Total Wine & More

Update: Came back 2 days later, it was in the computer but had not been put on the shelf yet. The Tequila vato went back into the receiving area, dug around, and brought me exactly what I had wanted Now that is real service I kick this up another star for honesty and helpfulness of everyone!
I come here quite often, looking for something special that might be at a super low price. Today, it was out, but I got something else that was needed for the future. An employee offered to check in the main computer to see when the next shipment was arriving. Two days! That works for me! Normally, places just say we are out and go back to waiting for their shift to be over. Not here brother!
The main thing that is sold here is service. I have been always approached with a smile and an offer without having to look for help. Today was just another example of such service. I will be back and it will be in 2 days!

I have gone to Total Wine since they opened on Brodie Lane. It is hard to believe the savings on spirits and wines compared to other chains.
Huge selection and it’s easy to find everything. Today, I went to the BIG store competitor in Bee Cave to pick up a few party goods for the holidays and the name brand gin, vodka and single malt scotch were $ 15+ more a bottle.
Total Wine is the best deal in town.

I really have no business in a liquor store. I seldom drink anymore, so most of my purchases these days are as gifts for others.
But the flyers I received in the weekly mail for Total Wine & More intrigued me, so I went in to this location one night during the Lakecreek grand opening just to look around.
I was immediately impressed by the warmth of the store’s décor. As someone pointed out to me that night, some of that was attributable to the former Sprouts location (mostly the flooring), but I didn’t feel like that was the limit to it. It’s a large liquor store by square footage, and is dwarfed by the nearby Specs on that measure. But, like Costco, there’s a certain je né sais quoi about this place that makes you want to linger awhile and shop. It’s a warm, cozy environment, a far cry from the haphazard junior high gym layout at Specs, without feeling claustrophobic like my nearby Twin Liquors.
I was first impressed by how many tasting stations were operational at the hour I went, which was evening on a Saturday. They weren’t afraid to put enough alcohol in the sample cups for you to actually taste the product, either.
Something kind of neat is the number and variety of the «travel» sized liquors they stock. The largest selection is well-​organized up by the front registers, but they have at least a couple tables around the store that feature them, too. I’ve seen these from time to time at other liquor stores, but they generally keep them hidden at or behind the register for fear of killing full bottle sales. I call BS on that. No one wants to drop $ 80 on that mystical bottle of bourbon that tastes like crap when they can find that out for $ 2. You’ll impress me more (meaning get more of my business) when you show respect for me as a customer.
And that’s my last thought on this place. Respect. Everyone I met was polite. No rude staff as I’ve found at Specs who often don’t know what you’re asking for, if they have it, or where it is.
I left with a purchase or two. Total, you’ll be first on my list from now on.

This is the best place ever to buy dranks. Super clean and well lit, huge selection and cheaper than Spec’s. I think I found the last two bottles of Pumpkinator in Austin there as HEB and Specs were both out. Plan to browse for a long time and spend a lot here

Great selection and cant beat the prices. Although dont expect the cashiers to bag your items. It’s the strangest thing.

DO NOT place an on-​line order here — in fact I’m done doing business here ever again. Twice I’ve placed an order on-​line only to have the store select the wrong bottles (wrong vintage and even a completely different wine). I don’t believe that have an inventory system that works and it shows. Staff is nice and apologetic — but that goes so far.
Specs has a similar selection of wine/​beer/​spirits, the staff is equally friendly, but they have their operations in control.
Would give them no stars if it was possible.

I’ve probably said this before, but I hail from the all mighty east coast, where Total Wine exists in abundance. I was completely ecstatic to learn they were opening a location in my tiny South Central-​ish bubble.
And, in Virginia, they can’t sell liquor at Total Wine… however in Texas they can, and it is glorious.
Total Wine puts all other alcohol retailers to shame. The selection is amazing, the prices cannot be beat, and everyone who works here is super nice. It’s like Toys R Us but for adults who like to consume booze.
If you haven’t been yet, get in your car and go.

Total Wine is a bit like a combination of Austin’s two liquor-​giants. It’s got the spread and variety+ of Spec’s, but the really classy hardwood décor/​organization of the nicer Twin Liquors. And prices to beat them both! I’m big on bourbon and whisky, and this store has a really diverse selection. They’ve got beers and wines too… and their selection goes from the weirdest, cheapest stuff to the most high-​class, locked-​in-​a-​laser-​vault expensive. They have some crazy in-​store specials, so we usually go once a week just to sample stuff and restock our bar. We once got a 24 pack of Lonestar Light for under $ 10… best worst decision of my life.

I left Specs to come to Total Wine. I was looking at prices and thought they seemed high at Specs. I was right.
Went to total wine and found the exact same bottles of wine I was looking at were $ 3-​$ 4 cheaper at total wine. (Jlohr, freakshow) Same with liquor (looked at vodka and bourbon) Hands down, better prices, better selection, more helpful and knowledgable staff.

