Wine Depot

Had a chance to check out the Wine Depot recently (⁰⁵⁄₂₀₁₃) and I thought it deserves a decent review.
Upon entering the premise, which is rather plain from curbside, I was immediately homesick. Having lived in CA wine country for 5 years, the inside of WD reminds me of wine cellars I used to visit there. Although it lacks the distinctive wood barrel smell of a real wood fermentation cellar, the smell of wine and the temperature are unmistakable. To make this review a Reader’s Digest version, I will say that this is more like a boutique wine shop which carries German wines. The owner is from Germany, and is also the proprietor of the pottery business adjacent to WD. He seems to know his wines and offers interesting anecdotal information about different wines and the wine market. This, in itself, makes the tasting experience more interesting. Rather than saying the establishment has good wines because wine judging is very personal (much like music), I will say that the stuff I tasted seem of quality and left me without undesirable after tastes. This is significantly more than I can say for most wines I tasted at restaurants in town. The bast thing is you get to taste and find something to your liking before purchase — and this is how wine purchases should be. Be forewarned that you won’t find bargain $ 5.00 bottle of wines here. Most start at $ 20.00. But as the saying goes …“life is too short to drink bad wine”. Well. is it? You decide.

I have gone to the «Friday Wine Tasting» a few times and I really like this place. Tickets for the wine tasting are $ 5 if you buy them online and with that you get to try 4 – 6 different GOOD wines ($ 20+ bottles).
Overall the atmosphere in the shop is cool (literally, like 60 degrees F) and the people who work there are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to wines.
Right now I believe they are solely importing wines from all over Germany but they have had wine from other foreign places in the past (Spain, France, etc.).
Definitely check this place out if you are into or want to get into wine at all.

This place is great! With a lot of varieties of wine to try from all over the place, from Germany to Portuguese and more! I came here for a wine tasting event and met the wonderful Cyler who held the event that was found here on
itself! I’ll warn you, make sure you have time to sober up or have a DD because after 10 bottles of wine tasting you should be feeling pretty intoxicated, well I was that’s for sure! Cyler really knows his stuff and will tell you all you need to know about the wines. From the history and taste to what foods would be compatible with each one! They sometimes have sales on selected wines too! If there is any other wine tasting event in the future here, you can bet your bottom dollar I am there. I just love wine and I even met some other fellow wine fans as well here. In the end, it’s a great place to up your knowledge on wine, taste and even mingle and meet new people! I wish there was more places like this around town!

Whatttt, how does this place only have five reviews?!
I heard about this place via word of mouth on a few different occasions. They carry wines from small German growers, and are the only place in the US where you can buy them. Story has it that the owner travels the scenic country side of Germany every summer, fills a shipping crate with wine, and brings it back to America.
The wines are often delicious, and the guys who work here know what they are talking about, so much so that it is scary. Anyway, most of the wines range from $ 20 -$ 40 and are WELL worth the price. If you plan on staying for a tasting, a light jacket might be desired.
Everyone here on Unilocal who enjoys wine, needs to check this place out!
Like them on Facebook for occasional updates (weekly tastings, events, etc.)

No matter what level of wine knowledge you have, the folks at the Wine Depot will welcome you with open arms and will guide you to the perfect wine! Wine Depot specializes in small production German wine imports and is the only one of its kind in Tucson. The owner Frank, IS German and incredibly welcoming. WD is only open Friday-​Sunday and they schedule all kinds of great classes, events and of course the shop is open for people to stop by and make a purchase. Given the many people do not know that much about German wine, this place is truly an educational gem. The classes and tastings they offer are super informative, casual and always delicious. Sundays, tastings are free!
Wine shop is not an actual store like you would imagine a wine or beverage shop to be. In fact, the wine shop is the wine cellar and vice versa. This is also a one of a kind in Tucson! I love that the shop is the wine cellar. The wines are always kept at 58 degrees, so when you walk into this place, it’s going to be chilly!
Since they only import small production wines, they have a very limited and exclusive amount of each wine they import. Once it’s sold, it’s literally sold out. They will bring in the same brand but the vintage will be different.
I will echo Taralyn R’s sentiment that this place is not so expensive that you can’t shop here on a regular basis. Definitely sign up for their weekly e-​mail. Seriously. It’s ONE email with a ton of information, like SALES! And classes and exclusive wines they have coming in. They really do have incredible sales, anywhere from 25−50%.
And definitely, do stop by and taste the wines, get to know the owner Frank and Cyler who manages and teaches the classes. As you get to know what you like about wine, making a purchase becomes more fun and you’ll see that you really are getting a great value. As Taralyn R said: «You will feel even better while enjoying a glass of amazing German wine knowing that you paid a similar price for something 10 times better than what everyone else picked up at the grocery store.»
At the Wine Depot, there is no fluff and snobbery. You simply get great people, excellent and totally pure wines and a personalize experience of shopping at local business that you won’t get at a big box store.

