How many wines do you carry?

Well, that varies from day to day but at any given time you'll be able to find hundreds of different wines and beers at the shop. We pride ourselves on the broad selection we have available and believe that, with our inventory, we can match wines or beers in the store to any taste preference or budget you may have. We have delicious wines ranging from under $10 to hundreds of dollars and are happy to discuss any and all of them.


Do you match prices?

We don't have a specific policy of doing so but, as long as we're looking at precisely the same product from another local retailer, we'll strongly consider it. Please ask if you know of the same product from a different store. We'll check our numbers and, as long as the other store doesn't have an unreasonably low price, we'll do it.


I'm just beginning to enjoy wine. How can I learn more?

There are several ways we can help.
First, regardless of your level of knowledge, we just love discussing wine and are always happy to talk about it. Please stop by the store (or call) and let us know what you'd like to know. In addition, every Saturday, from noon to 5pm, we have free wine tastings. These tastings are a great opportunity to learn about wine as you get to try all that we have open and we talk about the wines as we pour them. We strive for variety over the course of the year and potentially, if you came to every tasting for a year, you could try as many as 200 different wines! Finally, we offer regular seminars on wine, some designed strictly for the beginner (Wine 101 & 102). For beer lovers, we offer the same array of services. Beer tastings are done every Friday from 5pm to 7:30pm.


I have been enjoying wine for years and understand the basics. Are there learning opportunities at Wine Gourmet?

Absolutely. We offer a number of wine seminars throughout the year. These range from beginner seminars like "Wine 101" and "Wine 102" to advanced seminars such as, "Wines of Spain" or "Food and Wine Pairing". Most of these seminars are on Wednesdays and begin at 6pm but please check our schedule of classes for the correct days and times. If you'd like to attend one of these, please call or stop by the store to register. Our classroom size is limited and these seminars often sell out, so register as early as possible to ensure a seat. The charge for most seminars is $30./person, unless you come as a group of two (or more), then it's just $25./person. Some seminars, such as "Food and Wine Pairing" and "Wine and Chocolate" are more expensive to produce and are charged at $35./person or $30./person for two or more.


I don't like going to wine shops in general because I'm not well versed in wine and the staff always looks pained to wait on me. Is Wine Gourmet any different?

Even though the question is an obvious set-up, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!". While the staff here at the store has extensive knowledge, none of us started out with that knowledge and we all remember well those days of facing a dizzying array of wines and trying to make sense of it all. Because of that, we're sensitive to the spare knowledge that many folks bring to the store and are anxious to use our own knowledge in solving your wine problem(s). . . . with a smile. Whether your question is, "What do you think will go well with the chicken/beef/shrimp/tripe/trout I'm serving?" or "what's a good wine for a housewarming gift?" or "I'm tired of Chardonnay, what else can you suggest?", it doesn't matter - We're always happy to discuss the items we carry (and some we don't). All we ask of you is that you ask us and, . . . when we've gone on long enough, that you let us know that too. Really. We mean it.


Can you order wines (or beers) that you don't carry?

Absolutely! We do this very regularly and are happy to do so. That being said, it has to be the case that the wine has both been approved for sale by the Virginia ABC board and that it is carried by a Virginia wine or beer distributor that services the Roanoke area otherwise, sadly, we won't be able to get it for you. But all you have to do is let us know specifically which wine (or beer ) you're interested in and we'll do the legwork. Then, as long as each of those conditions are met, we can order the wine. Please stop by the store or call us at 540.400.VINO (8466), Monday through Saturday between the hours 10AM and 8PM Eastern (or e-mail Mike at mike@winegourmet.biz anytime) to give us the particulars on the wine you're interested in and we'll get the ball rolling for you. You can leave us the information on your wine or beer request(s) and we'll check on the price and availability and then get back to you for your approval. It couldn't be easier.


Can you ship wine?

We can only ship wine within the state of Virginia. Out-of-state wine shipments are forbidden under ABC regulations. If you would like us to ship wine to you (or another party), within the state of Virginia, we can do that with a shipping charge of $10. for the first bottle and additional bottles being $3. per bottle. Please stop by the store or call us at 540.400.VINO (8466), Monday through Saturday between the hours 10AM and 8PM Eastern to give us payment and shipping information.


Tell me about your wine and beer clubs.

We have three "clubs" for our customers that all work very similarly. Our original club, the Wine-of-the-Month club, is our most popular. The way it works is: There's no charge to join. You simply leave us a credit or debit card number and expiration and, once-a-month, we select a pair of wines (one red and one white) that we charge to your account. We select wines that we feel offer something interesting to you our customer, either exceptional flavor, or an exceptional bargain or both. We charge you two dollars (per bottle) less than we normally charge and we limit the total charge to less than $30. (before tax) - so that you don't have any "ugly surprises" on your credit card statement. (Often the charge is less than the maximum - but it's helpful to know where the upper limit is.)

When the wine has been charged, we will notify you by e-mail (or phone, if you prefer) and you can stop by at any convenient time after that to pick them up. At the time of pick-up, we give you your wine, your receipt, and tasting notes with information on the wine for that month. The very cool thing is that you continue to get $2. off on any bottle that's been a Wine-of-the-Month selection as long as there hasn't been an increase in their cost to us. Once a year (usually in Spring), we have a free get-together for the club members where we have many different bottles open for you to sample and rate. The winning wines, one red and one white, will be used as the next month's Wine-of-the-Month selection. It's a lot of fun.

The other two clubs we have are: beer and connoisseur wine. For the Beer-of-the-Month club, we select two six-packs each month and give $1. off of their regular price. The charge limit is $25./mo. For the Connoisseur Club, we select a higher-end red and white than the standard club, give $5-10. off per bottle and place a $60. charge limit on the selections.

Some folks prefer to get two reds or two whites rather than one each. If you'd prefer that as well, we will happily accommodate.