vitalsigns
6698
I think the wine stores do fine (well, even) in recommendations at that level.
But to get into the minutiae of, say, the Burgundy Domaines, there is less knowledge of the wines than many enthusiasts have.
The stores obviously focus on what they can access and have available at the time. No surprise there.
I'm in California as well, and there are indeed many reputable stores. I've been to K&L many times and they are good.