rung up? She completely disappears while the owner is sitting on his phone, completely ignoring me. After twenty minutes of overbearing monitoring, it takes about ten minutes to get rung up. This has happened several times. On that note, the owner tends to be rude to all but select people. On my last visit, he all but refused to to ring me up, and was weirdly combative during our entire exchange. This is definitely not how you run a business, even if the selection is *ok* and close to my home. Don't even waste your time coming by for the free tastings, the staff will engage with you anyway and pressure you into buying stuff, or at least make sure you put it on the counter so they can ignore you. It's well worth the drive to go over to Downtown Beer and Wine over by MOM's on Choke Cherry. Service is great there, the selection is comparable, and the prices are better, all of which is to be expected by a group of people who don't have contempt for their customers. read more

Rudest person I ever encountered works here and when I asked to speak to a supervisor he cursed me out and gave me phony information when I called the store he hung up on me I wouldn't recommend this place read more

I came here looking to come in, grab a bottle of wine, and leave but I ended up having such a lovely experience! The staff members were friendly and helpful without being overbearing and there was no judgement when I said I was looking for a cheap rosé (lol). I ended up chatting with a couple of them and have since been back to get the same bottle that they recommended, which was very tasty. The shop holds public wine tastings often, which are welcome to all. It seems they also have private events, because it seemed like one was going on last time I was in there and it looked like a great time. I will be a regular here! read more

These guys give the best suggestions. I have been to this shop multiple times and continue to come back. Although you can find cheaper wines at other stores, the experience during purchase and enjoyment of the wine makes the extra few dollars worth it. I'm always talked into more wine than I intend to buy, but I always end up happy that I did. Daniel has assisted me two separate times now and I enjoy the interaction each time. He's very knowledgeable, not pushy and makes the experience one to remember. I'm a chatterbox, so talking about wine could easily set me back an hour out of my day. The staff are happy to chat with me and exchange notes about where to go and what to try. I feel comfortable here. This is the only place in Montgomery County that I buy my wines based on the above information. For those of you that are "afraid" of wine...go here. You will be glad you did. They won't lead you astray. read more

Ambiance was boring. Had a glass of chianti banfi 2020, aromas of dark cherries, violets, and ripe red plums. Bartender did not show me the label and no taste. First show the label and let the customer taste it. Will not go back. read more

A few years ago, this review would have been five stars, easily. As far as wine inventory, selection, etc, this store has everyone beat in the county, imo. You are guaranteed to find a great bottle every time you walk in. All of that said, the overall customer service and staff knowledge of the wines has dropped considerably since ownership changed a few years ago. A few years ago, you could walk in and you were guaranteed to find staff walking the racks looking to help customers out with good and helpful recommendations. They made an effort to understand what you like and did not like and usually made excellent recommendations. The attentiveness and friendliness of the staff resulted in the staff getting to know a repeat customer's tastes and adjust their recommendation accordingly. Don't get me wrong, the customer service is not bad but it's a significant drop off from where it once was - everyone from the main proprietor down to the cashier. There's no longer a real friendly/familial feel in there, sadly, I don't go nearly as much as I used to (have been going there for almost 10 years). read more

Came here last night for their Friday night happy hour which apparently happens once a month or so. The special was 50% off wine by the glass, or 50% corkage fee (original price $10) for bottles. There were 4 types of reds and 4 types of whites all at different prices. After tasting a few of the reds, I went for the classic cabernet which was on the more expensive end at $13. I actually really enjoyed the atmosphere here. There are people shopping around for wine to the left of the store, and then you have the drinkers sipping on wine while munching on cheese and crackers to the right. They have a few small tables that seat about 2-3 people as well as a bar by the cashier. It was definitely a more sophisticated and older crowd-- very laid back. They also have a good selection of wine and a very knowledgeable staff. According to an ad next to the cashier, apparently next Sunday (3/17) they are having a yoga & mimosa morning before the store opens for $10. You'll also get 10% off your purchase. Very very tempting... read more

Finewine - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

What a gem! J.C. helped my friend and I select a few wines; he was super friendly and he did not try to push us to purchase expensive wines. The selection isn't huge; it's a smaller, quaint store at the Rio. They often have wine tastings and the service is excellent. You can sign up for email alerts if you'd like. Final note: The store is very organized and clean. read more

Larry was a pleasure to work with! He helped me create a corporate gift set of several wines for picking up at the store, and several to ship/deliver. Everything was done in 3 weeks! The store's website is easy to navigate and find wines based on region. I've come to this store several times for personal reasons for the free wine tastings, Happy Hour/flights and purchasing wine. This local store in the rio is a gem! read more

