We are very lucky here in the Tri-Cities to have three Yokes grocery stores. While their wine section is not huge, they always have a decent array of local wines at competitive prices. And if you’re lucky you might just get to speak with the wine buyer.
During the years we were commuting from Seattle to Waitsburg we got to know Yokes very well. We always stopped and shopped there on our way east. I've long hoped they'd open up a Yokes in Walla Walla. And you are right - they do wine – and pretty much everything else – really well.
I'm blessed here in Sacramento to be near Corti Brothers, one of the few remaining truly independent grocery stores in our region. They have a great wine department, usually staffed with a competent "guide". They have rarely steered me wrong. But, I too am mystified by the amount of space devoted to wine in your average chain supermarket. Part of the answer is the big Tier 2 distributors, who, in the absence of competent store staff, essentially manage the wine aisle. Southern, Republic, Breakthru, Young's and their ilk are making a lot more money in those aisles than the winemakers are. I do think some grocery stores will eventually scale down their wine aisles, and scale up the array of non-wine alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic substitutes...and maybe ultimately cannabis-infused beverages.
That Corti Brothers store in Sacto is a gem for sure. Nothing comes close 'round these parts. I agree that in a lot of grocery stores the big distributors are filling the wine aisles with acres of generic corporate plonki. I guess somebody must be making money off it. Not doing consumers any favors.
Paul, clearly the next step is to license your visage for cardboard-cutout retail wine merchandizing. 🤑
We are very lucky here in the Tri-Cities to have three Yokes grocery stores. While their wine section is not huge, they always have a decent array of local wines at competitive prices. And if you’re lucky you might just get to speak with the wine buyer.
During the years we were commuting from Seattle to Waitsburg we got to know Yokes very well. We always stopped and shopped there on our way east. I've long hoped they'd open up a Yokes in Walla Walla. And you are right - they do wine – and pretty much everything else – really well.
I'm blessed here in Sacramento to be near Corti Brothers, one of the few remaining truly independent grocery stores in our region. They have a great wine department, usually staffed with a competent "guide". They have rarely steered me wrong. But, I too am mystified by the amount of space devoted to wine in your average chain supermarket. Part of the answer is the big Tier 2 distributors, who, in the absence of competent store staff, essentially manage the wine aisle. Southern, Republic, Breakthru, Young's and their ilk are making a lot more money in those aisles than the winemakers are. I do think some grocery stores will eventually scale down their wine aisles, and scale up the array of non-wine alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic substitutes...and maybe ultimately cannabis-infused beverages.
That Corti Brothers store in Sacto is a gem for sure. Nothing comes close 'round these parts. I agree that in a lot of grocery stores the big distributors are filling the wine aisles with acres of generic corporate plonki. I guess somebody must be making money off it. Not doing consumers any favors.