The owner does an excellent job selling the grapes. She hand sells the inventory. She said she has tasted *all* the wines in the shop. Even if not completely true, still an impressive claim. The former owner introduced her to the Napa winemakers. She knows them now. John, the former owner, got me a reservation to The French Laundry back in the last century and before it was famous. I really like the Napa map on the wall. Helpful. If you want a special wine or something that you can't get elsewhere, this is the place. But I pulled one over on her; much to my surprise. She didn't know that the Staglin Family Vineyard was a location in "The Parent Trap." Staglin is a beautiful property with some impressive art work. I didn't think Staglin wines were sold in Omaha. Next time in, I will get a bottle of The Special Reserve from Parker Knoll. read more

Derek pretty much nailed the atmosphere of the place, as well as John. I would encourage people to take advantage of John, as he certainly knows his stuff. OWC focuses on California wines, and they have probably 2-3 times the number of CA (as well as russian river valley, etc.) wines as those from overseas. However, I disagree that OWC is always more expensive. I have found several wines there at lower prices than I was able to buy direct from the winery when in Napa. Further, while the stock there tends toward the $25-60 dollar range, every time I have been there I have picked up a couple $15 "everyday" wines that have been really good. This place is easily the best wine store in the Metro. read more

Finally got around to popping into Omaha Wine Co on a recommendation from a friend. Derek's right....John in a Chatty Cathy, but the guy knows his stuff and the wine recommendations are spot on. I've been looking for a place to pick up some nice wines, so I'm thrilled to have found this place because having wines shipped isn't always convenient. If you're happy with Yellow Tail, Turning Leaf, Jacob's Creek, Franzia, etc....this is not the place for you (hey, I'm not judging....good on ya for cheap dateness). However, if you're looking for a nice bottle of wine for yourself or someone else and are willing to spend more than 10 bucks, this is the place to go. read more

One of the better and more unique wine shops in Omaha. John will talk your ear off as he helps you find a bottle you might like, but be weary, he's opinionated and at times obnoxious, but that's kind of why I like him. He's colorful to say the least, and he doesn't give a damn what people think about him. The real reason to come here though is the wine. Don't come here looking for Turning Leaf or most other mass market wines - they don't stock them. They focus on hard to find wines; some are distributed solely through this shop. They have great relationships with many of the power people in napa/sonoma that help them allocate some great wines that are hard to get even in major cities. The downside here is mostly price. Their selection of wines under $20 is pretty limited. They do have a good selection of $20-$40 wines, but I almost exclusively shop here for special occasion wines where I plan on spending over $60. When you do find a wine stocked in other stores, OWC is *always* more expensive. The other minor drawback is the lack of selection from France. It's just not something John cares for much, so he doesn't stock a lot if it. EDIT: By other stores, I mean other stores in Omaha. As soylentgreen pointed out, the wineries always charge you more than retail for some reason. Check out Gastronomic Fight Club for more wine related reviews and Omaha food news. http://www.GastronomicFightClub.com/ read more

Oh. My. God. In all my travels around the world I have NEVER met someone as arrogant, condescending, egotistical, and moronic as the owner of this place. I would also call him a pathological liar, but there is a chance he actually believes the nonsense that comes out of his mouth so perhaps he is just horrifically ignorant and clueless; I really can't tell. It all started the minute I walked in the door. I first get the whole "This is the #1 wine shop in the whole nation, bet you didn't know that" nonsense; followed by his nonstop bragging about being "the best", "#1", "elite", blah blah blah about anything and everything under the sun. Trying to ignore this guy just meant that he started following me around the store saying things like "you probably don't know what you're looking at so I'll explain it to you". I don't think I've ever been so disgusted in my life. To make matters worse, half the garbage he was word vomiting was either inaccurate or an outright lie! Towards the end, it actually became comical listening to what ridiculous BS he would come up with next. My favorite part is when he told me that I couldn't get any of this stuff cheaper anywhere, even from the winery themselves.....although I am a member to several of the labels he carries and had just received my fall shipments from them at a lower price. Why even lie about that?! It's not a hard thing to disprove. To sum things up, as I was checking out (side note: the one bottle I bought on his "expert" recommendation was atrocious) he told me I would need one of his business cards, stuck it directly in my face and said "You need to read this! READ THIS!". The genius actually thinks having the F word on a business card makes you important. Seriously? Are you 60 or 16 man? You're a joke not in only the wine industry, but the world as a whole. You live in OMAHA NEBRASKA, get over yourself.....and your tiny little wine shop at the end of a strip mall area that no one cares about. An absolute joke, I'll never set foot in there again. read more

So...Walked In to look around for a gift . I was greeted by an older man who said "I'm assuming you're a lady. How can I help you ?" Excuse me?! I almost walked out at that point . But I stayed to hear his snobby explanation of the wines . "Where do you normally buy wine?" Me: at the grocery store. "Well there is a crapload difference between ours and the wine at the grocery store." Yeah...thanks but no thanks. This is the most snobby place I have ever been to!!! Ew! read more

Every town of every size has a liquor store, but few places have what we have in Omaha Wine Company. John's knowledge is amazing and yet he exhibits none of the snobbery normally associated with wine experts. John will rave about a $15 bottle that you've never heard of IF it has the goods, but don't expect him to BS you into some pricey specimen just because Parker said it was to die for. When I move away from Omaha someday OWC will be one of the things I miss most. read more

the best selection of California wines I have ever seen at online pricing. When I was first told about this place I went in skeptical and left amazed. Every year these guys do a big wine tasting called an open house where more than a dozen winery owners, mostly from the Napa Valley, sample their wines. I've been to three of these events and ask why owners and winemakers would come to Omaha for a one day tasting. They all answer that this is one of the biggest and most important events for their vineyards. If you are into wine like I have become, and you live in Omaha or are just visiting, you should make a point of seeing this place. read more