Finewine - Nicely packaged set of wines - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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It was a beautiful warm day after a long cold winter. I txted my husband to ask him how he felt about doing an after work picnic by the lake in our neighborhood. I would go grab cheeses, pate, crackers and banh mi sammies (yes, this is our picnic food), if he could grab a bottle of wine. I was expecting him to just grab a bottle of the Yellowtail Shiraz that we always get for such occasions, but instead, he headed to Finewine.com in the Rio, and described to the sales staff there what I tend to like...and voila he came out with a delicious bottle of wine (they even chilled it for him!). I don't really know the name of the bottle that he got - but it's OK...evidently they keep a record of it, so the next time we go back in, we can just ask what our last purchase was, and they can pull it up! WOW! Then this past weekend, we had a delicious wine at Restaurant Eve...again, I didn't write it down (I'm horrible at keeping track of my alcohol). But no worries - we gave a brief description of what we had (German, sweet, with strong notes of lychee) and *voila* they magically pulled out something remarkably similar to what we had! I think the people who work here are like the magical keebler elves of wine. *heart* read more

Love this place! Used to go there before the quarantine but now they deliver, love it even more. They delivered order on the same day and fast service with great customer service. Thank you! read more

This review is about a sort of 'average' or 'everyday' experience, which I feel is more accurate than the glowing reviews based on once a month special tastings or discount nights. I love wine. I love food. I actually laugh at how people in this area are so pretentious about both with so little knowledge about either. Finewine.com preys on this love of pretention and lack of knowledge to the absolute hilt. I often have time to kill in the Rio area, so a place to get a nice snack and decent glass of wine would be very high on my list. This place serves excessively pretentious food at completely clueless prices. I remember seeing $13 for a hummus wrap! Sadly the wine is done in the same exact way. Per glass and half-carafe prices are too high for a store that is a wine specialist. The selection is mediocre, you don't see hard to find French or California wines. Instead you get the same selection you'd see at the excellent county-run liquor stores, but with an upcharge of $3-5 per bottle. I imagine that with the case discount they'd match the county liquor store prices. As a wine afficionado who specializes in great deals under $20 per bottle and the occasional $40 splurge, I'm sad to say this store represents a terrible value. It's a shame, b/c I have no doubt the staff are as friendly as everyone else says they are. read more

I stayed at a nearby hotel (walking distance) for business recently, and so visited this place a few times during my week in the area. Not an oenophile by any stretch of the imagination, but I know a little, and I like new tastes in a bottle of wine. Therefore, I'll stop in at wine bars, etc. when that particular caprice strikes. This is a nice little place, situated in a contrived "village" of retail shops along a small, man-made lake. No contrivance in the shop, though - these folks know their subject matter, and will pull you along as slow or as fast as you care to go as they're explaining the different wines they have in stock. Generous with the tastings, and very helpful. I'd return here. read more

Wine down (get it? Wind down) and sip at FineWine. Ya know...wine has come a long ways. Ok, technically, it's been around for over two gazillion centuries and then some when wine was actually healthier and more sanitary than water. It went through that Bourgeois stage or was it Beaujolais? But, I digress. Finewine wants to be accessible. Accessibility is about warmth, comfort, easy going and here it's also about education and spreading the word. It's in the Rio Center in that little strip mall section with it's concrete flooring and dark, but not brooding style of being hip. It's like Bruce Wayne still wearing his uniform. Wine/Cheese/Tastings...music: I'm not going to go too much into the detail of selection of wines except to say that they do have the Californian, French, Australian, South African, Italian, and South American. And not i'm going to talk about how they do carry everything from a Cabernet to Malbec to Grenache to Shiraz to Pinot Grigio to Vouvray to other blends. No, i'm not going to mention any of that. They also have a nice selection of cheeses and meats that you really want to try when having, oh, let's just say a wine tasting and pair it with some nice cheeses and meats that you can say....oh, have at a dinner party with your friends. The other reason you come here is well...tastings, local musicians to play on a Friday or Saturday night and some really great knowledgable folks who will take the time to tell you about the wine, the winery, how they taste. (but best to find that out yourself) They also deal with local wineries...yes, Maryland does have some. Stop looking at me in that tone of voice. Pricing: Hey, it's wine...It varies on what you're getting...but they do run specials for a bottle to a case. Just so you know....and so you don't argue...you can open and drink a bottle of wine or beer. Just know that there is a corking fee. Return rate: After a good meal at one of the other restaurants in the Rio and I want a nice glass of wine...i'm here. Bottom line: We need places like this...not to get drunk, but to know what to drink and what to bring when going over to a friends house for a dinner party. Hint...I like the Napa Valley Winery, "Roots Run Deep" with their great selection of wines called, 'Educated Guess'. Just suggesting, not a big hint...you know if you were coming over and had to get something for me. Now you know...and knowing is half the battle. read more