My New Year’s resolution for 2013 wasn’t to get in shape, to spend more time with family and friends, or any of the usual stuff. Mine was to learn everything possible about wine. At first, I was a little discouraged, scouring the internet for wine events in Tucson, but then I stumbled upon the Wine Depot’s ‘Winter of Pinot’ events, which included tastings, classes and pairing events. Even though I wasn’t sure what to expect, I bought a ticket to pretty much everything they had going on for the months of January and February, and boy, have I had a crash course in all things wine! Now knowing that I’ve spent a good deal of time at 55 degrees so far this year, here’s my review of each wine experience the Wine Depot has to offer.
Wine Classes. Wine has always been my drink of choice, but I realized very quickly that there is an amazing amount to learn about smelling, tasting, and drinking wine that will forever change the way I enjoy a glass of good (or bad) vino. Each class I have attended, which has been more than 10, has been taught by Cyler, who as Maggie K. pointed out, has «a clearly consuming passion that is contagious, and not at all stuffy or snobby.» Cyler is more than willing to adjust his classes based on the group, answering any and all questions without hesitation using his vast knowledge of growing, making, and drinking wine. While the Winter of Pinot events have come to a close, I am counting down the days till their ‘Summer of Riesling’ events start up.
Weekly Tastings. These are an amazing value and vary in theme Friday-​Sunday and week to week. Currently, Sunday’s are free to taste five of their wines. Friday’s and Saturday’s usually have a theme and are well worth the $ 5-​$ 10. If you aren’t interested in committing 2 hours to a class and just want to drop in and see what this place is all about, I suggest attending a themed tasting lead by either Cyler or Frank. These are drop-​in style and informal, but still very informative and gives you the ability to discover just what kinds of wine you do (and don’t) like. For example, as Gail S. described, «Frank was incredibly knowledgeable and suggested interesting parings.»
Walk in and buy stuff. The Wine Depot is open 12 – 7 Fri-​Sunday, however you will have a more personal experience if you walk in during times when there isn’t a tasting or class going on simultaneously. After reading through the other reviews, I have to make the point that this place is not so expensive that you can’t shop here on a regular basis. The key is to add yourself to their mailing list so that you can be alerted when they are having 25−50% off sale or other clearance event (which is often). Come for the tastings and events, figure out what your favorites are without buying a whole bottle of all their wines, and then play your cards right. You will feel even better while enjoying a glass of amazing German wine knowing that you paid a similar price for something 10 times better than what everyone else picked up at the grocery store. Plan it right, and you could be just as happy as Jennifer P., who walked out with «two of (her) six wines (for) only $.99 each.»
Why not German? Like Becki G pointed out, «Forget what you think you know about German wines. There’s always an open bottle at the Depot, waiting there to school you, waiting to win you over with freshness, vibrancy, and good, clean, yummy flavor.» Don’t let others tell you all Germany has to offer is Riesling, or that everything is sweet. There are standard wines, like Cab and Pinot, but there are grape varietals here that you will have never heard of before, ranging from bone dry to desert wine, and you will love them even more than your go to wine. My recommendations: Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Regent, Trocken (dry) Riesling, Tesch Riesling,

This place is different in that it has wines that are kept at the proper temperature. This is rare in the business and a good thing.
For the wine novice, I recommend this store, it is a learning experience.
The wine selection is esoteric and just because it is, doesn’t guarantee quality. There have been several wines I’ve tasted here that I would rate 80. There have been a few winners as well. This range in quality is more than I would expect from an experienced wine importer. Some wines are spectacular but others are dull and lacking richness.

Worst part of a tasting at the Wine Depot is this realization: «wow, I’ve been drinking shit.»
Forget what you think you know about German wines. There’s always an open bottle at the Depot, waiting there to school you, waiting to win you over with freshness, vibrancy, and good, clean, yummy flavor.
Knowledgeable staff will pour you a taste, answer your questions, pair your wines w/​dinner, and carry your purchase out to your vehicle. This is a Tucson gem.

This place is an experience and an education. They’re only open for select hours (recently extended to Fri-​Sun 12 – 7). We originally stumbled in during hours they weren’t supposed to be open after buying a Living Social deal. As luck would have it, there was a tasting going on. It was a selection of reds that day, and we were truly impressed by the selection, and the knowledgeable discussion about the wine with Frank, Cyler and the other patrons. It was clear that several of our fellow tasters were regulars, and the staff knew their personal tastes well. Emboldened by our living social deal, we splurged on a really nice bottle that we plan to save for a special occasion.
On subsequent visits, I’ve tasted more amazing wines (all German, all hand-​selected and imported by Frank in small quantities), and whenever I ask a question, or ask for a recommendation, Cyler has taken us around the store, describing different wines with a clearly consuming passion that is contagious, and not at at all stuffy or snobby. It’s truly hard to not find a way to justify splurging on a nice bottle of something almost every time I go in, so that now we’re building up a nice collection of special occasion wines. I should probably mark each one with the advice given upon purchase (how long should you let it age? How long before drinking should you open it, and in what conditions?) before I forget.
This is not a place that I can afford to get «every day wines,» for that, I’ll stick to cheapo bottles at TJs until the day comes when Wine Depot has developed my palate too much to keep drinking the cheap schlock.
This could get expensive.

