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Downtown Wine & Gourmet
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Ratings by ElGordito:
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Reviewed by lottsm from Kansas
4.9/5 rDev +27.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
4.9/5 rDev +27.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Downtown Wine and Gourmet is where I learned to love wine. They do tastings for beer and wine every week, which is a great way to learn the variety of flavors and styles of wine/beer and hang out with friends! While this is a small space, don't be fooled into thinking they have a small selection! There are wines from all over the world and a wide variety of craft international and domestic beers. If you have a question or need an opinion just ask: the service has always been great. If you homebrew they have all the supplies you need! Finally, they also support other local business by selling some locally produced goods like coffee and chocolate. Definitely one of my favorite shops in Harrisonburg.
Jun 17, 2013Reviewed by Craibcr from Virginia
4.34/5 rDev +13%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4
4.34/5 rDev +13%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Went to JMU and was in here at least once or twice a week. The selection is decent, and very good for Harrisonburg. They have a lot of the local brews, and an alright selection from around the country. The area they lack the most is international. The prices are a tad bit higher then I would expect, but not by much. Certainly worth it since there is nothing else in the area.
The help is fantastic though. Always a warm greeting when I went in. If I asked about something they were enthusiastic in their help. They also ordered special requests a time or two for me which I found very nice of them.
Overall I highly recommend them. They may not be up to the standards in a micro-brew haven, but for Harrisonburg it is very impressive.
Sep 12, 2012The help is fantastic though. Always a warm greeting when I went in. If I asked about something they were enthusiastic in their help. They also ordered special requests a time or two for me which I found very nice of them.
Overall I highly recommend them. They may not be up to the standards in a micro-brew haven, but for Harrisonburg it is very impressive.
Reviewed by nriech from Virginia
3.56/5 rDev -7.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3
3.56/5 rDev -7.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3
Small wine/beer shop inside the downtown shopping mall. Beer selection along the right as you walk in.
One 2 door cooler and maybe 4 warm shelves along with a few stacks on the floor. Selections all appear to be decent quality. For the size of the store I think they have a good amount of beer. I was greeted as I came and asked if I needed help finding anything.
DFH seasonals were available along with a few other local brews and standard micros you can find in many places now a days.
Prices seemed in line with what Ive found in Charlottesville and Richmond.
May 08, 2012One 2 door cooler and maybe 4 warm shelves along with a few stacks on the floor. Selections all appear to be decent quality. For the size of the store I think they have a good amount of beer. I was greeted as I came and asked if I needed help finding anything.
DFH seasonals were available along with a few other local brews and standard micros you can find in many places now a days.
Prices seemed in line with what Ive found in Charlottesville and Richmond.
Reviewed by NoLeafClover44 from Delaware
4/5 rDev +4.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
4/5 rDev +4.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
I make a visit to Downtown W&G at least once per trip to Harrisonburg, and I am not at all interested in the wine or the gourmet. On Saturdays they have free beer tastings from 12-4. They usually offer about 4 different types of beer, all of which are available for purchase there by the bottle. If you are lucky, one of the employees will also bring in some homebrew to try. The beer section is pretty small, but I like it because it is a bit of a different set up than most other places. There are a few bookshelf type units on the side of the store which house roughly 100 different beers (some by the bottle, some by the bomber). They change their stock quite often and there are usually some very good and hard to find beers hidden amongst the more readily available crafts. I usually pop open one of the empty four packs and fill that on every trip. The prices are very reasonable compared to most any other beer stores I frequent, which is a bit surprising for a "wine and gourmet" shop. They will also order you something if they can get it and give you price breaks on full 6/12 packs of the same beer. They also have a small homebrewing section which sells basic supplies for brewing. The guy who works in here is a bit strange, and comes off a bit pretentious to some people, but he is very knowledgeable on beer and can help you find what you are looking for. Overall it is not the largest beer store, or even a true "beer store" for that matter, but I have never left without some great beer for a reasonable price.
