This is an excellent wine shop, located near the Del Mar Whole Foods. The shop has an extensive collection of wines attractively displayed. Service is also excellent. They also accept telephone and on-line orders. read more

Amazing wine selection and staff! I don't have much experience with wine, so when I received a gift card to The Wine Connection I was unsure of what to expect. I walked the rows and couldn't get over the selection. After a few minutes of walking around without much idea of what I was looking for, a gentleman approached me and asked a few questions about my preferences to find a wine that I would enjoy. He was beyond helpful, but also allowed me space to shop with no pressure (which I love)! Both bottles of the Chardonnay he recommended were amazing! I look forward to returning and trying new wines! read more

Really like this store. COVID aware yet they are friendly and eager to help. Fantastic wines, bourbon, tequila in stock. They were exceptionally knowledgeable about some specific wines I was looking for. Superb recommendations. Good selection of small batch bourbon and fine sipping tequila. They ship just about anywhere the law allows. If you want to browse a good selection of spirits, be served by an attentive and smart staff then you need to some here. The prices are comparable with other venues so don't let that stop you from experiencing this gem of business. read more

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We were visiting San Diego because of a wedding and I love finding independent little wine shops with people who know their stuff and who are friendly. I was a little panicked when I saw this store closed in 30 mins and I was 15 mins away. So I zipped down there with my wife and was met with helpful folks and Sean helped us right away asking what we were looking for, price range and style we liked. Quickly, Sean found 4 stellar bottles (pasó Robles blend, French white, French Rhône and a interesting Swiss wine with a great story). We took them back to the room and enjoyed the paso blend with a pizza from the Whole Foods next door. Highly recommend this fine establishment. read more

The Wine Connection - Wine and pizza - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Del Mar, California

Don't know a ton about wine? Don't worry, Wine Connection has got you covered. The staff here is surprisingly approachable and unpretentious which was a surprise given it's location in the Flower Hill Promenade. I'm batting about 1.000 when it comes to running into obnoxious and entitled people in this area so I fully expected some snoot walking into this place with a peasants knowledge of wine that cost more than $50. I forget the guys name that helped me, but he was incredibly helpful. Helped me pick a bottle of Bordeaux that both impressed my wine snob aunt, but also didn't put me in the poor house. They've got a wide spectrum of price point that goes up to about $$$$ if you really want it to. I'm not rolling with that deep of a wine budget, but I felt like the service I received was the same as if I had been and that's pretty awesome. They've also got a great little section for gifts which I'll definitely be back to raid around the holidays. Should be able to knock out a bunch of family in one fell swoop. read more

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Have been shopping here over the years and never thought to leave a review. They have a fantastic wine selection and many wines you can't find anywhere else. The best part of Wine Connection is their knowledgeable staff, they offer great advice on wines in an approachable way. Also love their new online shop so I can browse wines before I come in! read more

Standing in contempt of larger, warehouse style, mega, total, wine stores with hit-or-miss recommendations are intimate, private, community wine shops like The Wine Connection. There is an ample selection of premium wines from all the main regions of the world, paired with a staff that offers a depth of wine knowledge that level one Sommeliers are short on, here at The Wine Connection. I stopped in for a couple of bottles when we were staying in the area. I had a little time to kill, so I made my leisurely way around the aisles, had the privileged to meet and talk to several employees, and was invited to try a glass of a 1994 Dominus imperial bottle they were opening for a private celebration of a co-worker. I appreciated this gesture and purchased a third bottle as I spoke to the friendly and conversant staff. I wouldn't come in if I was looking for a standard bottle from a large house, as their prices are understandably higher here than at warehouses, but If you want to talk wine, learn about an interesting bottle, or find something a little harder to get a hold of, then The Wine Connection is a great alternative. read more

If you are near Del Mar or Solana Beach, they have a decent array of wines, the Alsace selections were on the weak side, I believe a total of 4, but worth a stop if you are looking for something a bit out of the norm. read more

Excellent help choosing a new wine. Great selection. I went in on a Saturday with a specific grape in mind. They gave me a couple of choices. I was very pleased with the result. read more

Amazing collection of wine and spirits. I search for the best online then always find it in stock at this store. And the knowledgeable and helpful service is a huge plus. My go to store for the best liquors. read more

It's a joke. I ordered two cases of wine and received confirmation. Next day I received an email informing me that the order was cancelled. The reasons they gave me was that one wine was no longer available and the other has a typo in the price. Do these guys know what they are doing? I don't think so. When you place an order, don't be so sure that it will be honored. read more

