The RumRunner

This is my neighborhood spot. They have a well curated wine selection. They offer wine tastings on the 1^st Saturday of each month. For beer, there have a handful of coolers stocked with all my favorites, including local breweries. They offer selections from local distilleries, including Del Bac. Very friendly service. Oh, and did I mention that they have a cheese counter too!

Excellent selection of spirits, wine, and beer and gourmet foods. I enjoy being a repeat customer. Tom and Jenny are always nice to deal with and always have good recommendations when I need it, usually for wine for gifts.

After today I will NEVER shop at Rum Runner again, and I encourage others not to as well.
Let me tell you a little story about a man (a relative of mine) who happens to be a wine collector. This man regularly shops for wine at Rum Runner to add to his collection because they tend to carry some of the wines that aren’t carried at the big box stores like BevMo and Total Wine, and aren’t from the vineyards he regularly visits & has relationships with.
Today he decided to pay a visit and see what is new at Rum Runner. He was perusing the store for a little while, and indeed found about $ 300+ worth of wine that he intended to purchase but before he could, the owner, that’s right I said OWNER, approached him and accused him of making her feel uncomfortable and asked him to LEAVE THE STORE!!!
Keep in mind this is a well dressed adult man, not some teenager, or homeless person who wandered in off the street. He is also a regular, who has been purchasing wine, tequila and scotch from Rum Runner for several years. He never even spoke a word to her, or anyone else. He was merely shopping!
Just because he was there for a while looking around DOES NOT mean he is a bad person!!!
I refuse to give my business to a place that is so grossly judgmental to their own customers.
It is really just Rum Runners loss. If you continue to treat your customers this way, you will continue to lose them! Have fun with that!

I rarely write reviews except when I receive exceptional service. I went into the store with a $ 250 gift certificate to buy wine for our July 4^th party. I don’t know much about wine which I explained to the owner. It was amazing the time he spent with me explaining what would be good.
Not only did we chat about the wine but also the history behind the restaurant.
Great owner, amazing selection (bought some great beer and vodka as well), and just a great experience. This will forever be my go to store!

RumRunner has FREE wine tastings the first Saturday of each month. They pour 12 (yes, you saw that correctly!) wines from 1−4pm. As you taste you can wander through their inventory. The atmosphere is nice, and the staff is very knowledgable.

I complained and the owner made things right.

Began going to Rumrunner in Tucson at the recommendation of a friend and am so glad I checked out this local independent wine, liquor & specialty shop! I walked in & asked management to recommend a good wine $ 20 or under for a dinner with friends. Jen recommended 3 right off from $ 11 up to my max price point. I browsed the nicely laid out store, which has great specialty snacks, chocolate bars, condiments, spreads & a well-​stocked cheese, smoked meat & pâté counter. Ended up with a rich firm goat cheese and a slice of chicken liver truffle pâté to add to the host gift. Has become my go-​to for host/​hostess gifts, & a few client gifts, as well!
BTW — — their price point isn’t that different from Total Wines, plus, the wine selection from off-​the-​beaten track areas is a differentiator, & Rumrunner’s case prices are a good deal. It’s easier to get in and out of than a mall parking lot & I can feel good about supporting a local independent business.
Also recommend: their in-​house bistro The DIsh.

First time I went in was today, and right when I walked in I fell in love with the atmosphere and environment. It feels classic like the 20’s jazz age. I met one of the partners named Tom. He was SO helpful and informative. I’m young (22 yrs) and don’t quite know my preferences yet, and he recommended a wine (Roscato Rosso Dolce) and even offered to go back and see if he had it chilled for me. and he did :) I LOVE this place. Soooo nice. I regret not going in sooner!!!

Horrible customer service– rude and pretentious! Give me a break– this is Tucson NOT the Hamptons! If you want to serve only whites say so. I would much rather know I’m not welcome BEFORE going inside-​get with the times Rum Runner!

Words cannot express how crazy pretentious and off-​putting this place is. It’s like they hate having customers or answering questions. The owner is the worst of it, puts on this affected, sardonic manner, and so probably sets the tone. Their staff knows next to nothing about wines, or scotch, or tequila, or pairings, etc. Which is incredible considering their prices, especially with Total Wine and Bevmo, but might be okay if they weren’t so snooty and crabby. I mean just to stay local. I do that with Plaza Liquors but they really know their stuff without the attitude. Really, it’s like they can’t stand people. On the plus side they are very easy to workaround with big stores, Plaza, and online but it’s a shame if you’re trying to stay local that some of these places make it so difficult.

Great independent wine and spirits shop! They have a great selection of wines from known and off-​the-​beaten track regions. And their spirits portfolio includes a good amount of craft and artisanal options. Sure, prices are a bit more expensive than the large box stores. But it’s worth it to support a local biz and to be able to find smaller producers.

Good selection and knowledgeable staff. It’s a gourmet food store and can’t compete with Total wines anymore than any small business can compete with Walmart. But you get cheeses and luxury food items from high end suppliers.
If you enjoy unusual and not so unusual foods give them a look.

