Village Wines

My favorite thing about Village Wines is that Hoyt remembers me and what my wine preferences are. This is priceless for people who are very busy. Hoyt sends out emails about new things in stock, I peruse the email, make a call with my selections and the wines are held for me to pick up at my convenience. I once bought a case of rare champagne from another large liquor store in town, only to find that when I went to pick it up, it had been ""mistakenly"" put on the shelf as stock because a friend of one the employees wanted one of the bottles. I have never been back. When I order from Hoyt, I know I'm getting a good deal and that the wine will be there when I can get by to pick it up. He has always been very nice and knowledgeable. I hope they stick around for a long, long time. more

It's so great to have my own wine guy who introduces me to all kinds of interesting wines that suit my budget. Go see Hoyt and get on his mailing list. Shoot him an email and he'll have your case waiting for you. I always tell him what we're cooking and appreciate his spot-on pairing suggestions. I also love to give custom mixed cases of wine as gifts. Hoyt is the best. more

I live in Brentwood. While there are several Wine shoppes near my home, I will travel to Hoyt Hill's ""Village Wines"" because everyone who works there has class, I am treated as a valued member of the community, and not the least to say - this is where to go for wine not readily available around town. When looking for a famous wine or a great wine for under $20.00 - shop here - sign up for the emails - you get a special price for mentioning the email - it's a better price than listed on the shelf on the store. Hoyt, his staff and his family (who also work in the shop from time to time) will treat you right. So the moral of the story is that when people tell lies about you, it is because they are jealous of you...pray for them, they need your mercy more than you need their truthfulness. SHOP at VILLAGE WINES. more

If you're looking to explore the world of wine, then a local wine shop with tested advice is what you need. What I love about Village Wines is the ability to find gems from around the world--and, many of them at great prices. Also, you can't go wrong with the great bargains offered thru the email list. more

The first two posts are not worthy of belief, and who knows what the posters' agendas are. Go to Village Wines for great, friendly and knowledgeable service. Be sure to sign up for the email distribution re daily wine deals. You can find interesting wines at all of the price points as well as hard to find wines for the true oenophile. more

This is the best wine store in town, hands down. I've bought more $8 wine here than $80, and I've bought a lot of both, with equally gracious assistance. Staff always offers to carry my wine to the car, and Hoyt's knowledge--yep, he's usually there--is without compare. Sure, it's a different store, and yes, there are opinions to be had and shared, but isn't that what a good shopper is looking for? more

This store has a lot of great wines in a range of prices. The owner tries them all, so can tell you something about each one. I like getting good wines at good prices, so finding a really good everyday wine for $6-8 is great, but there are also some great special occasion wines below $20. I love getting notice of special deals via the emails, so I recommend signing up for that. Just saw two negative reviews, and I must say I have never seen any such treatment at Village Wines. more

Just wanted to say a big Thanks to Hoyt and his staff for their wonderful generosity to the city of Nashville. They support so many of the charities here including 50 Forward. If you are not on their email blast get on it now. Always interesting and full of wonderful recommendations for wine. ALL price ranges are included so you can easily figure out what to buy for what occasion. I love being able to email the store and then drop by to pick up my order which is ready and waiting. more

I love Village Wines. Their staff is very knowledgeable and great at recommending good wines in any price range. What I like best is Hoyt's daily email deal of the day - always a low production, great tasting wine at a great price. I will usually take advantage of one of these deals a week and buy a few bottles and have never been disappointed. The staff has never been anything but helpful and courteous - which makes me question some of the negative postings on here. more

I visited Village Wines attempting to buy champagne in a certain price range. I understand from reading other reviews that this is a specialty wine store where people are usually comfortable spending more money, and come to seek the advice of a knowledgeable owner. However, I didn't know this at the time and was just looking for something simple on a budget. When I entered the store, the only employee was on the phone (a personal call) and did not acknowledge me or make any attempt to help. I do not know if this was the owner or another employee. I did not find what I wanted, and beyond that noticed that the prices were higher than at other stores I had visited in the area for brands I was familiar with. So, I decided not to buy anything and left the store. During that time, I had no interaction at all with the employee because he was on the phone. I then started walking to a store in the same strip mall that I needed to visit, at which point the employee emerged from the store, still on the phone, and proceeded to curse me out in the presence of my wife, calling me a ""Little S""it"" (I am a 25 year old graduate student) and making liberal use of the F-word. From reading other reviews, it does not appear he reserves this treatment for men. If I was a women visiting alone, I would have been particularly threatened. Village Wines is in a popular part of town with limited parking, and apparently, they are VERY touchy about parking in front of the store if you aren't going to buy anything. I understand this in retrospect, but I still think being nice is a better way to handle things and I would have gladly moved my car if asked to do so. Beyond that, the lot in front of the store was not full at the time and there were at least 20 empty spaces - I wasn't keeping anyone from shopping at the store. I informed the employee in my defense that I was planning to buy something, but he didn't have it and I thought his prices were too high. This was very insulting to him. He thought I had come in as a ruse to use the parking space and shop elsewhere. If he hadn't been on the phone, he might have known better. He then yelled ""What did you say to me!?"" in a threatening manner. How dare I question him and his store, the ""best sommelier in Nashville!?"" I seriously thought, and still do, that this employee (or owner) is crazy enough to do something stupid, so I left. But I would NEVER GO HERE. Don't support a store that operates with this level of disrespect for its customers, particularly a wine store that depends on customer service. Apparently this is a good store if you are willing to put up with the owner's B.S., but I'm not and I don't think it's right to support someone who operates that way. It seems there are enough wine snobs without sufficient respect for themselves to keep this guy in business. It's sad. From reading some of the other reviews, it seems that employees are particularly rude and threatening to young people or people who don't look like they have the money or sophistication ""required"" to shop here. I'm not sure what this means, because I'm as clean cut as they come and visited with my wife who looks the same. In any event, this pisses me off. No matter how rich or ""sophisticated"" I become later in life, I am not going back to Village Wines. more