Feb 02, 2012Reviewed by SirWalkAbout from Texas
2.96/5 rDev -22.9%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3
2.96/5 rDev -22.9%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3
I use to travel to Harrisonburg twice a month or so, and stopped in here a total of 4-5 times. As the name of the place indicates, it's primarily a wine shop, with a small beer selection. There's a variety of single bottles and bombers, all a tad on the expensive side, but overall reasonably priced. The selection is decent, considering location and what else is in the area.
The downside of this place, imo, is the service/atmosphere. For me, it has a very "stuck up" feel to it and not very inviting. The same guy was working every time I was there, and he seemed knowledgeable about the beer, but honestly it sounded like he was just repeating the description off the label on the bottle and hadn't tried any of the beer. I just got an arrogant vibe from him, sorry.
Even with the off atmosphere, I still went back so it wasn’t enough to keep me away. Overall, it's worth stopping in if you're in the area. They also have a small homebrew section which I never checked out so I won't comment on that.
Jan 12, 2012The downside of this place, imo, is the service/atmosphere. For me, it has a very "stuck up" feel to it and not very inviting. The same guy was working every time I was there, and he seemed knowledgeable about the beer, but honestly it sounded like he was just repeating the description off the label on the bottle and hadn't tried any of the beer. I just got an arrogant vibe from him, sorry.
Even with the off atmosphere, I still went back so it wasn’t enough to keep me away. Overall, it's worth stopping in if you're in the area. They also have a small homebrew section which I never checked out so I won't comment on that.
Reviewed by kurrjur from Virginia
4.65/5 rDev +21.1%
4.65/5 rDev +21.1%
I have only visited this location two or three times, However I have been impressed each time. Everything is always well organized and fresh. The young man who has been working each time I have been to the store has been very helpful in recommending good beers, as well as being able to order anything that is not in the store. They have the best selection I have seen in Harrisonburg. This store definitely has something for everyone, and plenty for a true beer lover. The prices are not unreasonable either. I definitely recommend this store to anyone who is in the area and looking for something that you can't find elsewhere, and even if you can.
Sep 17, 2009Reviewed by deaconsmith from Virginia
4.15/5 rDev +8.1%
4.15/5 rDev +8.1%
this is a small cozy hole. it used to be a campus record store..a very kool one at that. it went out of buisness a couple years ago and was bought out and turned into a small beer/wine hole. relativly new in town, but the owner is a real cool guy who appretiates beer..their selection is really good although kinda small. he will order pretty much anything you want that he can actually find. it is one of my main local holes.. i would have to say laguintas cappuchino stout and laguintas ipa are my two favs there but have enjoyed many others. i recomend stopping in if your ever in harrisonburg.
Sep 23, 2008Reviewed by qchic from Maryland
4.2/5 rDev +9.4%
4.2/5 rDev +9.4%
If you're in Harrisonburg, you'll notice that craft beer is not plentiful in the area. Downtown Wine and Gourmet is your best option for buying bottles. Be aware that they only sell singles, and I'm not aware of any quantity discounts, but the prices are fair to begin with. From the name of the store, you can tell that beer is not the main focus, but the modest amount of space devoted to beer generally satisfies. Lots of 12 oz. singles and bombers from lots of east coast microbreweries (Weyerbacher, Victory, Stoudt's, Dogfish Head)and a few from the west (Stone, Green Flash). I was excited to find Bell's Hopslam many months ago! They tend to get many seasonal releases and it doesn't look like anything sits on the shelf too long. Some good imports including belgians are available as well. It's usually quiet when I stop by, and the one guy I always see working there seems to know at least a bit about beer. This place is always a must stop whenever I'm in town and if you have more time, there's a decent brewpub in the same building. I could see it being confusing to get to if you're not familiar with the area--you have to enter the Court Square Theater building and walk down the hallway to get to the shop back in the corner on the left. Highly recommended for a mixed sixer. I usually find something I haven't tried before.
Jun 29, 2008
Downtown Wine & Gourmet in Harrisonburg, VA
Place rating:
3.84 out of
5 with
17 ratings
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