My friend faced discrimination from an 18 year old white "manager". She had just moved into the area and the kid berrated her for not having a new ID despite her moving in only a week before. We tried to explain the situation but he ignored us implying we were cops trying to test him or had a fake ID. She was a BIPOC and I recommended the place because of a previous encounter with a different older employee. I felt so embarrassed. I suggest the community does not support this establishment that hires white teenagers that power trip and berate their BIPOC customers. read more

I stopped in here ehen I was just out for a walk on a beautiful day. They have an excellent selection of high end wines. I went out on a limb and asked if they carry my favorite wine Caymus. They have it but only whites. They knew that it highly coveted and limited distribution. They will have some reds for the holidays..I will be back! They have wine tasting events on Fri and Sats. They also have a place to sit and have a glass of wine with cheese etc they dont have a kitchen so it is a bit limited. But I prefer wine and cheese anyhow, so for me its perfect! read more

Finewine - Look its the train..nope..sorry not the wine train..its the kiddie train!! - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Our organization arranged an event at Finewine. The owner cancelled the event without contacting our organization. He called the organizer denying the event was ever to take place!! Their email exchange was sent to him to "refresh" his memory. He was very rude to the members of our organization who showed up thinking they were about to participate in a fun event that evening. He just lost not only many potential customers but upon hearing of our treatment his regular customers are fast becoming former customers. There are so many choices out there, choose someplace else. -Kathy read more

My neighborhood wine shop, the owners and employees are great, knowledgeable and friendly. They carry a great selection of wines and beers, and I have tried a lot of wines I have not had before. Friday nights and Saturday's they have free wine tastings what more could you ask for. Always enjoy my visits to this little wine shop. read more

Great place for wine.. it's located in the Rio Washingtonian center, Gaithersburg, close to B&N. Not only the finewine.com is great for the WINE of course, but you can walk around with that nice feeling after glasses of wine. They offer all kinds of wine bottles with some relish at good price. I usually get the bottles to bring home for guests. But, I found the best smooth, very inexpensive wine at this store. The sales reps are very helpful at all times even there's wine tasting event going on. Very nice friendly people to help you to choose what you want... And it's located in the best place in MD.. Good place to go for date to plan the afterward... read more

I want to love this place, and they do have a fun selection of wines. But the staff is inconsistent. About half the time someone is helpful and charming; the other half of the time, you get someone rude who acts like you're bothering them. I'm tired of leaving the store feeling bad. read more

Finewine is, quite simply, the preeminent wine shop in the temporal universe. An astounding selection of incredible wines at every price point. The staff is friendly and well-versed in the world of wine. Do yourself a favor and visit Dylan, Larry, Dee, and the rest of Finewine experts. They have helped me bring the joy of great wine to friends and family! read more

I really like this place's "hunger" to please and establish solid customers and a place for people to go to enjoy great wines. I can't wait to start getting the emails they promised so I can walk over and check it out! read more

I love it that they have my order history. I had come in months ago and bought several bottles of wine after a wine tasting. I couldn't remember the names but they were perfect white and red blends that were just the right amount of sweetness. The staff reminded me that they had my order history and were very helpful. read more

I happened upon "Finewine.com" when looking for a gift for a friend. The store's interior was pleasantly laid out, with a sizable quantity of wines organized by grape varietals and appellations. They also host frequent wine tasting sessions there. Great selections!! When I went yesterday, I found a few bottles of Williamette Valley (Oregon) pinot noir that I'm tempted to return to buy. I decided on a Chianti Classico, and the store owner was extremely helpful in giving me a detailed description of the wine and confirming that it was a darn good bottle. I don't know too much about wine, but I know my Chiantis! What really gives this store the full 4 stars is the little 'cafe' area in the front of the store. It was extremely cozy looking, and if we weren't in a hurry, I'd definitely have dragged my friends to lounge there and have a glass! read more

