McCarthy & Schiering Wine Merchants

M&S was the first Washington wine shop I ever walked into when I found myself a sudden transplant to the Evergreen State three years ago. They sold me my first bottle of wine in the state (a nice Greco di Tufo, thanks for asking), and since then I’ve been to dozens of tastings, bought dozens of bottles for myself and others and stopped by out of the blue to ask for wine advice, well, dozens of times and not once have I ever been ignored, dismissed or talked down to. So, I’m surprised by the reviews that mention rudeness or unhelpfulness on the part of the staff; that hasn’t been my experience at all.
In every respect, except maybe size, this is an ideal store. It’s one of the smaller spaces in the world of Seattle wine shops, so that means that there’ll be some limits on selection, but they try to have a little something available from most everywhere. It’s best not to go in with too rigid an idea of what you want to buy, but it’s a great place to find that special, serendipitous bottle that you wouldn’t have thought of without seeing. They use their space well, too, and the sheer number of bins and bottles gives the place that «real» wine shop feel. I’ve already shared my views on the helpfulness of the staff, but I’ll add that their wine knowledge is off the charts. The smartest thing I’ve ever done there is to ask a simple question and then shut up and listen to them talk. And a final point about the staff: Several times I’ve come in to buy something for someone else (usually a birthday bottle for my partner) armed with no more than a general idea of what I wanted and a price point. Every time I’ve done that they’ve taken the time to ask me more questions and then steer me to what they thought was a solid bottle usually well below what I was willing to spend. What more could you want?
As I mentioned, they’ve got great tastings as well as an informative newsletter. They’re also a great hookup to special events and wine-​related services (we found our wine storage place through their recommendation). The Buyers Club is also a fantastic deal for discounts. Really, what more could you want?

I can’t say I know a lot about wine, but to have the staff rub that in was a disappointment. I love good reds, have tasted some delicious Washington wines, and went in to purchase a decent wine for a Friday night at home with my sweetie. The staff member who helped me out was snooty and brusk. I asked for a recommendation and it was clear that she believed anyone in their right mind would only purchase a French wine. To a casual wine drinker, she was terrible at customer service. I’m sure they have a great selection of wines and that they know their stuff, but as a small business owner myself, I understand good customer service. I can’t say I would go back after that brief but disappointing encounter.

Hmmm. Must be a hit-​or-​miss place. I thought the service was just fine, but wine selection did nothing for me. It was disjointed. I was with a friend who wanted big American reds — and there just wasn’t any I could safely recommend in an everyday price range. How do you not have great reds for under $ 20 when you’re a wine shop in WA state? Organization of the wine didn’t make any sense to me either.
Champagne selection was okay, so at least there’s that.

Was surprised with one of the negative reviews about their service. I’ve always had great service here. They’re not overly friendly, but I’m the type that gets pretty annoyed when someone is in my face as soon as I walk in a shop so… If you enjoy wine, I’d become a member. It’s worth every penny of the onetime $ 100 fee. If you ever need help pairing with a meal, I’ve never been steered wrong. I’d give them 5 stars if they had a few more less expensive bottles.

As a nearby-​neighbor, I had been buying wine at McCarthy & Schiering for 5 years. Their selection is fantastic, but their staff is outwardly rude. Through my many trips I’ve experienced everything from not being helped with a question while the sales people are chatting, to being told outright that I will have to wait to be rung up while they help customers with larger orders first. I’ve decided that I’d rather drive to City Cellars in Wallingford where the selection is just as good and the staff is actually friendly, than walk to McCarthy & Schiering!

This is a wonderful little wine shop! I went to their weekly free tasting today and tried 3 different whites and 3 reds. We had a couple that we liked and one of my friends bought a bottle of Argentinian wine.
The ONLY disappointment I experienced was that we got way smaller pours than everybody else. I get that the others could have been regulars and they all looked 40+ (while we are in our twenties), but we’re still new customers. Don’t they want to grab our interest now and have us become loyal customers for many years to come?

McCarthy & Schiering is a local hole in the wall wine shop that you would easily overlook and pass right by on your way down 65^th if it wasn’t for the gigantic wine bottles in the window. This respected local retailer isn’t about making an impression with its storefront but instead with its wines. The selection isn’t vast so if you’re looking for warehouse type quantities then M & S is not your spot. But if you’re hoping to find high quality over quantity then M & S is definitely for you.
The wines available include several premium Washington producers and a mix of various California and Oregon wines, but their real strength lies in French wines. But if you’re looking for something specific and can’t find it on the shelf the staff is more than willing to track that down for you. Or, if you are hoping for a suggestion that’s their specialty with each staff member well versed in the various wine regions on which they specialize.
If you haven’t visited the shop yet then there are two reasons why you should. One is their great buyer’s club. Pay $ 100 and become a member for life, receiving a 15−17% discount (depending if you pay with credit or cash/​check) on most every bottle of wine available, at either location. Some wines are already marked as low as they can go. Second, is their weekly Saturday tasting. Each Saturday M & S offers free tasting to visiting patrons, often poured by the winemaker themselves. Try the wine and if you like get a bottle autographed by the winemaker. These make for a great gift or topic of conversation around the dinner table.