I moved to Austin from Palm Beach Gardens, where I frequented the Total Wine quite often. I was beyond myself when I found out Total Wine was opening here. While Spec’s was a decent substitute and somewhat filled my void, it just doesn’t compare to Total Wine’s selection and prices! I always set aside at least an hour on the weekend for my visit here. The old world wine selection is expansive, and I have found, no matter the price point, you will find a great tasting vino! Their staff is knowledgeable and well trained. I have never been disappointed with any of their recommendations. Even better, I usually end up with something I have never tired before, whether, liquor, wine or beer because of their suggestions. I am always pleasantly surprised! Thank you Total Wine for coming back to me. I love you!

So a friend tells me, «Hey if you are bored and looking to get out the house for an hour or 2, Total Wine is a good place for that.»
Boy was he right on! This place is huge! Do not be fooled by the name — yes they have a lot of wine, but they also have a nice selection of everything else too. Some of the unique stuff, hard to get stuff and just different stuff too. Of course they will have your staples too and cheap options. When I stopped in here I was not in hurry so I took my time browsing around and ended up being here well over an hour. The only thing I planned on buying was whiskey and tequila, but I came out with more. I found some Gin I wanted and a nice Rose wine.
They also have a room in the back where they host events. They do tastings and classes — see my pic I posted for more info on that. Anyway I couldn’t be more please with Total Wine in my neighborhood. It is nice to see someone give Spec’s a run for their money. I will be back!

Total Wine is a total mistake. If you were charged with bringing an adult beverage to a party and have 30 minutes to procure said beverage, it’s going to turn into 90 minutes of wine tasting, spritzer sipping, and beer sampling if you set foot into Total Wine.
Phokus at the wine bar was knowledgeable and friendly. Beyond the 6 – 7 wines he was sampling he’d also prepared a Manhattan with a recipe. For a palate cleanser there were crackers and pre-​cut gruyère cheese pieces. Those pieces weren’t large enough for one older gentleman who coasted into the crowd, cut off half of the remaining cheese block, gave a wary look around at us imbibing sinners, and took off. It would seem we were not to be trusted.
There’s plenty of staff around to not judge your price point and help you find anything. It’s refreshing to hear from people who’ve actually tried the stuff they’re selling, giving you solid recommendations on new products and how they compare to whatever you’re used to buying.
Right next door is Nordstrom Rack. I’m not going to tell you how to plan your day or how to disappear for 4 hours, but it’s important that you know.

Very good service, they helped me locate the beer I wanted quickly and politely. There is an amazing selection of beers, must be 1000 different types. Good parking and conveniently located on Bodie near 71 and Mopac.

Incredible selection, lowest prices I have ever seen. They carry glassware, barware, even have a Cigar Humidor. they have wine classes.
I love this place everybody was so friendly and answered any and every question I had.
They carry over 2500 different
is so clean and stocked with every kind of Spirit you could think of. I will return again as soon as my bottles run out.

Like, totally! Wine! I hate the name of this place. Besides the idiocy of the name, this place has it goin on! Most definitely the BEST prices on wine, beer, and liquor of anywhere I’ve ever been. Friendly sales people, really clean and well lit store, lots of samples, and even live music! I did find it irritating being carded like fifty times while in the store. I recommend having a door man who cards everyone when they walk in so that you eliminate the need for every sample person and the cashier to card. We will definitely be back– the selection was great and the prices are unbeatable.

