On the surface it may appear as if Total Wine is an oenophile's candy store. But looking beneath the surface, the stark realities of the wine retail business lay themselves bare. About 90% of the wine displayed in the store are "winery direct" bottles. When you try to search for these labels online you find that most of them are only carried by total wine. It appears that what total wine does is to travel the world to find second and third tier producers, whose middling wine they can buy cheap, and Mark up to earn excessive profits, without much competition from other retailers. Most of these wines have never been reviewed by a reputable publication (wine industry rags don't count). I've never had a "winery direct" wine from total wine that was a good value. Their marketing, and the in-store hype, leads you to believe these are great wines... But in reality most of them are not. The 10% of their selection that are mainstream wines, for the most part are not competitively priced. This is true more for the whites, than the red's. The next time you're there, try googling some of their wines from your phone and you'll see what I mean. In the last couple years they've gone overboard with the "winery direct" thing, so my wine purchase dollars are going elsewhere. There are much better places to buy wine in the DC area. Calvert Woodley and Pauls in the District are two examples of stores that sell real wine at great prices, have a phenomenal selection and knowledgeable staffs. read more

Heh, I remember when this place used to be Total Beverage . . . not sure why they switched. They always had a great selection of beer, wine, & various party/drinking necessities. read more

Came here in search of a bottle of a certain Malbec, and found what I was looking for. Absolutely everyone I know in NoVa shops here, and I can see why - selection is staggering. read more

Ok. I am not a fan of Virginia's abc laws. My thought is why is beer and wine in one store and the good stuff somewhere else. For a Southern State Virginia is pretty uptight about hard liquor. Therefore for 20 years i have avoided Total Wine. But with that said, I finally visited Total Wine last week and turns out that i was really missing out! They have a great collection of quarter and half keg in stock. Even though I only buy Miller Light in keg and Utz cheese puffs, I really appreciate perusing their wide selection of beers on tap. I highly recommend visiting this place. It is quite a treat! read more

The McLean store is amazing. Prices were great. Variety is out of this world. Try this store. Save money and enjoy your favorite beverage!

I love this place. It makes living in McLean almost bearable. Rows upon rows of wine along with an unbelievable beer selection. They don't just have every kind of wine you can think of, but they provide a short description and the wine spectator rating for many of their wines. I could just spend time wandering the aisles checking out the different varieties of wine and beer. I have found beer here that I have never seen anywhere else. The prices are not bad either. I bought a 6 pack of Hofbrau for $8.99. It's hard to find a 6-pack of Sam Adams for that price anymore. To top it off, Total Wine and More is conveniently located across the street from the Giant supermarket. read more

Great beer selection, enough of a cider collection, and a huge wine selection, though I will put out the disclaimer that I'm no wine expert and frequently get the same product. Staff is friendly enough and will always help you look for something (couldn't find the Portuguese beers first time I was in there.. turns out I was just walking past them repeatedly!). It's very hard to find Super Bock outside of the New England/Rhode Island Portuguese strongholds Again, not the wine expert. Not the beer expert, but I've lived abroad for multiple years and have beer tastes that aren't frequently found in a lot of places around the region. They have every one I've come looking for. On a side note (and unrelated to this individual store), I found it pretty funny that upscale European beers have great prices whereas very cheap European beer/cider is incredibly overpriced (Example: Strongbow is very bad English cider. I love it, but it's more of a nostalgic love. It costs the same for a 16oz can here than it does to get a 2liter bottle or two 16oz cans in London). Would chalk it up to exchange rate, etc.. but yet there are better cider products available for much less. Plenty of parking, relatively quiet shopping center with a book store, auto parts store, hardware store and a cleaners. Easy to get to from all over DC/Arlington/Fairfax). Just in the center of McLean across from the Giant. read more

I REALLY like this store. I tend to get bored with my usual red wines. So, I rely on their expertise, ie wine lists to introduce me to new wines. Recently, I tried some of the top selections from their Best of 2015 wine list. I chose several, but my fav is the "ITER CABERNET NAPA". It has a light body almost like a Pinot with excellent strawberry and chocolate undertones. Total Wine can be relied for finding great wines at decent prices. read more

