I had the opportunity to investigate a new store in Laguna Hills, California the other day.  I want to share it with you because with the holidays coming up, I think Total Wine is a great place to buy beverages, gifts and bar accessories.  If you are preparing for the holidays and want to make one visit to stock up on beverages, this is the place.

Now with a name like Total Wine, you might think they only sell wine, but this is not true.  Total Wine sells wine, beer, sodas, gifts and snacks. In fact, there is an entire aisle devoted to craft beer.

If you do not know a lot about wines, you can ask the wine associates for some assistance.  The associates can help you pick a wine to go with your holiday menu.  Generally, the lighter the meal, the lighter the wine.  That is why white wine typically goes well with fish and poultry and reds go great with beef and game.  That is not a hard and fast rule, just a guideline.

If you want to embrace your inner sommelier,  you can sign up for one of their classes.

The times of the classes and private wine tastings vary by location and price.  It was a wonderful session that I attended and Sue, our wine associate, was very knowledgable.   In addition to wine classes, they have beer classes and spirit classes.

The store also offers public tastings in their store for 10 cents.  Not 10 cents each glass, but that fee covers the entire tasting.  Check the store for times that this is offered.  The tasting center has a TV and is located towards the middle of the store.

Check the store for the tasting schedule.

The wines are nicely organized by country and domestic wines are organized by type.  Being a lover of all things organized, I found this especially helpful.  This makes it very easy when shopping with a list.

At the tasting, I especially loved the Radius red wine blend which is described as aromas of juicy rich black fruit, ripe cherry and hints of toasted vanilla oak.  It’s the bottle on the left in the picture above.  The best part is it sells for about $10 a bottle.

They also have a nice selection of soft drinks available.

Also for their grand opening, they were featuring some olive oils as well.

So there is something for everyone here at Total Wine.  I recommend you check them out if you are in the area.  Total Wine is in 13 states across the country, so you may have one near you.  The Laguna Hills store is located at 24001 El Toro Road, in Laguna Hills, California.

I was not compensated for this post, but did receive a store tour and wine tasting.

What is your favorite beverage?