Dorn’s Liquors & Wine Warehouse

Dorn’s simply has outstanding staff. I should note that this review is only for cheese, since that’s all I’ve bought here. While there are a few places that sell good cheese in town, Dorn’s staff members have really gone out of their way to help me pick just the right thing. I don’t want to say that they’re life changing — that might be going too far– but every week, I feel like I get a new favorite cheese. Even if I don’t know much about cheeses, they take their time to educate me about my purchases and introduce me to new things. Would you like a cheese that’s between brie and butter, or a Gouda with the tang of chevre? How about the ‘gusher’ version of mozzarella? They can help you find all these things as well as the gourmet staples.

Dorn’s is absolutely the best place in town for all spirits, wine, or cheese! The staff is just exceptional. They are all very informative and caring. If you haven’t been to one of there wine tastings you are missing out! I will continue to shop there as long as I am in Gainesville. Thank you Dorn’s!

For a university town, Dorn’s is the best place to go if you want a greater variety of cheeses, liquor, or wine. The staff also really know their stuff, so if you ask them a question, they can give you an informed answer.
Definitely stop by if you have the chance.

There’s something refreshing about a place that’s name hardly tries to sell the business… calling this place a «warehouse» makes me picture a bleak, sprawling sea of dusty bottles long forgotten by the world. What you’ll find at Dorn’s is a personable team, great selection, and a genuine surprise: the best cheese shop in town. Regardless of what poison you pick, stop in and believe something here is right for you.
The Space
One of many local businesses jammed into this shopping plaza, Dorn’s doesn’t necessarily give a great first impression. Just another store, right? Enter in and discover a wealth of shelves well-​stoked and pretty organized apart from a little bit of clutter in the front of the store. The register for the main attraction (booze) is right beside the entrance with craft beers in the back left, wines toward the back middle, and liquors filling the remainder (apart from some miscellaneous items meant to pair with the drinks).
At the far back-​right corner is the real hidden secret: gourmet cheese heaven! I’ve come in on a random day and seen cheeses of various ages and styles stretching across the globe (Tasmanian cheese, anyone?).
The Service
The location stops me from coming in regularly, as I live on the other side of town, but every time I do the staff is ready to answer questions, sample cheeses, or just generally ask how things are going. They are happy to sample cheeses for you when appropriate, which is nice for the pricier/​more exotic offerings. A large majority of the time I already know what I’m interested in but I’ve heard the team making recommendations for wine/​cheese pairings to other customers so those not sure will probably leave satisfied with their choices.
The Goods
The main draw to Dorn’s is definitely their selection of liquors and wines, which is pretty extensive in my experience. They carry a fair range of affordable and uncommon options to suit your mood/​budget and typically feature deals toward the front of the store or on some signage outside the place. I’ve become the craft beer connoisseur these days and, while not biggest in town, the choices are often great quality.
Apart from those the cheese selection is extensive for what caliber of product they’re selling. The best cheese I’ve had in recent memory came from Dorn’s if that says anything, though I also have never flown to France or Spain to get anything «from the source». They also have cuts of prosciutto behind the counter for slicing as well as miscellaneous snacks/​items related to your core purchase, should you need to soften the booze-​y blow to your belly.
Final Thoughts
Will you spend a pretty penny here most of the time? Probably. Do you have to do that? No, not really. Should you come JUST to see the cheeses I’ve referenced a bunch? ABSOLUTELY YES.

Fantastic beer selection and wine and cheese tastings this place is hard to beat.

Awesome! Great selection of liquor and wine with descent prices. The people there were super helpful in finding me the bourbon I was looking for. Not to mention they have a variety of cheeses and patte in the back one stop shop. Done & done

Not sure what Brad saw, but the place is packed. The wines are great and the selection changes all of the time. It seems to me that the employees really know their stuff from the guy in the cheese corner to the folks who select the wines. Prices are great and they really seem to seek out the different liquors. For basics ABC, but for something interesting Dorn’s is the place… Brad, maybe you should check again???