Wow, I have never had an experience this horrifying in my life- I was just in the store, asked a question about a bottle of whiskey to which I received, ""I don't know"" as an answer. As if that weren't bad enough, he followed me into the package store next door and proceeded to curse me out because I do not have respect for my elders. I will never go back and will encourage all of my friends to boycott this establishment. TERRIBLE!! more

When you want to give that unique wine as a gift, go to a party, or for my home, what a place to shop. more

As another reviewer wrote, don't go here for hugs. Do go for one of the nation's most knowledgeable proprietors. Sign up for Hoyt's email offers which feature truly exceptional wines at attractive prices. Pros: lots of great wines at good prices Cons: lots of emails more

I have been a customer of Village Wines for years and have always found great wine and spirits there. Hoyt's superior knowledge of wine and spirits comes from constant research and his vast experience. Only the best offerings in each price category make this a real find. Industry rated one of the top wine shops in the country. Don't be shy. Ask for help if you need it. They truly want you to be a regular customer. And please don't pay too much attention to the negative reviews on this site about service. As a store owner if you approach everyone, you are hovering and too attentive and if you don't, you risk ignoring them. Pros: only the best in each price category Cons: more a boutique than a large wine & spirits store more

Hoyt understands wine and he understands value. I never hesitate to accept his advice and recommend his shop unequivocally. Pros: regular email communication more

I met Hoyt at a wine tasting at F.Scott's that he hosts I believe. I now go at anytime I possibly can at $10 a tasting. You can order the wines you taste there through him and VillageWines as well as get on his mailing list. I am a growing wine enthusiast at 28 years old and really appreciate Hoyt. He will take the time to chat in the store on questions I may have, like what is a Solera?... which I had bought there. As well as recommendations like how I should invest in a wine cooler... which I did to have perfectly 50 degree stored wine. It's not only an amazing wine store, but a place I trust their opinion and appreciate their thoughtfullness which both as extremely important in the wine world! Pros: really takes care of my wine needs and questions Cons: I live in Murfreesboro and it's in Nashville more

If you're just looking to grab a bottle and go this may not be the shop for you. BUT if you're looking for a consistent selection of new wines at great prices this IS the shop that tops all others in Nashville. The key? Get on Hoyt's email list. He'll keep you informed 7-10 times a week on new wines he is bringing in. His knowledge can be trusted. And every wine he offers through his emails is discounted. I visit Napa/Sonoma twice a year and buy while I'm there. I'm a member of three wine clubs. I rarely buy something I haven't tasted or read about in Wine Spectator or Enthusiast (subscribe to both). 90% of everything I buy locally is from Hoyt. Village Wines is for the wine buyer that really cares about the WINE and not how much he/she can drink to get plastered. Pros: Consistent new selction at great prices Cons: smaller in-store selection more

VW is Nashville's unique place to purchase wine, especially for those wanting to get off the well beaten path of California Cabs/Chardonnays or Australian bulk wine.\r \r Their business model works best for the case shopper that signs up for the frequent newsletters. Hoyt searches through the major wine reviewers and offers highly rated wines along with their reviews before they reach the store. Customers can place their order and pick the wine up in the next few days. By doing so, he is able to take advantage of economies of scale and offer great wines at a reduced price without the overhead of a large floor stock.\r \r Most of the negative reviews cited here concern the staff demeanor. I've been there over a hundred times and 90% of the time find them engaging and helpful. Hoyt can be occasionally moody, but then so can I. I have always found Raymond to be gracious and concerned that I have a positive shopping experience. Pros: Unique selection Cons: Not for the Yellowtail shopper more

A great place to get the right wine whether you are looking for some of the worlds greatest wines or excellent wine at the right price for everyday or for a party. If you want to learn something about wine and make your wine experience even more enjoyable, you have to attend some of the tastings Hoyt organizes. For about 10 bucks, you get the opportunity to taste some wonderful wines and learn about how they are made. Pros: Expert help, source for hard to find & exc value wine. more

Hoyt has the best e-mail list in town. He offers a vast array of wines in all price ranges. He also holds the best wine tastings in town as well. His tastings are very educational and provide an opportunity to try wines that I otherwise would not have had the chance to try. Pros: e-mail list; wine tastings more