I had a great experience at The Wine Connection yesterday. I was looking for a gift to be shipped and Allen gave me amazing recommendations. They're very knowledgeable, very helpful and I loved supporting a local business. My friend in Arizona got their wine today and will be enjoying some of it tonight. Thank you for your help. I HIGHLY recommend The Wine Connection! read more

The Wine Connection - 3 CABS - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Del Mar, California

This is a great wine store. I've been coming here for over 15 years and they've always had what I wanted, and not at inflated prices. Great selection from inexpensive but good wine to the harder to find bottles. Recently asked them to help me impress an important client that was coming in by prepaying for a nice bottle and leaving a card for them to give her. They did it with a smile and no hesitation. They also did a great job keeping it a secret when she called to let them know she'd be late picking it up (I had told her they were merely holding for her). Truly went above and beyond, which a lot of places wouldn't. And the client was very happy! read more

Finally have found my favorite shop! The wine selection is so good and the assistant was very helpful to find the right sort for the gift and has good experience and knowledge in wine. Single Malt whiskey shelfs are there too. Celebrating the spot. read more

The Wine Connection - Good connection - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Del Mar, California

I am a personal assistant, and often the tasks I am given are challenging. It is so nice when you find someone that understands! I needed two bottles of Kistler, one of which was a pinot (not an easy find) and I needed it delivered. The Wine Connection made it happen. I didn't have to beg or explain, they knew how important this deliver was. They also helped me source some other specialty items, which was so awesome. If you aren't a local but have wine needs, these are the guys for you. Thanks for helping me do my job well! read more

I have bought a bottle of gin from the prior owner and, not being a big drinker, I finally finished it off. Went in, talked with the new owner. He was very helpful. He asked what I like to drink, martini, mixed, etc. and he recommended a bottle distilled by a firm in L.A. Opened it last weekend and it is a great bottle of gin. So many gin bottles just seem like vodka in a different color bottle. Not this. Full of flavor, it almost seemed a shame to add mixer. That was Friday. Saturday I just enjoyed the liquor over ice, something I've ever done. Great service, excellent recommendation. read more

Lost a customer on an easy fix.. tried to return/exchange a dodgy corked wine. Didn't even look at the bottle before saying "Yes... and? Yes.. and?" Maybe a little mold on the top is grand.. but the entire thing was molded through & through. Refused to accept the bottle as 'unsaleable' after the tin had been removed. read more

This wine shop rules. Need bullet points? Here you go: 1. The selection in this shop is incredible, and the staff is INCREDIBLY knowledgeable and just plain nice. Know what you like? They'll help you find more of it. Don't know what you like? They'll point you in the direction of some of their most impressive wines. There is absolutely something for everyone here, and the staff is ridiculously helpful. 2. My dad is guilty of serving people half open bottles of vinegar at dinner parties. It's so embarrassing! I mentioned this jokingly to an employee, and was pointed in the direction of foolproof wine storage corks, which my dad and I have both adopted. Cheap and they work WELL! Life changed. 3. I had to buy a gift for someone who helped me in a pinch, I had a modest budget, but wanted to impress but also reflect my style, and needed the wine to get there next day. I called up Wine Connection who helped me select wine from their SUPER thorough website ( http://thewineconnection.com/ ) and within HOURS, they had packed and shipped for me, emailed me tracking and even included a card! The customer service was astounding. My recipient was, of course, impressed. Basically, the selection is top notch, and so is the staff and website. I'm a big fan! read more

I am hosting a launch party, expecting 100 people. I stopped by the Wine Connection today but halfheartedly because i honestly couldn't remember where their pricing scheme falls. it's a nice store and i hadn't been in in a long time, so i expected the worst. well, apparently it's more than reasonable. i gave Costco the finger and bought everything i needed here. and magically i was able to check out WITHOUT wincing! they were very patient with my horrible wine memory and helped me narrow down what my guests might like. they have tons of premium wine if you're fancy folk, but they understood my objectives (get lots of people drunk on good wine while not endangering the education funds for my future progeny) actually, i was in and out in 20 minutes with everything I could need, from modestly-priced wines (FUN FACT: at cocktail parties people drink more red than white. i had zero idea. apparently my snout is too far into my own drink to notice what others order!) to pouring spouts so that i can control the flow of alcohol and not be that host who somehow runs out of drinks (my biggest fear). the girl even offered carry-out of my case of wine to my car. and people, you know me, the way to my heart is through my laziness. if you read my reviews you can tell i like to kinda stay in my own hood, but when it comes to booze it's worth the trek to Flower Hill. i can think of maybe three reasons i'd go to Del Mar, and this is one of them. while you're at it, go see an indie movie or get a cup of coffee and look through Bookworks. read more