Today is Friday after all… It’s been a long week, and my husband and I were in the mood for a wine tasting! We went to Wine Depot for the first time, as we had seen the wine tasting events that were posted at
and also on Unilocal.Additionally, we had a living social certificate, that Wine Depot offered this week ($ 15 for $ 30 of wine).
Let me preface this review by saying that if you’re expecting a fancy location, think again. As it says in other reviews– the location is one of the most unattractive and unassuming wine shops I’ve ever been to. (It’s next to Pottery Blow Out on Grant, just west of Alvernon, which– in my opinion is one of the most difficult intersections to navigate in the whole city)! Alas, if you can get safely off Grant Road, and get in the door– that’s where you leave Tucson and all its glorious potholes behind, and you enter German wine country– thanks to Frank Lietzau, the shop’s owner, who is from Germany.
I read the other reviews, and maybe at one time they did have wines from other regions, but currently they only carry German wines. My experience with German wines hasn’t been the greatest, so when I heard that statement upon our entrance, I breathed an automatic sigh of disappointment. Well… I was WRONG! These wines are phenomenal, and well worth the prices.
This evening, Frank was sampling four whites and one red. We tried all four of the whites. The first one was, as Frank put it– a «Riesling hybrid,» which was my least favorite. It was a dry wine, but flat. The second one was a dry sauvignon blanc, which was tart, crisp, and wonderful. The third was a dry riesling, which was an amazing value for $ 20 per bottle. The fourth was another riesling– this one sweet, that I didn’t much care for. He saved the piece de resistance for last– a single vineyard Pinot Noir that was out of this world! It was $ 52 per bottle, but better than any Oregon Pinot I’ve tried.
The deal with this place is that they’re only open on Saturday from 11 – 6. Apparently this 4 – 6 PM Friday wine tasting must be a new thing. (?) I ended up buying two bottles. A Pinot from the same winery as the single vineyard: Weingut Bercher-​Burkheim at $ 31 per bottle, and a full bodied Cuvee Cabernet blend: Eberbach-​Schafer for $ 39 per bottle. I only know the names of the vineyards from the labels, otherwise– since they are in German, I’d never be able to remember them.
I didn’t find any attitude here (as was mentioned in one of the other reviews), aside from one of product knowledge and passion. I thought that Frank was approachable, and very willing to talk about his business, and also to impart knowledge about German wines. I would highly recommend Wine Depot if you’re looking for exceptional wines that you literally CAN’T find anywhere in Tucson. Not even at Total Wine. These wines are hand selected by the owner, who makes barrel tasting trips to Germany, and only brings back his favorites. It’s a total niche wine concept in Tucson. The only reason I can’t seem to bring myself to give it 5 stars is the location.

I really enjoy the Wine Depot. You can have a terrific time in there looking at wines from Europe that you’ve never seen before and getting in-​depth, knowledgeable explanations from the staff. One or two of the staff are a little pretentious, but they are still experienced and can help you find something that is terrific and fits you very well. The tastings are my favorite part. Every day, let me say that again, every day they have a handful of bottles open to try a taste. The styles vary widely, and I’ve had a couple of things I’d never heard of before. The space is less than spectacular, but it has a very «wine cellar» feel to it. It’s quite functional and in a central location, too. Not even five minutes from my place, which is a little dangerous.

Wine depot is one of those institutions that makes life worth living in the old pueblo. Frank, the owner, is importing some truly outstanding wines from Germany and Italy that you cannot find anywhere else in the US. He also has a few quality/​reasonably priced French whites (Sancerre, Bergerac, Vouvray, etc but no Burgundy. These are the kinds of wines that are structured, pure unadulterated, crisp clear flavors of fruit without the oak and sugar that spoils so may of the wines that are produced in and imported to the US. It is the one and only destination for such wines in Tucson. And if that wasn’t enough, Frank is a true wine aficionado who is in equal parts passionate and knowledgeable about his product. Prices are relatively high but ultimately acceptable given the quality and uniqueness of the product (in the context of Tucson’s dismal wine scene). There are at least two dozen options for wines under $ 20 but nothing under $ 15. Last but not least, he keeps all of his wines in a dark and cool place that provides you with added assurance that the wines he sells have been well taken care of. If you appreciate the ‘old world’ style of wine-​making, than look no further than wine depot. And please note: I have lived in tucson since 2001 and have bought wines from Plaza, Total WIne, AJs, Feast, Hacienda de Sol, BevMo, and Rum Runner. The only retailer that approximates Wine Depot is Hacienda Del Sol but in recent years the management there has taken draconian steps in cutting back on their wine collection so they are no longer a viable option. Wine depot is the one and only destination for those with an «old world» palate. It is not the place for those seeking a «bang for their buck». It is for those who know about wine, who aspire to know about wine and/​or who place value on craftsmanship, «terroir», and continuitites of tradition in wine making.