Rick’s Wine & Gourmet

Bring Rick’s back!!!
Rick’s lost its lease at the end of 2012 and closed its doors after 20 years.
Rick’s was my go to place for Schlafly Beer, which can be very hard to find in this area… especially in the fall for their Pumpkin Ale. I would make the drive from the burbs to get my hook up; it was worth the drive.
On top of a great selection, the service was outstanding.
Places like Rick’s are rare, and have become even more rare. Sadness.

Well, it only took two-​and-​a-​half years, but I’ve finally realized just *how* awesome Rick’s is. And how lucky husband and I are to live close enough to pop over there whenever our hearts desire.
The service is super friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Any staffer working will ALWAYS be able to tell you exactly what red wine will pair best with your mom’s meatloaf, or which new beer will please your IPA-​loving husband. Not to mention they’ll beckon you over for a beer or wine tasting, approach you if you look bewildered, or rush to help you with your cheese purchase at the deli counter (now serving sammies!). Not to mention that you can pick up any and all gourmet goods, or drinking snacks, from J&D’s Ketchup Salt to OTC Wine Crackers.
Added bonuses:
1) They’ll track your purchase history by credit card and name, so you’ll always be able to pick up that wine or beer you so enjoyed last time.
2) Follow them on Facebook and you’ll never miss a tasting, new arrival, or allotment announcement.
2a) You can reserve allotment beers by phone for pick-​up later!
Best. Brew and wine store. Ev-​ar.

Do you like beer? They sell it here, and they have tons of it! Staff is super knowledgeable and friendly and have weekly tastings! They also have a gourmet foods selection (think mustards, hot sauces, rubs etc.) along with a deli and sammiches.
Swing by on Saturday for a beer/​wine tasting, pickup a few 6 packs and a sammy! Or just sit on your ass at home not enjoying great beers and delicious foods its up to you, but between me you and that beer gut I know you’ll make the right call.

Rick’s may be a small wine, beer and gourmet shop, but it uses it’s space very effectively. They stock a great selection of wine and fantastic selection of artisan/​craft beers. They do both wine and beer tastings on Saturdays. Every time I’ve visited for a tasting I have left very happy and with a trunk full of beer and wine.
Though the beers and wines aren’t the least expensive in town, they are fairly priced. Rick’s is a great small business that sources some great products including local beers!

When Sank texted me «Do you want to try Rick’s in the afternoon?» I immediately thought «Uh, no, because whatever Rick’s in the Afternoon is, it does not sound kosher.» Then, I realized he meant did I want to go with him to Rick’s Wine & Gourmet in the afternoon. Which, of course, I did.
Rick’s is a lovely place located just between Old Town and the West End of Alexandria. The shop is small, but has a great variety of wine and beer, plus bread, cheese, chocolate, etc. Beer and wine tastings are offered all days, but on the weekends, five bottles of each, instead of one or two are opened. The staff was extremely friendly, especially Jamie. She let us know that they serve sandwiches, and I really wished I had not eaten earlier.
Oh, and the best part: They sell my favorite beer ever. Aecht Schenkerla Oak Smoke. Automatic 5 stars, just for selling it. Cheers!

Rick’s has a good beer selection with lots of microbrews and a knowledgeable staff. Beer tastings are held from 12 – 5 on Saturdays, and they always update their website to let you know what they have in stock and what will be on the tasting table.
Along with the beer, they also hold wine tastings on Saturdays, although I haven’t been there to purchase wine. The store stocks cheeses, charcuterie, and other tasty nibbles, but I always have trouble getting past the beer section and exploring other parts of the store.
Come on out and support a local business instead of the Total Wine chain.

Very good selection of wine and beer. They will even order some wine and get it for you if they do not have it there.

Rick’s is simply a great shop. They have a great and organized selection of wine and bubblies, well priced cheeses, good selection of beer, and their staff is very knowledgeable and helpful when one needs help finding an alternate wine to your number one option. Don’t forget to ask for your 10% discount for a mixed box of wine, or 15% for a box of the same bottle. They also can order your favorites. Cheers!

When my mom told me that Total Wine couldn’t get a wine she loved but Rick’s could, I knew I needed to get there. I finally did yesterday, and was not disappointed. I found wine from two wineries that Total Wine can’t /​won’t carry, one of which I haven’t been able to find anywhere around here.
Its not huge, but the selection is good and the prices are lower than I expected for a specialty shop. I will absolutely be back, and perhaps next time I’ll take a look at the gourmet portion as well.

I’ve been going to Rick’s ever since I moved here 10 years ago learning about them from a friend. Not pretentious at all. You want a $ 8 bottle of wine, they will take you right to it. Want an $ 80 bottle, they have that as well.
Case and mixed case discounts and wine tasting every day. They have semi-​annual sales with 20% of cases (August and January I think) and the beer selection is good as well. I am fond of the Tres Monts.
Can’t go wrong at Ricks as everyone is friendly and a very non-​snooty atmosphere which is not common in most wine stores.

