1. Winecellar of Silene - Waltham, MA
This was the first one I tried because my old office in Waltham is (literally) a two-minute drive from here. It also has fairly knowledgeable staff. Though it's clearly a "nice" store, the prices are very reasonable for the Boston area. Though even around New Year's the selection was not particularly impressive, they had some ones I really like -- Perrier-Jouet, Pol Roger (yum), and some of the other bigger names. I like the atmosphere, the friendly staff, the reasonable prices... and the huge selection of non-sparkling wines in the store. But best of all, every champagne I bought here (I got about five or six bottles) was in great condition. The carbonation alone, as compared to the same wines I bought at other stores, proved a testament to the importance of proper sparkling wine storage.
2. Vinnin Liquors - Swampscott, MA
Located in Vinnin Square, this is my favorite liquor store in MA. It's in a fairly well-to-do suburb but has very reasonable prices on just about everything. They sell a number of decent diaspora bubblies here (Freixenet for $8, anyone?) as well as some good vintage wines well out of my price range. They've never had Pol Roger on any of my visits, though. Still, worth checking out if you're in the area (Boston's North Shore).
3. Marty's Liquors - Allston, MA
These guys have a much better selection than either of the afore-mentioned stores. I can't remember which wine I actually bought here to celebrate the Pats' Super Bowl victory this year (yes I know it didn't happen, and I won't appreciate any jokes!
), but I was a little concerned about the storage based on the fact that their one bottle of Pierre Peters had a damaged label and was standing upright and randomly placed around the other champagnes. Or maybe I was just sore that I had finally found a bottle but it looked no good. Still, I was quite impressed with the selection. Maybe if I go back there sometime soon I can pick up a few bottles and see if they're in good condition.4. Blanchard's Liquors - Allston, MA
A few steps away from Marty's, this place is much bigger and also caters to tin-tongued jocks. I get the feeling it does a little more pandering, though. Smaller selection, and the prices varied widely. Might be worth a shot, but if you need to go to one place, this isn't it. I only mention it here because so many people in the area just go here because it's so big... and because everyone else goes here... but if you're looking for the good stuff, I'd suggest going another block up Harvard to Marty's.
Now that I've written that, I realize I don't remember many other stores worth mentioning. Oh well. I hope this is at least mildly helpful to someone, and I'll try to write some more quick suggestions if I think of them or find a new place in the next two months that I'll still be in Boston.