Not sure what’s going on
But lately they just don’t seem to be stocking the shelves
Half the store was empty on my last visit

Normally about 50% of the wines I choose I end up liking. When I started to go to Dorn’s and asked for selections I now like 100% of the wines I purchase!!! I went in and told the salesperson about a wine that I really liked and he made a suggestion, so I bought 1 bottle of that. It was fantastic! I went back and had him give me more suggestions for a bunch of different bottles, we loved all of them! Also, all the bottles we got were under $ 25 and so so delicious. I will never buy wine anywhere else now!

How you rate this store largely depends on what you’re looking for. For liquor, the selection is ok, but the prices are too high. I can go to nearly any basic liquor store in Gainesville and get the same bourbon, gin, etc. cheaper. The only upside is the location for those of us who live in the NW.

Walked into this establishment a coupe of weeks ago. My husband and I were the only potential patrons at the time. The 3 employees that were in the back looked up at us, didn’t greet us, and continued their conversation. We walked around trying to find a particular product for several minutes, and not once did anyone offer any assistance. After walking aimlessly for some time, an employee finally started approaching us… to do inventory on the isle next to us. I’ve received better service in ABC. I will NEVER return to this business!!!

Great liquour store. Great wines and some great beers. And a fun selection of cheeses. My only complaint is, I wish it had more selection of beer. The big attraction here though is there tasting nights. Go one night, you are sure to enjoy

As many people have noted, while the wine selection is pretty good, what sets Dorn’s apart from the rest are the varieties of cheeses which are unparalleled in this town. To boot, they have a small selection of pâté’s and caviar. Another major bonus — the folks who work there are pretty knowledgeable and can assist you.
Pete mentioned the snippy staff. Dorn’s has a quaintness to it — more personal than say ABC liquor but less homey than Upper Crust bakery a few doors down. You get the know folks after numerous visits. Sometimes they throw cheese sample after cheese sample at you to try and pleasant conversation ensues. Other times however, crowds tend to swamp the establishment and on a bad day the people there can get a little terse. I think the two-​star review is unfair, as the quality of wines and cheeses that he readily says is still high should alone merit something more.
By and large, I happily come back time and again to Dorn’s, and continue to ask for recommendations with wines, cheeses, pates, etc. I will however say I’ve had one iffy experience with the caviar, and prefer to get the frozen salmon roe a few doors down at the seafood market — frozen, yes, but far more roe and far less expensive, and frankly still very good when thawed out.

If you are looking for the hard to find, then this is your best shot.
If they don’t have it, they’ll help. If they haven’t heard of it, they’ll want to know more. If they have an alternate suggestion, they’ll voice an opinion. It doesn’t hurt that they even have an idea of what they are talking about.
A business I can get behind.

Yeah, so I’m late to the party here… today being my first visit. Cream sherry win, cheeses and some chocolate-​almond-​toffee things that i really did not ‘need’ but had to have.
As with most places of this type, the specialty items range from the familiar to the ‘what the heck?’. That makes me very happy.
The cheese counter has a great menu (some sadly with ‘out’ written next to them) and the staff members were glad to open and slice to my heart’s content. There was another customer there, and I piggybacked on her choices, adding a slice of some that she chose to my pile.
I loved that the staff member said to me «you should never buy a cheese without tasting it first». Thats the kind of approach that sucks me in. It says: «No really, let me open everything we have and you try it first before you decide what you want» and, frankly, is merely an invitation for me to do some damage to my Visa card. I did. happily.
My plastic trembles at the thought of a return trip, but my taste buds quiver in anticipation.

Always can find what I want here. Dorn’s seems to try out their
selections before putting them on display. Best wine store
in Gainesville

Great selection, great staff (except one guy) and great cheese and chocolates. Some of my favorite items are cheaper at Dorns than they are at The Fresh Market next door. Great beer tastings! Does it get any better?

I have shopped here for over 10 years and used to love the place. Recently they changed managers and now the atmosphere and wine is very different. Today I was there and they were playing a terrible Country Western Radio station.
The best thing they could do for their business is hire back the previous managers.

An absolute gem.

I love this place. I never get my wine & liquor anywhere else. Their staff is super knowledgeable about the products they carry. The selection itself is even great! I always enjoy going for cheese and seeing what new items they have. The other thing I love about his place is their Tequila section… big fan.