Had several very bad experience with the owner. Rude. Condescending. Inappropriate. The prices are outrageous and if all you're going to get is bad service from cranky old fart - why waste your money or your time - there's plenty of better options! The way he treats customers and his employees is totally unacceptable. Too bad because it would be great to find a local high end wine store - but why pay twice as much to be treated badly. Save your money! Avoid the stress....this guy is corked! read more

I bought two​ bottles​ of wines spent over $300. took both to a​ high-end​ event one of them was corked. I was not going to keep the bottle to return. I​ decide to go back and let them know and the owner didn't care all he said is where the bottle​ I left it there not going to take a bottle and look like a cheap ass person. He had no sympathy​ what so ever offered nothing.​ I do not recommend​ this place, ​and I​ will never step in there anymore as long as I live. Instead,​I​ will recommend this place https://meritagewinemarket.com these people care about there customers. MERITAGE WINE MARKET THEY ARE THE BEST read more

Wine connection offers a delightful inventory, I really love walking in there and browsing. You can also look in their website! I have only purchased wine here twice and the gentlemen here are very attentive. My tip to champagne drinkers - double check sparkling prices at cuccina enoteca if you are in the mood for a bottle of krug, its sold for less just steps away. Over all, the selection and service at the wine connection is great. I highly recommend a visit. read more

If you haven't checked out this place yet, you should. This is the best wine shop I've been into, what with its large collection and one of the workers almost encyclopediac knowledge. If you're lucky, he'll be there and you can hear all about whatever type of wine it is you're interested in. This is how I play it: If I'm in Flower Hill shopping center, I always stop in, just to look. If he's there, usually this guy asks if he can help you. I always, always answer yes. I personally like to start with the Alsacians, because those were the first I got curious about and he gave me a good base to complement my intrigue. Fortunately, the last time I was in the shop, my mom was with me and mentioned Italy. Now, I know nothing about Italian wines, but their conversation started veering towards this area of Italy called Campania. Once that sounded like an interesting region, I asked if there were any wines to try from there and he went and showed me three different varieties of varying prices with a brief description and what types of food they paired well with. Then he left us to choose! If he's there, I pretty much always end up buying a bottle. There's never any level of pushiness, just a desire to share his wide knowledge of wine. It's pretty cool. I wish I knew his name to share, but you'll know if you ever get to talking with him. Oh yeah and they have a really cool section with expensive bottles of wine that I like to look at too. One day, $3000 bottles of port, one day. read more

I live in Northern CA, but was in Del Mar for a soccer tournament over the weekend and I stopped into The Wine Connection. I ended up buying a bunch of bottles for the soccer team parents dinner on Saturday. Great selection of white burgundy and reds. We ended up with some reds that were corked (the others were amazing). Obviously the folks at the store had no idea. It happens with wine. But I am writing this review to praise the gentlemen that run the store for how they treated me. I went back on Sunday to let them know what happened and they made things right with me immediately. It is what you'd expect from a high-end retailer, but certainly not what you always get. I would highly recommend buying from this store. They treat customers with respect and have a high level of integrity. Thank you very much Wine Connection. read more

This little shop is a real treat to go into. Great wine selection, great advice, and excellent Customer Service. We were accidentally overcharged for an item, the owner caught it after we were home a few hours later, and called to tell us! Amazing in this day and age. We most certainly will support this shop whenever we can! read more

Fantastic selection and service. I like a glass of wine, but I'm not exactly an aficionado when it comes to pairings and the like, and this place is perfect! Every time I've come in, the staff has been extremely knowledgeable and friendly. read more

Worst customer service ever. Owner and staff just browse the computer when customers walk in. Like to help small businesses in general but frankly got such indifferent service here that had to walk out and walk over to whole foods. Wine selection poor. This place stuck in eighties. read more

Great selection and friendly service. The prices aren't the best, but the variety of wines means you can get many bottles unavailable elsewhere. My only complaint is that the parking is more challenging since the Whole Foods and Starbucks opened nearby. read more

Very knowledgeable and such wonderful service! They have a fantastic selection of wine and the owner is extremely helpful with selecting wines ! I've been a customer for years and will continue to be! read more

Knowledgeable, worldly staff. Can be trusted for recommendations for interesting challenges with food. Had a gourmet group doing Spanish tapas, needed interesting wines for the different courses. Beyond Albarino and some fine Rioja, was introduced to Godello, a rare white wine grape that almost went out of production. Discovery of the night. Have also had good recommendations on other less popular varietals such as Rieslings, Viognier and Sangiovese, to name a few. Good selection of the classic varietals from many countries, too. read more

