My Stores
A practical guide to where I buy wine, what each source is best for, and how to use them.
Summary (Last 2.5 Years)
| Store | Bottles | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| SommPicks | 1,737 | Burgundy allocations, futures |
| Hart Davis Hart | 1,465 | Fine wine auction — rare back-vintages |
| iDealwine | 1,341 | French auction — older lots, small quantities |
| Thatcher’s Wine | 1,150 | Burgundy, Rhône, broad French selection |
| Liquid Culture | 1,061 | Broad selection, current releases |
| Lopa Wine | 541 | Specialist fine wine |
| Flickinger Wines | 351 | Chicago auction — sells through here too |
| The Rare Wine Co. | 279 | Older/rare bottles, vertical fills |
Store-by-Store Notes
SommPicks
Role: Primary allocation source for Burgundy The dominant store by volume (1,737 btls in 2.5 years). SommPicks operates as an allocation/subscription service with strong relationships directly with producers — particularly strong in Burgundy. Best for getting access to small-production domaines that don’t sell direct and aren’t widely distributed. The 2024-vintage purchases through SommPicks likely represent futures bought during the en primeur window.
Best for: First-access allocations from small Burgundy domaines; Henri Boillot, Berthaut-Gerbet, Cathiard, Chicotot, Barraud
Watch-outs: Review each offer carefully — not every allocation needs to be taken. Good place where FOMO can accumulate bottles.
Hart Davis Hart Wine Co. / Auction
Role: Fine wine auction for established names and back-vintages Hart Davis Hart (HDH) is one of Chicago’s top fine wine auction houses. The combined 1,465 bottles shows this is a serious auction source, not just occasional. Useful for filling gaps in existing verticals (e.g., a specific Chave Hermitage vintage) and for buying names that have moved off retail.
Best for: Back-vintages of established producers (Chave, Allemand, Bonneau, d’Angerville older vintages); filling vertical gaps; buying wines that are no longer available at retail
Watch-outs: Premiums and buyer’s fees. Check condition carefully for older bottles. Don’t overpay for names that are available elsewhere.
iDealwine
Role: French auction — high frequency, small lots iDealwine is a Paris-based online wine auction platform. The 477 transactions (averaging ~2.8 bottles each) show a pattern of frequent, small targeted buys — typically hunting specific producers or vintages in the French secondary market. Excellent for older French wines at prices below US retail. The French market often has better prices on French wines.
Best for: Specific older vintages of Burgundy, Rhône, Bordeaux at auction prices; producers that are hard to find in the US; back-vintages of iDealwine’s regular French consignors
Watch-outs: Shipping costs, import logistics, and currency fluctuation need to factor into price. Verify provenance. Best used for deliberate target purchases, not impulse browsing.
Thatcher’s Wine
Role: Trusted Chicago merchant, full French range Thatcher’s is a strong all-around source for Burgundy, Rhône, and broader France. 1,150 bottles over 2.5 years reflects a consistent, ongoing relationship. Likely the go-to for current releases of producers not covered by SommPicks allocations.
Best for: Current releases with good selection; producers that have broader distribution; Loire, Languedoc, Germany that SommPicks may not cover
Watch-outs: Prices at retail vs. checking auction first for any wines that aren’t time-sensitive.
Liquid Culture
Role: Broad selection, current releases 1,061 bottles reflects regular, active buying. Good broad selection.
Best for: Discovery purchases; wines outside the core French focus (Oregon, California, Italy, Germany); producers not covered by specialist sources
Lopa Wine
Role: Specialist fine wine merchant 541 bottles combined (listed as “Lopa Wine” and “LopaWine” — same source). Specialist fine wine merchant with strength in rare and allocated producers.
Best for: Hard-to-allocate names; checking for wines not available through primary sources
Flickinger Wines
Role: Chicago auction — also used to sell Note: Flickinger’s all-time bottle count (1,930) includes the January 2022 sell-off (Kosta Browne, Cayuse, Pingus, d’Issan). Recent buying (351 btls) reflects normal auction activity. Both a buying and selling venue.
Best for: Buying at Chicago auction; also the right channel for selling wines that no longer fit the collection
The Rare Wine Co.
Role: Specialist in old and rare bottles 279 bottles from a merchant that focuses on pre-arrival and rare wines. Good for older vintages of classic producers where provenance matters.
Best for: Old-vintage Burgundy, Rhône, Bordeaux with documented provenance; producer-direct imports for specific estates
Direct / Producer Sources
A small number of bottles come direct:
- Domaine Antoine Jobard (36 btls) — direct from producer
- Ceritas Wines (24 btls) — direct mailing list
- Littorai Wines (32 btls) — direct mailing list
- Morgen Long — direct
Strategy: Sign up for mailing lists at Ceritas, Littorai, and any Burgundy domaines that offer direct export. Producer-direct is typically best allocation and price.
Sourcing Strategy Notes
For Burgundy allocations: SommPicks is the primary channel. For gaps, check iDealwine (French back-vintages) or HDH (US auction for specific bottles).
For Northern Rhône: Thatcher’s and Lopa Wine tend to cover current releases. iDealwine for older Chave, Allemand, Jamet vintages.
For Champagne: Liquid Culture and Thatcher’s for current releases; HDH for older disgorgements or back-vintages.
For Barolo: Liquid Culture and Thatcher’s; Lopa Wine for harder-to-find names like Lorenzo Accomasso.
For vertical fills: iDealwine first (often cheapest for French producers), then HDH or Flickinger if the vintage is in US market.