Good selection. Good location.... Interesting staff... Usually, when I walk into an establishment to buy an item, I expect to be greeted by the staff. Instead, my husband and I were ignored the entire time. No one had a smile on their face. We had to hunt someone down for help (not a big shop, mind you). The guy we spoke with seemed pretty cool... but I was still pretty agitated that the older gentleman who wore glasses, situated by the door when we walked in, literally looked at us, didn't greet us or smile, then went back to whatever he was doing (wow). Still hopeful for better service with the cashier, the young lady at the register offered a guy in front of us, some sort of free customer care account sign-up but, when it came time to service us, she didn't offer it to us, I had to inquire about it. I don't know whether it was a matter of race, or class, or what the Hell it was, but we definitely won't be spending our hard earned money there, and neither will our friends or family. read more

I did not spend much time here, but it does not seem to the place to come for bargain wines, but I greatly enjoyed the pinot noir we picked up. read more

The man who helped me was very knowledgable and recommended to me some great wines. I was not pleased with the checkout process, since he walked around with me and knew that I was buying only two bottles. I caught on when I was about to sign the receipt I noticed the final amount was a lot more. He charged a bottle twice, and I know he can see what I'm buying but did not find the mistake. Some would say it was an honest mistake, but afterwards he avoided eye contact, didn't smile anymore and chose not to continue conversation. He didn't even respond to "Have a good day." It left me uneasy about his intentions and will probably find elsewhere to buy wine. read more

I'm from out of town so it was a nice surprise to discover this place while walking through the Washingtonian Center and RIO boardwalk area. The day I stepped in, they had a $15 beer tasting offer but I chose to taste (free tasting!) a nice cotes-du-rhone instead that resulted in ordering a 6oz glass for $12. They have nice counter seating and an area of small tables for you to enjoy a tasting and/or appetizer menu items. I found Finewine very comfortable and easy to hang out at while I sipped my wine and took in the sight of a wide variety or wine, champagne, beer and merchandise that lined their retail area. Service was friendly, easy and accommodating. They also offer free tastings on Saturday from 12-4pm so they've got "delivering customer service and value" down right. read more

I found some of my favorite bottles of wine at the Free wine tastings on Saturdays! Aside from that, a wine enthusiast is always listening to your Convo about preferences and has recommendations that do not disappoint. Great atmosphere at Friday 1/2 off happy hour. We love trying the flights. Employees there are easy going and friendly but not very chatty unless you are clearly looking to converse with them. read more

Just picked out a mixed case for a BBQ tomorrow. While they definitely have high end pricey selections, we also knew they'd be the place to pick up good values. Customer service is great, helped us pick a good mix at reasonable prices and some special ones just for us. We were in and out in under 20 min. read more

The people here are always helpful and provide great advice anytime I go there. They regularly do free tastings on the weekend and have decent specials on wine by glass/flight on Fridays. Can be pricy, but the service makes up for it. read more

FINE WINE FOR FINE PEOPLE I had wine at the bar area. The service was great! Go on Friday nights for their feature flight nights. It's four half glasses of wine for $22. Someone pours and explains to you the different wine that you are tasting. They also have some cheese platters for sale. Nice and cozy spot to chill and relax. read more

Nice selection, decent prices, awful service. I have going to this store since it opened. Recently service has declined dramatically. Last visit staff was rude (things such as turning their back on me and walking away as I was talking to them). I wrote an email to them expressing my concerns and detailing my issues no response. A good selection is not enough to keep me coming back to a place that no longer wants to treat me decently. Note: the problems started when ownership changed. Seems as if the new owner can't attract and keep good staff. read more

Attentive service by staff members along with helpful wine recommendations. Generous wine tasting. A nice oasis from the Rio madness outside. Best of all, no corking fee. Do it. read more

I have visited this place a few times in the past. Both for buying wine by the glass and bottles. I think that the prices are reasonable. The bottles are a little high. The employees that work there are very nice and are of great help. However Cecile the owner is different. :) I have been interested in opening up my own wine bar sometimes in the future. So I always like to ask, and get advice from folks who are in the business. A few years back while I was visiting Finewine I was talking with Cecile about my interests in the business. I had asked her if there were any opportunities in franchising a Finewine store. She began to explain that it was "very" difficult and "very" expensive to own and operate a wine bar. She looked at me and seemed like she was almost questioning how or why "I" would want to own a wine bar. I was kind of shocked? about this coming from the owner. So I have not been back there since then. Now again, I do think that the employees are very nice and helpful there. And it is the only wine bar in that area, so it is convenient. And, maybe Cecile would be a different person if I were to return. However I have no desire to. I now find better prices, a vast variety, and great wines at Trader Joe's in either Virginia or Washington DC. I do like to go to Macaroni Grill and have there house wine or chose something off of there wine list. I am still considering opening my own establishment sometimes in the future. Who know's maybe it will be a Finewine and Cecile and I will become best buds. LOL! Happy drinking to all! :) read more