I have been here a bit lately, and I must say I am a fan. They have a nice selection of beer and liquor, and Madre de Dios, the cheese and espresso. I like the prices, and everything that they have there.
I have had encounters with two employees thus far. One, a gentleman, is awesome! They were out of something I was grabbing for my dad, but he was super helpful in trying to explain to me other options that were similar. He has also helpful in telling about other drinks I could make with whatever I am buying. He remembers who I am, is very friendly, and asks about whatever I bought the last time I was in to see if I liked it. I thoroughly enjoy going in to RumRunner when he is working, because I know that I will receive top notch service and help.
But, the reason for the 4 and not five stars, there is one woman there who sort of defines snob. Every time I have gone in, I look incredibly grubby, because I have usually finished washing the dogs, cleaning the house, doing yard work, etc. Today I went in in shorts, a grubby tank top and a bandana. I was hoping the fellow was there. She has always cut off my sentences, tried to get me out as fast as possible, never asks if I need help, and whenever I go up to the counter to pay, busies herself with something else so I know where I stand in my lack of chic-​ousity. Literally, this afternoon, I went in to grab some beer, and she didn’t acknowledge my presence. Then, a woman walked in, looking fabulous, and she was all smiles and «Oh hello! Will you be dining with us, or are you just browsing?» I thought to myself, «really? Does grub make it necessary to give me second class service?»

I love Rum so when I found out there’s a place called the Rum Runner I had to check it out. I didn’t know if it was a bar, liquor store or restaurant. (This was preYELP days). When I walked in & saw all the wine I was a little intimidated. Back then I hadn’t been to a wine tasting & picked my wine by price divided by how pretty was the label. If the resulting number was less than1, I’d buy as long as the price wasn’t above how much I had in my pocket.
The intimidation began melting away when I was greeted with a smile and an offer of help. Then I saw the cheese/​pâté case. I had never had pâté and was keen to try but was concerned about the price. While I was trying to decide if I could afford some pâté and rum, I was offered a taste of pâté. Too bad no rum tasting that day.
Yum, Yum, the Salmon pâté was HEAVEN as well as the others I tried. So, I took the advice of the counter employee and bought all of the ones I liked plus some crackers & matching wine. It was less than $ 50 and I had dinner for two plus leftovers.
Date night was very successful!

My fantastic teammates and I attended RumRunner’s Saturday Sippers event this past weekend! I was a little hesitant to go after reading some of the other reviews on here, but I am so glad that we went – we had such a fun time!
There was a decent-​sized crowd there when we arrived, but we were able to get to the bar and begin the tasting. By the time we were on our 4^th wine, the place was packed with a unique, fun-​loving crowd! We were able to mingle amongst ourselves and then ventured out and spoke with more people. The shop staff were helpful, talkative, and just plain delightful – we enjoyed learning from and interacting with them!
The wines were quite enjoyable and the provided snacks were a nice treat! I fell in love with the Double Cream «Gooda» that they were sampling and ended up taking some home with me. So tasty!
This was such a fun event – we will be back next month!

Went here for the Saturday Sippers event posted here on Unilocal,there were 10 wines to sample a plethora of cheese, nuts, meat, chocolates, and people were around.
I walked in and was in shock at the crowd it seemed to be real wine drinkers who knew much more about the beverage then a hobbyist like myself. The people were very friendly and the staff was very helpful.
The first thing I did when I came in was take a slice of a italian peppered salame… it was heavenly. A spicy piece of perfectly cured meaty goodness perfect to wash down with a heavy zinfandel or shiraz.
So I headed to the bar and grabbed a glass and began my tour of the days selections. There were 10 wines and I tasted every one they had, they give you perfect size pours so I wasn’t drunk when I left but got a ample pour to experience each wine. The 4 whites consisted of a Pinot, a sauvignon blanc, and 2 chardonnay’s; I liked the Pinot and the Sauvignon Blanc enough that I bought a bottle of the Sauvignon. The reds consisted of 2 Pinot Noirs a few other wines whose varietal were not listed a Zinfandel and a Shiraz.
The reds were all good and the place was humming the whole time. It was a true tasting experience and for it to be free they really outdid themselves.
Tip — They have this the first saturday of every month so put a calendar reminder in and check this thing out.
I agree with other reviewers that total wine does have slightly better prices but they are also a warehouse, not a local business, and their wine tastings are nowhere near as well thought or put together.
This place is nice albeit about 10% more expensive on avg for most wines then total wine.

Honestly, the staff was very snooty and pretentious. They redefine the term wine snob. Total Wines has the same wines without the snootiness.

This writer can’t believe this store is still open. When located across the road the staff were lazy, rude, and sneering. Apparently this attitude followed to the new location. A place for people who know nothing about wine, run by people who care nothing about wine. Hint, Total Wines has the exact same wines at far better prices.

Don’t know why this place is rated so good. While the wine selection is good the wait staff is rude and the food is way over priced. Don’t feel bad if you leave hungry and like your wallet has been drained. I had the scallops and by scallops I mean two scallops for 16 bucks ! What an insult to a foodie. The wine was good but that’s about it. My suggestion is to avoid this one.

I stopped here on a whim, decided to grab a beer to take back to my hotel. Glad I did.
This place is cool. Liquor store that serves food and is staffed by some hip, knowledgeable cats. Too cool for a «How are you» when I walked in, just a shoulder-​high flip of the wrist wave as if to say, «I’m here if you need anything. Chill.»
Lots of microbrews available by the bottle, great to sample if you don’t want to spring for a sixpack of an unsure bet like «milk stout» or something.
I’ll have to hit them up another time for dinner.

This place is the wine cellar of the gods! Cool expensive liquors that make great gifts for dads, fancy candy from around the world, great staff that can recommend neat wine/​cheese/​food pairings, the whole nine yards.
I would love any gift from this place (hint-​hint).

Rum Runner Wine and Cheese has an awesome selection of everything needed for a special party, gift, or anything else. I needed an expensive bottle of scotch for my husband at Christmastime and the people there were super-​helpful and hooked me up with the bottle I wanted. YEAH! The staff was knowledeable and friendly, and I scored some awesome dark chocolates there as well. Wish I remembered the name.