This place is equivalent to a BevMo with their amazing selection and incredible prices but this place is definitely much larger, similar to a Costco but just for alcohol! They staff here are super helpful and knowledgeable regarding their products, and are let you sample some of the wine you are purchasing to make sure that you like it. For gifting and special occasions they are more than happy to work with your budget and help you select the perfect wine for your occasion and menu pairings. The parking lot is large and the store is always clean and busy, and worth the drive from Maryland to get the perfect liquor for your event. read more

The customer service at first was great!! They helped us select amazing sweet wines and I felt the respect and enthusiasm from the staff. The salesclerk called the manager to check my sisters ID. HOWEVER, Tim the manager was very rude and disrespectful to my sister and I! We are both 21 or older and he didn't believe us. My 21 year old sister had her ID to pay but I didn't bring mine with me. She had her ID and he wanted to see mine even though I wasn't paying. I tried to explain I am indeed 22 and I wouldn't lie about my age. We felt discriminated against because we're Black. Tim was extremely disrespectful and short with us. Tim you ruined our night and experience. It was my sisters first time buying alcohol as she had just turned 21. Can you imagine your first time buying alcohol and you're experience is RUINED by a disrespectful manager? I'm not comfortable buying wine from a place that hires racists. read more

I love this place! They have an amazing selection of wines, to the point where it is mesmerizing! The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Great if you need a recommendation. I only wish there was one in Bethesda! Bravo total wines, bravo! read more

We actually love this place more than costco or any grocery store. TIP: become a registered member. With its member discount, you can get wine at the best prices - we wait for the coupons . At the mclean store, we have a tendency to follow "Mary"! Haha HINT: find a wine specialist who has similar taste as you and follow them and their likes. If you don't like the wine after purchase, bring it back and swap. We did it maybe 2-3x, and really appreciated them for allowing the exchange. It makes us come back again over and over again. read more

really appreciating their cigar walk-in humidor. beautiful and great selection for a predominant wine/beer business. they have a few of my favorites and picked some up after grabbing a wine gift read more

Lame. Lame. Lame. This place is all quantity and not quality. Every time I go in there, there is a group of sales associates standing around gossiping. I've heard more about who is doing what on the weekend than I have about wine. Also, the previous review about the bait-and-switch is totally true. I DARE you to ask for a bottle of Dom Perignon. I work in a restaurant and know what they pay for that bottle. They sell it for pennies over cost, so the sales associates job is to convince you to buy something else. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself. Count how many of them jump on you and recommend Palmes d'Or instead. And I've heard the "better but cheaper line" quite a bit. If they really cared about selling you something good, why would they carry the "expensive but worse" items in the first place? Better yet, why would the ENTIRE staff keep recommending Sobon Zinfandel over and over when I just want Cline? There are plenty of other stores around and their not that much more expensive. You just have to look and you can find more personable staff who don't have an agenda. read more

Total Wine in McLean is a lousy place to buy wine. Yes, the prices are good. The service, however, is appalling. Very few staff members actually know anything about wine (even the wine in their store). After having talked with at least six of these staffers over the course of 10 visits, I don't think I would ever trust one of their "recommended" wines. Why buy "Jay's" favorite wine when "Jay" doesn't know what a Cab Franc is? Why buy "Bob's" favorite when "Bob" doesn't know what might go well with a Mexican dish (Gewurtz or Riesling would be a nice start, "Bob"). I think I'll stick with the Wine Advocate or Wine Spectator, but thanks for trying, guys. Additionally, just for yucks, try to track down a salesperson - see how long that takes you...their willingness to help you out is just amazing... While the prices are good, as noted above, and the place has an immense volume of wine, when you actually explore the selection, it's really awful. I brought a few lists in, one from Wine Spectator and two compiled from various articles and publications. The total number of wines on the lists was 40 - total number of those wines at Total Wine, 5. These were not highly specialized wines, real basic name brands - Columbia Crest Riesling for one. If you're desperate for an OK wine for a party, this is a fine place. Otherwise, try some other stores in the area with vastly superior service and higher-quality wines. read more

HOLY MOLEY. Why don't we have one of these in my homeland of Indianapolis? Like a giant wine/beer wonderland. Wowza is all I have to say. I am still reeling from the awesome. read more

Wow talk about rude customer service this place takes the cake. About 5 years ago (aged 29) I came in here like I did 40 times before to buy a bottle of fancy WATER (h20, what 70 percent of the planet is covered in). In the past it was very in and out but one time this RUDE woman would not sell it to me without an ID. When I explained to her that im clearly over 21 and im not buying anything age restricted she did not care and now wanted two forms of ID. WHAT KIND OF CUSTOMER SERVICE IS THIS TOTAL WINE?! read more

