Excellent service! They had just what I needed and were kind enough to hold it for me until I could get there later that day!

Ownership and name change for this small local wine shop in roughly January 2023 when Erickson Fine Wines became Eagle Wine Merchant with Kent Schmidtke at the helm. If you recognize Kent when you walk in, it probably means you've been a regular shopper (hand raised) at the remarkable Boise CoOp Wine Shop at that Boise downtown store where Kent was on staff. Wine Merchant in the new name for this Eagle neighborhood store is apropos with Kent as new owner as he is a man who knows his stuff about wines to source good ones across all price points and recommend them to buyers. CUSTOMER CARE: It took me a beat to place Kent when we walked in here for the first time since the name change given he was out of context from the usual place we'd see him at the CoOp shop. That he recognized my husband and me instantly and greeted us warmly might tell you two things: first that we were frequent shoppers for wine at the Boise store and second that Kent has excellent customer care skills. The latter is definitely a true thing! ENJOYABLE SHOPPING LAYOUT: The shop seems lighter and brighter with layout easier to navigate. Wines are organized by country for foreign and for domestic wines by state and there are ample shelf / hang tags with information on many of the wines. All of this makes it easier to hunt if you're on a mission for something specific and fun to gather if you're wanting to browse for something to strike your fancy. EXPERTISE MATTERS: Kent is in the house every day to provide as much assistance as you need or to leave you to your own devices if you just want to wander. On a recent "we need whites" visit he was helpful in recommending two wines to complete a mixed six pack we were buying; bottles we might not have considered without his first hand knowledge of drinking them himself. There are a lot of places in Eagle to buy wine, a good number of them grocery store shelves, but the reason to shop at store run by a merchant like Kent is for the knowledge that comes along with the great customer service. SATURDAY TASTINGS: Saturday afternoons there is wine tasting between 2p and 4p. Sign up for Kent's email when you're in the shop and you'll get a heads up on what is being poured each week and other new finds he's added to inventory. Our first visit was, serendipitously, on a Saturday and we got to sample Day Wines, boutique bottlings by a woman winemaker in Dundee who has been getting NW wine press coverage, Brianne Day. (Oregonian wine writer: "... working with 25 grape varieties from 32 vineyards in the Willamette Valley and southern Oregon. "I don't have strict regulatory systems like they do in Europe telling me what I can and can't make. I'm a wild card with the freedom to satisfy my curiosity," Day said.") This coming Saturday when we pop in to pick up a bottle of Portteus (Rattlesnake Hills AVA) that is a fav of my dad's to tuck in a gift for early Father's Day visit to him, we look forward to trying one of the wines being poured, a WS 93 pt Syrah from Unnamed Series. PRICE POINTS: 10% discount on six or more bottles. Pricing is competitive and we noticed, as one example, his price for Robert Sinskey Vineyards Abraxis was two bucks lower than the competition. TIMING IS EVERYTHING: For a new merchant building inventories, your business matters now. Vote for local expertise with your feet and wallet! LOCATION: In a strip mall next to nail salon and across a double wide parking lot from The Griddle breakfast / lunch eatery. ACCESSIBILITY: Shop is level in the door and all on one level with ample floor spaces to look at, taste and pay for wines. Just right for ADA compliant equal access for shoppers like me (I have had MS since college days) who might be winos using wheels...umm...oenophiles with mobility challenges. PARKING: The private lot is generously sized. ACCESSIBLE PARKING: Lot violates ADA. This is the lot owner's error to fix not the store owner's. The only accessible parking spot in entire lot and is around the corner tucked in a side alcove of the building requiring disabled persons to travel further to get in the door. Per US ADA and Idaho code there should 2 spots in the main lot (given the number of total spaces) so shoppers with disabilities have the same equal access route to the building door. NICE GUY STORY: When in store one afternoon, a couple of young women walked in at brisk pace, laughing together then stopped short and went silent once the door closed behind them. I thought they might just be enjoying the wine "ahh...roma" but Kent intuited right away that they were lost. He asked, cheerfully, if they were looking for someplace else. They asked if he sold tequila. He explained Idaho liquor sales were by state run stores (there are two Hilton hotel chains nearby that get out of state visitors) and provided directions to the nearest one. :-) read more

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This place is amazing with outstanding customer service. I had been searching all over the valley for a specific wine from Washington with no luck and was about to order it direct from the winery but shipping made it rather costly. So Brian Erickson, the owner said he would check his supplier and order me some if possible. I assumed since it was a special order that it might cost a little more but since it was for Christmas presents I ordered a case and to my surprise it was $6 a bottle less than the direct from winery cost! All of this was done over the phone with no money up front. Brian called me when it arrived for me to pick up. You have a customer for life and Erickson's Fine Wine will always be the first place I go for wine in the Boise area. Thank you and have a very merry Christmas. read more

Talk about amazing customer service! Called in with a very last-minute birthday request and Kent was incredibly accommodating. Highly recommend this wonderful local wine shop! read more

Kent is a very knowledgeable wine expert. He has an extensive inventory from all over the world, featuring both new and old world wines. Very friendly and willing to find hard to get wines if he doesn't have them in his inventory. Shop has a nice new open remodel. Definitely our go to place for wines. read more

Kent is a great guy , easy to talk to and very knowledgeable about wines from all over the world ! This is the only place I am buying wine . Scott read more

I don't know why it's taken me so long to review this place, as Ive gone there at least once a month since it opened (I believe 2017). It's great and he really knows what he is talking about. Here's how it goes down each time: I come in thinking I know exactly what I want, tell him what I'm looking for, he recommends a bottle (always at or below the price point he sees me looking at), I buy the one I'm looking at, plus his recommendation. Each and every single time I get home and try the wine, his recommendations are always an absolute winner. Just trust him. It's affordable, and he knows what he's talking about. read more

This place is legit. Can you use the word "legit" for a wine store, and not have it be considered ironic in a "Bro, that wine store was legit" sort of way? I digress. Great selection, small business, *very* reasonable prices, and a guy who helped me track down an obscure wine that my wife bought there one time. I was using only grunts and hand gestures, and we managed. Seriously. I had a great experience walking in and talking to the guy at the counter (one of the owners?), and left very excited to come back. It's nice when you visit a store of any sort and are left with the impression that "they get it." I like wine, but I'm not a Sommelier, so it's nice that he could talk to me about as much wine as I could handle, then let me leave with my fragile ego intact. Check out Erickson's - you won't be disappointed. read more

Best selection in the Boise area whether your looking for a nice Pinot Noir, German Riesling or an inexpensive bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. If your not sure what you want, the owner/main employee always makes a great suggestion, just ask. read more

My favorite wine shop! The owner is always there and is so helpful! He has great suggestions and is very welcoming to those starting out in their wine journey, and those who have experienced palates. Their prices are very competitive to those online, and they give an extra discount when purchasing multiple bottles. They have earned a lifetime customer in me. read more

Extremely knowledgeable and priced fairly.A place to find special wines that many other wine retailers can't get.I have shopped there many years and Brian has guided me through the sometime confusing world of wine. read more

The gentleman working was extremely helpful. We told him what we like and a price range and he recommended one of the best wines we've had. At around just $20. We will be back! read more