Always on the lookout for a good bottle of vino, I had to check out Rick’s. As others have Unilocaled, it was a Saturday afternoon, so they were pouring samples of wines and beer. I liked that. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly. A huge plus!
I also liked their wine selection. While not the largest selection in the area especially when compared to Total Wines, they had an eclectic one with many quality wines that I have not seen elsewhere. That said, in the instances where they carried a wine that was also available at Total Wines or Whole Foods, it was at least $ 2 more per bottle here. Not good.
The gourmet food was also limited. I wasn’t terribly impressed by the selection or quality. Whole Foods, Wegmans, Dean & Deluca, etc. would be a better bet for my money.
Rick’s isn’t a bad little wine shop. However, it wouldn’t be my first stop if I’m looking for a particular bottle of wine. Still, I’d definitely stop and shop here if Total Wines didn’t have anything that caught my eye!

I’ve been coming here, on occasion, for several years… but I’m finally getting around to writing a review! A great place to find a bottle of wine. A pretty decent place to find a bottle of beer. I’m in the target audience for that second statement.
A really good place to go in and, without feeling self-​conscious if you don’t know too much about beer/​wine, finding a great bottle to fit your taste and price range. The staff has always been very helpful.
Highly recommend!

great selection. great prices. incredibly knowledgeable staff. good amount of bottles in the $ 15−25/bottle range. Nice cheeses, pates and charcuterie also, again knowledgeable staff will help you pair meat and cheeses with the wine you pick.
Word to the wise: tell these people what you like in wine and what you price range is and let them pick it for you. You’ll get something interesting, on point with the flavor profile you wanted and they’ll likely tell you some tidbit about the wine or the winery that can be a conversation piece later.

A great shop with wonderful beer selection, and if they don’t have what you want in stock they will happily get some for you and email you when it comes in. When you ask questions they seem really excited to talk with you and help you find what you are looking for.

I come in to Rick’s when I need some obscure beers or unique wines. While the store isn’t huge, they have a very good selection of drinks from around the world. Their Friday and Saturday tastings (free!) are a great way to expand your taste palette.
Venturing to the back of the store reveals fresh baked breads and artisan meats and cheeses that will accompany your wine and beer nicely. The employees can help you pair the foods they sell or your menu at home with ease.
I definitely recommend this place.

Friendly staff helped me hunt down the perfect wine. if you want great wine outside of the supermarket, this is the place to go. check out the local virginia collection.

OK, Huge fan. I live just down the street and I found this place right away. Take out the guesswork it did.
Awesome selection of beer and wine, with its own gourmet shop in the back. I love this place. They have beer tasting every weekend and wine tastings daily. Parking is easy and their hours are great.
I am very serious about this place. Its not too much more than what youd expect to pay else where. The staff is knowlegable and they can search availability for you. I don’t really have any great feelings about the build your own six pack — so I guess you may have to go to a total wine or something.
Found my beer shoppe.

The wine tasting are a lot of fun and informative. The staff is pleasant. I had an awesome time watching Italy win the World Cup on a little tv there a few years ago.
They have a good selection of wines, a nice assortment of gourmet food items (including one of the only places I can get Chi-​cri crackers), and a large beer selection.
The cheese case in the back is ok. Selection is pretty limited. If I really want to get cheese — I go to cheesetique — but this is good if I’m picking up other things and only want a nibble of something. I will say — this is the only area though I’ve had an issue. On several occasions I’ve gotten a wedge of cheese cut that was substantially larger than I’d asked for — including almost twice what I wanted.
Otherwise — its a nice place and the staff is very helpful with recommendations but not pushy.

Rick’s was the first wine store we visited after moving to the area. Boy, did we pick the right place!
We moved from California so we always judge a wine store by how many selections they have from the Santa Inez Valley and Paso Robles. We happily found wines from Justin, Foley, and Tablas Creek. They also have a great selection of wines from Alsace and Burgundy, two of our favorite French regions.
Other than wine, we’ll also be back for the beer selection and mustard from Beaunne that my husband loves.
(They also have beer and wine tastings which we look forward to participating in soon.)

The BF and I happened upon Rick’s accidentally after a trip to Giant. I love wine shops because I’m weird like that, so naturally, I gravitated there.
Not only is there a really great selection of wine, but they also have a neat selection of snacks and deli treats. (They sell a brand of polish mustard there that I haven’t been able to find since moving from Chicago.) An added bonus was the beer selection too — they had Hofbrau Maibock which is one of my favorite spring ales (I got the last two six packs until next year).
We were promptly greeted by a staff member who told us her name and left us to browse. Then, we noticed the wine and beer tasting. Of course we stopped. The BF ended up in quite a conversation with the beer representative who was very knowledgable and friendly.
We came in simply to browse, but left after spending quite a bit of money. But we both agreed that we will definitely go back to Rick’s for wine and good beer.