You know the drill by now of Total Wine, but this store has a pretty exceptional beer selection among Total Wines. Enormous amount of bottles, tons of singles, lots of bizarre country ticks, even some special release stuff was here like Stone Enjoy By IPA and Stone Espresso RIS. Also found at least two cases of Williamsburg Aleworks Cafe Royale. Very impressed. Staff was very friendly. Let me leave with about 10 six pack holders and three wine cases that I needed for moving. read more

Total Wine has a large selection, though that doesn't mean you're likely to come across hard-to-find or boutique wine producers. Service is non-existent and/or full of BS - the people I've come across pretend to have tasted wines they clearly haven't. On a recent visit, I heard an employee say to a woman looking for French champagne that "cremant" translates into "champagne" in French. Buzzzz. "Champagne" means champagne in French. Duh. Cremant is another type of French sparkling wine. What else do you think they're making up. Prices are average, unless you bring in an occasional coupon from their mailer. read more

If this place were closer to me, and I was back in college, I'd love it. As is, they order their wine by varietal and then alphabetical, so if you're used to searching by country or region, you're out of luck. They do have a pretty good selection of budget wines, and a few others that are in the mid range. Be careful here though, since I saw a few wines that were priced for different vintages than were on the shelves. They have a pretty decent selection of beers and on average prices that are at least a dollar or two less per bottle of wine than you'd find at regular stores. read more

Impeccable collection of beer and wine. An adult disney store.

I love this store. They have a great wine selection and they make it easy to find the best ones with really good prices. They also have beers, cigars, and many other things. One of my favorite shopping destinations - ever. read more

Regardless the fact that there prices is the best ever!! You will always got discounts and amazing customer service!

Strong selection. Good Prices. Generally helpful folks. Overall a great place to buy wine.

The great thing about Total Wine is how much they have to offer - the Home Depot of beer and wine. I am more of a beer person than a wine person, and they have kegs in the walk in refrigerator, and rows of beer on the shelf. During busy times there are always multiple wine tastings available, and often some beer tastings. Their website does not accurately reflect what they have in stock, and sometimes it is hard to get support on the phone. However, I will say that their staff in store has always been great and helpful. If you cannot find what you want just ask. read more

Second time buying there cabernet suvinion wine,amazing verity with great and competitive prices,can also find wines from all over the world(I was thrilled to find a great Rioja wine that I tasted only in Spain read more

Awesome find! Have beers and wines from around the world. Bought a very reasonably priced German white wine & finished the bottle tonight! They also have frequent beer and wine tasting and lots of helpful service people. Will definitely be a regular:-) read more

5 stars for a great selection, but primarily for outstanding customer service. I was throwing a New Year's Eve party, and wanted Fentiman's ginger beer for nice cocktails. I ordered 4 small cases online and chose to pick them up in-store. They accidentally gave me a different Fentiman's product, Victorian Lemonade, and I didn't notice until some of the guests had already drank 2 cases of the incorrect product. When I went in to explain to the store what had happened, they took the 2 cases I had remaining and exchanged them for 4 full cases of the ginger beer, at no additional charge. They were more understanding, and very helpful. read more

The worst form of online shopping that I've encountered this year. Poor refund situation, only after the poor customer service. It's starting to feel like fraud and I'm very concerned where my money could be. I'm very disappointed in the whole total and wine company at this point because no one seems to be able to help. read more

Very Bad Holiday Shopping experience . I ordered $ 150 of wine, I choose overnight express delivery option because wine was a gift. I followed up order next day and FedEx advised that they could not deliver till 4 days after XMAS. I called Total Wine customer service and they were rude and didn't even ask to look up my order or ask whom they were speaking too. Apparently, Total Wine new FedEx was back logged per their website but choose to offer over night express service any way. Think twice when shipping during holidays with total wine, they are suffering from too big to fail syndrome !! read more

They really have a good selection of wines and beer. I wish that they were able to keep their staff longer.