Was steered to this store's online presence because of several indications that they had a particular vintage of a domestic Pinot Noir that I had recently had and loved. TWC offered it by the case, for a buck or two a bottle less than the competition and they had an entire case available. So I bought a case. Next business day, I got an email from TWC that their distributor didn't have the vintage in stock that they advertised and that I had just purchased. Would I take the next vintage? Well.. no, I wouldn't. It seems to me that they were advertising something that they didn't even have on hand and were relying on the distributor to have the wine available for them to then ship to the purchaser. Caveat Emptor. I will say that they did get in touch with me before shipping the newer vintage and allowed me to give a thumbs up or down on the substitution. read more

You'll find some of the best wines money can buy here... .if you have the money! The wines, especially the high end ones, are very well kept, and at the lower end of the scale, I've had some good low-end wine from here too. The service is friendly too, and I find it a pleasure to shop here. Downside is, the proximity to Del Mar Race Track means you'll be stuck on the freeway trying to come and go from here, which is a real shame. Either way, if you like wine, this is a great place to shop for most budgets above $20 per bottle. read more

Five Stars on responsiveness and customer service. I've never been to the location, but I purchased a case of wine online from them over the 2013 Christmas holidays. I was searching for a specific wine that I had been served at a restaurant in NYC. The Wine Connection was the only place I was able to find who had the wine. The wine was shipped via UPS over the holidays, and there was some issues with scheduling a delivery. I was able to quickly get in contact with someone from The Wine Connection who dropped everything to help me get the delivery. This was Christmas Eve. When I opened the package, the label didn't reflect the exact bottle that I had ordered. However, after contacting The Wine Connection, the immediately contacted the distributer, and it turns out that the wine I was looking (and had ordered) was simply relabeled. The told me to try a bottle (I ordered a case) and if I didn't like it, they would refund me. Five stars for handling problems and customer service! read more

I bought a large order of wine from the wine connection for my wedding. The service we had was impeccable. Not only did everyone love the wine, but we had great guidance in choosing from the knowledgeable staff. We were surprised how wide the price ranges were! From how classy and nice the shop is, we wondered if things would be out of our range. Not the case!! There are plenty of nice splurge bottles- but a lot of very wonderful varieties at a reasonable price. Wonderful experienc!! read more

Awesome selection of wines, ranging affordable wines from every major wine region to high dollar rare wines. The staff know their stuff... We found several options from our favorite German winery. When we mentioned we had stayed in their guest house, one guy said we knew the owners very well and had stayed there several times. Will return when in San Diego! read more

This is a fabulous wine store. Everyone there is incredibly knowledgeable about wines and they have a huge selection, covering most regions and price points. This is a place that will not disappoint. read more

Terrible online experience with this store, bought a case of merlot that I was looking for, but TWC sent a wrong case of Cab instead. Sent an email to ask for explanation, but get no response at all. It seems no one care, so I certainly won't buy from this place again. read more

So we really liked The Wine Connection (TWC), prior to our last couple of visits. We have purchased a few good bottles from them, and in particular a really nice German dessert wine. In fact, TWC was my favorite wine shop in San Diego for a while. Unfortunately, I will no longer visit TWC and refuse to give them my business. A few weeks ago, we went into TWC looking for some good Italian wines, in particular a Barolo. The individuals working at the shop steered us to one bottle that they said was fantastic, that they bought from a private seller who had too much inventory; a little nervous about buying from a wine that was delivered from a private seller, we did so based on the assurances of the shop keeper. The wine had gone bad- not corked or anything but definitely out of condition, no fruit, no structure- empty and a long time past its prime. The next day we called TWC to let them know what happened, how disappointed we were and really to alert them that the seller they bought from may not be the most trusted seller. We got a half-hearted "I'm sorry about that" from the person on the other end of the line. We gave TWC the benefit of the doubt and returned to buy a very nice Brunello from them again, this time not purchased from a private seller. The same thing happened, an out of condition, dead and flat wine. We even had the sommelier taste it and he agreed, the wine was not performing as intended by the wine maker. To sum up, we will not be returning to TWC. They have sold us two bottles that were not worth drinking, even if they were offered for a fraction of the price we paid. Moreover, when we let TWC know what happened, the store keepers could have cared less. read more

Love this wine shop! The staff is always helpful and happy to help out with food and wine pairings and they have a huge selection of wines from all over the world. Can't get this kind of wine knowledge at the market. When we find a wine that we like they are happy to order a case and carry it out to the car for me. read more

Excellent selection and service in a great location. Thank you on behalf of the Rancho Santa Fe Unit of Rady Children's Hospital Auxiliary.