Total Wine opens in Natick, MA: 10 Things to know
Friday, November 20, 2015
1. Their Natick store is the first in MA (it opened Thursday, November 19th 2015)
It's located in the Cloverleaf Mall (across the street from the Natick Mall) at 321 Speen St.
They're open from 9am-10pm Mon-Sat and Sun 10am-8pm.
They're open from 9am-10pm Mon-Sat and Sun 10am-8pm.
They took over space previously occupied by Cloverleaf Wine & Spirits
2. They carry 8,000 unique wines (plus 3,000 spirits and 2,500 beers)
I've been to Total Wine locations in FL, GA, and AZ. And while I've been generally pleased with the assortment I haven't been overly impressed with the prices on wines I'm interested. That said - the Natick location *at opening* was truly the best assortment and prices I have ever seen in a wine store in my life.
3. They offer 10% off on 6 bottles (for prices ending in "9")
I think this is pretty reasonable - especially considering the non-discounted price of some of their wines ending in "9" or not are already amazingly low.
4. They're notorious for having great coupons (but they can't offer or honor them in MA)
Total Wine is known for mailing out coupons, but coupons for alcohol are illegal in MA. For now, the low prices more than make up for it, but we'll see how that plays out over the next few months.
5. They've got a rewards program (it's not great, but doesn't hurt to sign up)
Sign up for their rewards program and give them your email address when you check out. It doesn't give you a percentage back on purchases or anything like this (I wish!). But it gives you some other benefits that might be useful.
6. Inventory and prices vary by location (and for most stores you can check inventory/pricing online)
You can check inventory and prices for each location online, provided the store has been open a while. In MA you can shop online for in-store pickup but they don't ship wine as of yet.
7. Purchases code as "groceries" on AmEx and Visa (5x+!)
I split tender on my purchase on two credit cards I have that heavily bonus grocery spend and both of them showed that this location codes as a grocery store. That means you can save even more via credit card rewards if you have cards that bonus this category. And you should! Let me know if you need any suggestions in this area.
8. There is no sales tax on wine in Massachusetts
I wouldn't be surprised if this changes at some point, but for now alcohol is exempt from sales tax. Keep that in mind next time you're comparing prices hear vs some deal in a state that does collect sales tax. Buy local! ;)
9. Their opening selection of wines in Natick is incredible (especially for domestic wines)
I was truly blown away by their assortment of domestic wines. Especially Pinot Noir from California and Oregon from truly great producers. Littorai, Elk Cove single vineyards, Radio-Coteau, Roar, Merry Edwards, Revana Alexana, Capiaux single vineyards. I couldn't believe my eyes. I'd highly recommend getting over there soon before the lower production wines are sold out.
10. Their prices on "national brands" are also incredible (but not across the board)
The prices on the wines mentioned in "9" were absolutely the lowest I've seen anywhere. By far. If you know your wine prices you will be rewarded by shopping here because there are some great deals to be had. But there were also amazing prices on higher production wines like Meiomi, Columbia Crest H3, Michael David Petite Petit. Especially for domestic wine enthusiasts - there's something available at every price point.
Conclusion
Total Wine's entrance into the Massachusetts market is a game changer. I don't use that term lightly. It's all anybody in the industry is talking about and it will be interesting to see the impact (intended and unintended) of their presence here.
I'll be following up with many more posts about Total Wine, including specific recommendations at all price points and styles. I'd love it if you subscribed to the Wellesley Wine Press for future updates.
Question of the Day: Have you been to Total Wine in Natick yet? If so, what did you think? If you're not in the area, have you found that Total Wine raises prices a couple months after a grand opening?