Needing some wine for a party, I decided to come here to view their selection. First, let me say that i am not a wine expert. I needed more advice than most people so I would have a variety for the 50 or so people coming to the party. One of the salespeople guided me through the entire process, even allowing me to taste some of the ones he recommended. He was very knowledgeable and patient. I left with an assortment of medium priced wines that most everyone liked and am very grateful for the personal help I got here. In addition, the price was right and all under one roof. They seem to really know their wines. I will definitely come back for my wine needs read more

Big selection. Great prices. knowledgeable help available as needed. No location in Mo Co? Need one! Total Bravo! read more

AMAZING selection and very helpful staff. Have had someone help pick, not just a win, but a fantastic one that has always gotten a great response either from myself or the person it was being gifted to. Not only will they help with what you're looking for, but will not try to upsell you or give you a wine out of the price range you are looking. you ask for a $20 bottle of wine and describe what you want, they'll get it for you! Great beer selection as well. A huge amount of crafts as well as the usual main brands so you'll be hard pressed NOT to find something you'll like read more

A must-visit spot in McLean, I'm obsessed to explore their Red sections and craft beer section!

I have been to a few different Total Wine & More stores, but visited this one for the first time this weekend. While I love the stores for their selection and helpful staff, this was the first location I have visited where a lot of the wine bottles WERE DIRTY AND DUSTY. This was very off putting and I do not plan to visit this location again. It wasnt just a few bottles .... it was MANY in all sections of the store. When I saw this it made me wonder if the wines were being stored properly .... or were they pulled out of a dirty warehouse and put on the shelf. I have never seen this at any of the other stores. read more

Only if you have no clue, no time and really don't care what you're drinking. Staff knows little and cares less.

Tough not to love this place. I've actually never purchased wine from here, only beer. But, that's why I go here. I've been to multiple beer classes, and I've bought tons of hard to find ales at good prices. They have a beer guy "Will" that can help you with any questions, as he's personally had many of their beers. The store is huge, clean, the staff is friendly, and their prices are decent. read more

They certainly have a large selection of both beer and wine, and even some nice cheese that you can't easily find elsewhere. I have shopped here for some years, but today, Total Wine lost me as a customer. I had the nerve to ask a stock clerk if I could have a couple of empty boxes, since I am in the process of moving and thought that would be helpful in transporting a couple of dozen bottles of wine I've purchased at Total Wine. He told me that he was not allowed to provide empty boxes, since "they are just for paying customers and not for people just walking in off the street for boxes." I told him that of course I was a "paying customer" and had purchased quite a bit of Total Wine products over the years. He told me to inquire at the front of the store. So, I took my cheese purchase to the check-out counter and asked the clerk there about taking a couple of the many dozens of empty boxes that they had stacked at the front of the store. She told me that she is not allowed to let customers take boxes. Another cashier at the next counter told her it was ok to let me take a couple of boxes, but my clerk was adamant that she had been instructed not to permit any boxes to be taken. (I had seen another customer take a couple of boxes without incident as I was approaching the check-out.) Now another clerk comes over and reaffirms that I canNOT have any boxes. At this point, I've progressed from bemusement (I thought at first that they were kidding) to incredulity to flat-out anger. I had some suggestions for what they might want to do with their boxes, but I kept them to myself. It left the store royally ticked. When I got home, I contacted Total Wine's customer service staff and explained what happened. He reaffirmed that they do not give out boxes unless a customer buys a number (a minimum of 5 or 6 was the number he mentioned) of bottles. I have purchased plenty of wine, but usually just a few bottles at a time, and I've never asked for a box. I asked that Total Wine take me off their mailing list, and I am done dealing with them. Total Wine's unwillingness to give me a couple of empty wine boxes cost them a long-time and pretty substantial customer. There are plenty of other outlets to buy wine and beer, so I imagine I'll survive. Total Wine doesn't seem to care about losing me as a customer, and I imagine that Total Wine will survive as well. They should care though. read more

Total Wine is definitely worth the trip across the MD/VA border to stock up on beer and wine without having to pay Maryland's 9% sin tax. The beer and wine selections are huge and prices are about as good as you can find anywhere. My only problem with Total Wine is that I get the strong feeling that the wines they promote the most forcefully are not really the best, or best value, but the ones that are most profitable for TW. I've had a number of their "best value" wines and usually find them to be average at best. If you're willing to put in some pre-shopping research, you can browse their website and look for independent reviews on wines that look good to you, then save your choices as a wish list, or actually buy them online for later in-store pickup. read more