This is a much welcomed new store in Austin for me, and while it definitely doesn’t replace all my other go to spots for Liquor/​beer purposes it definitely fills a need and is a place I’ll return to often and the lack of cash/​credit card pricing compared to Specs is great. Have your cake and eat it too with their lower prices and get your Credit Card reward points to boot.
It is a wine focused store as the name would suggest, and while I enjoy wine, I just don’t buy a lot of it. Of the bottle of Pinot Grigio I most often buy though, I did notice that it was about 10% cheaper here at their normal price than I’ve ever seen it anywhere else even when on sale, and about 25% cheaper than your average corner store on any given day. $ 14 and change vs. ~$ 16-​$ 20 elsewhere, so that is definitely noticeable.
I browsed the beer section and they have an extensive collection of singles and a cider section as well with more ciders than I’ve seen in one spot for singles or otherwise, including WhichCraft which is Austin’s only dedicated specialty craft beer store. The prices were very good and while it was organized strangely, there is a lot to choose from.
As far as the liquor selection, it is overall very good, only slightly behind Spec’s in terms of overall size and selection, but the prices on almost everything are better here. I cross checked about 30 items on their website compared to Spec’s and Total Wine is the hands down winner with at worst, the same prices and generally about 10% better on most items in the $ 10-​$ 80 range. And their website is useful which is a big plus. You can actually search the store you’re interested in and see what is in stock and where it is located in the store, even.
Some spirits definitely have better selections than others.
The Rum section is quite good and they have a few very hard to find items in Austin, as well as a few nobody else in town carries.
The Bourbon section surprisingly is actually lacking, and pales compared to Specs’ Highland, Arbor Walk, and Brodie locations, as far as smaller distillery offerings, but again what is here including most people’s staple bourbons are priced the best.
The Scotch section is almost on par with Spec’s, but a bit smaller.
Gin section is good and their the only place in town that seems to carry Bloom, which I’d been looking for for a while.
Tequila selection is very good.
Vodka, seemed extensive and comparable to Specs, but I don’t pay much attention to this category typically.
Cognac/​Armagnac selection was on medium side, but there typically isn’t a large selection anywhere for this. I hoped with them being a wine specialty store, it might have bled over into the cognac selection as well, but no dice. A few sizes of certain bottles I’ve not seen elsewhere however, which is great.
Liqueurs/​Pisco/​Cachaca/​Absinthes/​Others are adequate for most people’s needs for sure, but selection of very specialty or quality brands of more obscure liquors and liqueurs is hit or miss compared to places like Austin Wine Merchant which do a great job with that.
Overall, price wise, this is the spot to go to for liquor if you want a one stop shop. The staff in my limited experience are friendly and willing to help, but perhaps not the most knowledgable about liquor as I received quite a bit of blatantly false info, but I was dorking out a bit with my questions and probably their wine expertise is their focus. With just one location in town though, they’re not putting anybody out of business any time soon, and hopefully a North location or more central one will happen at some point.

Such a step in the right direction. Warehouse like liquor stores seem to be all the rage. Total Wine had taken buying sprits, cigars and supplies to the next level of AWESOME. The isles are wide, the selection of spirits is impressive and clearly labeled and the number of cool gadgets is enough to keep you busy for a long time.
I enjoy the upscale décor and the way the wine, beer and sprits are separated. Speaking of beers they have gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide a wide range of beers that are difficult to find.

The only comparison in this area is Specs, so here goes:
Total:
Takes credit cards with no upcharge
Grocery store concept of quantity limited loss-​leader specials mixed with mildly discounted items along with some over priced items
Large selection, well laid out
Madhouse crowds for grand opening
Expert aisle managers very helpful, likely experienced employees visiting from other stores
Decent selection of rye whiskey better than Specs
Location not ideal as part of large multi-​store single parking lot site
Specs
Upcharge for credit card
Everyday low pricing throughout the store
Much bigger emphasis on food and related items
Smaller rye whiskey selection
Stand alone building with dedicated parking lot
Knowledgable aisle managers
Never very crowded
At this time I will probably be occasionally swayed by Total price promotions but quantities are limited. I expect Specs may step it up on loss leader pricing. Specs will definitely lose some share to Total.
Competition is all great for us the drinkers, game on!

This is a great place for the wine enthusiast. I might say Spec’s is a liquor superstore but Total Wines and More is definitely a wine superstore.
Total Wines does not have a lower cash price unlike Spec’s. However, with a purchase of 6 bottles or more, they offer a discount.
Prior to the Grand Opening, I checked out the website for Total Wine and noted that quite a few of vineyards I had visited in Napa could be found on their shelves. Total Wines has quite a few labels that normally would be direct sales. This is a great place to find something you might normally have to order online or visit in person. For that reason, I visited the Brodie location on their opening day and was not disappointed.
The store is large enough to need a map and they provide one. It is laid out very well with a small section of Wine Enthusiast selections which covered all varietals and ranged from under $ 10 to close to $ 100. Their «regular» racks have imports together and domestic wines grouped by varietal. Top shelf was reserved for the most expensive while the most affordable was at the bottom. About half the wines had some kind of placard with additional information and a decent number of placards also had a Wine Enthusiast score. The staff was very friendly and helpful and more than willing and able to make suggestions. With the numerous tables set up for tasting, you will find quite a bit in this place to occupy your time and attention. I was shopping on my lunch break so avoided the tastings and ended up getting a couple of bottles of a favorite known quantity among my friends, picked up a few 90+ point bottles that were under $ 20, and went with a couple of suggestions from the staff. After the 10% discount for 6+ bottles, I walked out feeling like it was a really good experience.
I will definitely be going back and would recommend it to someone looking for wines more than other spirits.

A great new store in the Austin area.
The layout is a different from Specs. The wines in each section are in alphabetical order instead of by high end wines to low end.
Impressive beer selection. If it is a local, more than likely they have it.
Overall great looking store and worth checking it out.