Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO)
The LCBO is the usual starting point for buying wine in Toronto since its stores represent the vast majority of retail outlets licensed to sell alcohol in Ontario. Products are categorized either as General Listing or Vintages.
General Listing
General Listing products are available on a year over year basis subject to reaching sales volume targets. If a wine is added to the General Listing, the sales volumes are likely to increase substantially so Agencies are always trying to get more of their products listed. General Listing wines are mostly geared to day-to-day drinking although some can be cellared.
The LCBO has a destination stores program for wines from certain countries. These locations carry all General Listing and Vintages products from the destination country, plus selections from the Consignment Warehouse, from which importing agents supply restaurants.
If you know the name or product number of the wine you are looking for, the LCBO site has a useful product search feature, which enables you to find the nearest store that has availability. The easiest approach is to click on “Inventory at Selected Store”, then “Check Nearby Stores”, and then enter your postal code to see your closest locations. The LCBO online inventory is updated daily. If there is a low quantity, I suggest calling ahead and asking them to put your order aside. I’ve found that staff will generally be happy to put your order aside for up to 24 hours.
If you have enjoyed a wine at a restaurant and want to buy some but it is not on the LCBO website, it will still be possible to acquire it directly from an agent. The LCBO has an information line which may help. Otherwise, the easiest approach may simply be to ask the restaurant which agent they use.
The LCBO has an on-line ordering capability with a minimum order of $50 You can either have the order delivered without charge to the store of your choice or you can get the LCBO to deliver directly to your home directly in which case you will have to pay shipping charges.
Vintages
Vintages is the “boutique arm” of the LCBO. It 
sells wines that are generally more upmarket than those on the General Listing. The focus is on one-time buys of a limited quantity. Vintages wines can be divided into three broad categories:
New Releases: Vintages releases an assortment of fine wines and spirits bi-weekly, every other Saturday. There are approximately 125 products in each new release. Quantities are often limited and can sometimes sell out the day of the release however some stores will put the wine out before Saturday so if there is a wine that you really want, start checking around Thursday. Products are listed in a bi-weekly magazine to which you can subscribe for free. It is also available online, although you may find the print on the small side. The magazine also does in-depth features on selected products, wine regions, trends and winemakers.
Essentials: These wines are a cross between General Listings and Vintages New Releases. They comprise 100 customer favourites. They are always available online and on store shelves and tend to be from well-known producers.
Cellar Collection (formerly Classics): These are top quality wines and accordingly are likely to be quite expensive. Classics are released monthly and can be acquired either online or by phone starting at 8.30 am on the applicable date. Call 416-365-5900, select 4 for Vintages and 1 for a new order. You can sign up for a free magazine which lets you know what is available on the next Classics release and when.
There is a Vintages section at most LCBO stores in the Toronto area. Major Vintages locations are
- 2 Cooper St at Queen’s Quay
- 10 Scrivener Square (Yonge & Summerhill)
- Bayview Village Mall (Sheppard and Bayview)
- Crossroads at 2625D Weston Road (Weston and 401)
Building a Cellar
If you want to build a cellar, Vintages is by far the best place to start, and it is a good idea to build a relationship with an LCBO consultant in your local store. In my experience, they are extremely professional and love to help. I also recommend serious consideration of a Wine Rating Service. See Help With Buying Wine for examples. They are very cheap and provide excellent advice.
If you are a subscriber to WineAlign, you can view the LCBO / Vintages inventory balances for a particular product directly on their website. This is a particularly useful feature as in many stores, the product is put out a day or two before the official Vintages release date.