Hi-Time Wine Cellars

Category:	Liquor Store
Address:	250 Ogle St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627, USA
Phone:	+1 949-650-8463
Site:	hitimewine.net
Rating:	4.8
Working:	9AM–8PM 9AM–8PM 9AM–8PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 10AM–7PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 8

Drew McCrary

Hi-Time makes me feel like Im out in the middle of the desert, about to die of thirst; I tell myself I can make it over one sand dune, and low and behold, an oasis appears as I take my final steps. Is it an oasis? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Yet, this is no illusion- Hi-Times delivers. Now you might be asking, "who would want wine after being out in the desert about to die of dehydration?" Well, if youve ever had a deliciously refreshing sparkling Rose, prosecco, or maybe even a German Riesling, you might just get it. Hi Times boasts an impressive collection of both Old and New World wines, along with a wine bar that hosts a myriad of different wine events. And if you can track down a staff person, youll get a lot of fantastic recommendations. But lets say you dont like wine. Fair enough, I dont begrudge you that. Fret not, there is a truly impressive craft beer selection (we are talking full walk in freezers worth), a solid cigar selection, and tons of your hard alcohol needs (russian standard vodka seems to be perpetually on sale here). I find that their top shelf liquors are actually very reasonable, so pick up a 15 year French Oak Glennlivet and a sixer of Abita, and life is good. Oh, and dont forget the cheeses! 5 Stars

Trina D.

Walking into Hi-Time, I am hit with the feeling of deja vu. Of course, Id been here long ago when I was visiting a friend in OC during the summer break from UCLA. Of course, back then I had no appreciation for wine nor spirits. Fast forward a few years and now Im a member of a wine club and I consider myself a vinophile. Hi-Time has an amazing staff. On Tuesdays, they offer $10 wine tastings from 6 pm to 8 pm. Thats a great deal. They have cheese you can buy and crackers for you should you need some nibbles while sipping all that wine. There are 6 tastings usually at the standard 2 oz pour. If youre on a first name basis with the bartender, then maybe theyll let you try something off menu. They even have one of those self-serve wine dispensers. They have just about everything and anything you can think of in terms of liquor. Think of it as the Costco of liquor stores but with better selection. If youre looking for an obscure wine or beer, they probably have it in stock or can order it for you if its not already sold out from the distributor. Its better than that chain BevMo because its locally owned. The store has character and history. Ill definitely be back for more wine or liquor and tastings.

Sonal Patel

WOW. Just WOW. Im speechless when it comes to writing this review, because as a huge wine lover, this place blew my mind. I came here after a friend from Texas recently told me about it. They have such an amazing and vast selection of wine to choose from. I cant tell you what a huge understatement that previous sentence was. Im such a champagne snob and I have a huge crush on international red wines - preferably South American, Spanish and Italian. YUM! While its hard for me to find some good Brunellos, Carmeneres and Barolos - this place had plenty for me to choose from and in a price range that could suit my budget. Their wine celler is just incredible. They do have an area where you can sit and wine taste via the automated wine dispensers...super cool! They also have some events throughout the month, which I am definitely coming back in for a visit. I cant believe I didnt know about this place sooner. Looks like Ill need to upgrade to a bigger wine fridge reallllllll soooonnn.....

Amy K

had the worst experience, terrible customer service and did not cater to us at all. A friend and I ordered a keg for our birthday party. we picked up the keg about 3 hours before the party. the person who helped us load the keg told us to wait an hour to an hour and half to tap it so it wouldnt be foamy. we waited 2.5 hours to tap it and the keg was still foamy throughout the party. Not only was the keg foamy but the taste was terrible. our party of 50 guests didnt even drink a quarter of the keg. When we went to return the keg a few days later hoping to get a refund for the poor tasting beer, the employees were nothing but rude to us. They said we should have brought it back day of but we were hosting a party that day. the manager left us in the front for 15 mins while he went back to "try it" despite the keg being in the sun for a few days, said it tasted fine. overall, we were very disappointed and will not be returning.

martin ray

I cannot speak enough praise about Hi-Time. Initially I had bought a magnum of 97 Palmes Dor. We have had this vintage on a previous occasion and fell in love with it. The magnum was intended to be our special bottle for New Years Eve. When New Years Eve came around we finally opened the bottle. Much to our disappointment, the bottle was corked. No effervescence and a strong vinegar taste confirmed this. We contacted them about the bottle not expecting anything in return but more or less just letting them know there may be an issue with the remaining stock they had. I received an email back from the CEO stating that they apologized for the bottle not being drinkable and that they would give me a store credit equivalent to my original purchase price. Theyve earned my business by having amazing customer service!

Raven S.

I have been buying from Hi-Time Wine Cellars for 4 years now and could not be more pleased with their prices, selection and service. I recently ordered a couple of cases and one bottle came arrived broken. I took a bunch of photos of the box and bottle thinking it would be a hassle trying to convince them indeed the bottle arrived broken. NOT AT ALL! I called, gave my order number and explained what happened and they shipped me the last bottle they had at no cost to me! This was no bottle of Jack either, it was a rare, expensive bottle and without hesitation they made it right. A tip of the cap to yall over at Hi-Time Wine Cellars! I will continue to enjoy doing business with you in the future.

Beth Austin

This place is awesome. I consider myself a wine and spirits snob and this is my happy place. Literally have everything you could possibly want. Liquor in all sizes, 50mL-1.75L. Their wine selection is superior to anything Ive ever seen anywhere else. Their online inventory is amazing, so check their website before going in (even though they are very likely going to have it). Customer service was okay. I wondered for about 10min before being asked if I needed help. But honestly was so mesmerized by everything it didnt bother me. This is my go-to liquor store. (I think its better than the other two major chain stores you can find in OC.)

Dan Leibson

Good selection, but the customer service is atrocious. There are several guys who are the beer & liquor gatekeepers and they will not let you buy limited edition stuff that they have unless you are in their little club. They order it, hold it off the floor and only make it available to their friends. Even though I have spent thousands of dollars here over the years my money doesnt spend good enough compared to their buddies. I can buy regular shelf beer and liquor anywhere, and with a policy like that it wont be from you ever again.