Monday, March 26, 2012

Is it just me?

I have a confession to make. I like to read car reviews. I am not a fast driver, I don't know the difference between a carburettor and a catalytic converter. I have only a vague idea what torque is. I will probably never be able to afford a Porsche or a Ferrari and even if I have the money, I would probably spend it on something else. And yet, I like reading about big cars, fast cars, unusual cars. However, I'm not a complete saddo - if the review is of a Ford Fiesta or a Skoda Fabia or a Nissan X-trail (the commercial version of which I drive myself), I probably won't bother reading it. Is there someone out there who can explain why I like reading about cars I will never drive and refuse to read about cars which are much more practical, affordable and within my scope of experience? Is it just me?

This occurred to me over the weekend as I read the review of the BMW640D (rsp€100k!) after reading a couple of wine columns in the national papers. One of the articles was about some slightly obscure and not cheap wines from Spain being made by a couple of young hippyish guys and brought in, I'm guessing, by Vinos Tito. I don't stock these wines, maybe I won't like them, but reading about them made me curious to try them. It was interesting to read about a couple of new kids on the block trying something different and quickly building a good reputation for themselves.

The other article I read was headlined - ignore the wine snobs, here are the bargains! I scanned over the introduction about the writer getting admonished by members of the wine trade for promoting "industrial swill" selling at cheap prices in the likes of Lidl and Aldi. Obviously, the wine trade is a very polite and gentle group of people and I can't imagine anyone coming out with such strong language. But apart from that, I was looking forward to hearing about the amazing wines about to be recommended.

Instead, we got a list of wines which were damned with faint praise. Wines were described as "worth drinking", "likeable" - some of them even "tasted as it should"....a lot of them not reviewed but are on sale are apparently "bland" and a "few downright horrible". From a wine consumer's point of view, I would rather hear about the really horrible wines to avoid rather than the ones that are only OK.

I know the story is that, despite what people like me might say, you can get drinkable wines at €4.99 (wine cost approx 0.50c) and €5.99 (wine cost approx €1). My answer to that is - So What?

Is it really amazing that Lidl and Aldi - two of Europe's retail giants - can find cheap wine that is "drinkable"? I think it is more amazing that, with all their buying expertise, they are still bringing in wines that are (according to the wine expert in question) bland or horrible.

There isn't a retailer in the country who wouldn't tell you that the most important issue for consumer's buying decision is value. However, price is only one aspect in trying to judge value. Quality is the other aspect and it is just as important. If we offer a wine that isn't good quality, our customers will let us know in no uncertain terms and it doesn't matter what the price is. When they come in to us, they would rather spend €10 on a wine they like than €6 on something they don't.

Of course, they are buying the €5/€6 wine in Lidl/Tesco/Dunnes or wherever and are adjusting their expectations accordingly, but when they make the effort come in to an independent wine shop, they want something different, something better. If we don't deliver that, we lose our raison d'etre, we lose our customers and we lose our business.

So, what do you want to read about? A Skoda Fabia, which will get you from A to B or the BMW 640D which also gets you from A to B, but will do so in considerably more style? I know which one you will buy, but what do you want to read about? Likewise, are we really resigned to the dumbing down of the wine trade, heading the same way as the UK market ,where wine sells primarily on price and primarily on promotion or should we in the trade and press not be praising the unusual, encouraging the quirky and promoting real wines made by real people?

The €4.99 Pinot Grigio in Aldi will probably sell anyway as it is cheap and has Pinot Grigio on the label. Promoting it is not really offering a service to consumers as everybody knows these functional wines are out there. They have their place in the market, sure, but does it make for interesting copy?

I prefer to read about a weird and wonderful, terroir-driven, elegant red from som wacky guy in the hills in Spain.

I may still buy the Pinot Grigio, but at least I know there is something more interesting out there somewhere.

Is it just me?


Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Birthday Celebration this St. Patricks Day







How time flies when you are having fun - we opened our little shop on a sunny St. Patrick's Day 1999 - that's 13 years ago this Saturday. We still remember waiting for the varnish to dry the night before and then frantically packing the shelves with all sorts of wines - some good, some ill-advised - to get the place ready for our grand opening the next day, which mainly consisted of friends and family being brow-beaten into coming in and buying something on our first day.

Thankfully, some of the customers who came in to see us on that first day are still customers and friends today and we hope we have gotten rid of the bad wines and expanded the good ones.

To celebrate our 13th Birthday, we will have a FLASH SALE this Saturday with 20% OFF ALL WINE. This is just on Saturday, one day only, so ignore the rugby and call in.

We will also have several bottles open for tasting with even bigger discounts including:

Lawsons Dry Hills Pinot Noir - 30% off
Chateau Le Vivier, Medoc - 25% off
Chateau Bourneuf Vayron, Pomerol - 40% off
Sepp Moser Gruner Veltliner - 25% off
Contino Rioja Reserva - 30% off

As if all that wasn't enough, at 1pm (13.00hrs - see what we did there...) we will be opening a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvee for tasting and then offering a limited number of bottles at the very special price of €95 per btl (normal price €160!).


Birthdays, Discounts, Krug.....what's not to like?

Friday, March 9, 2012

Villa Cerna Chianti Classico 2005 - only €8.99




We have got our hands on some limited quantities of a nice Chianti Classico which we can bang out at €8.99. It is one of the top estates owned by the Cecchi people, one of Tuscany’s largest producers. Not sure why it is so cheap, but we thought it seemed like a good deal. I have just cracked it open – it has a lovely deep ruby colour, attractive nose of dark cherry and spice…full-bodied with nicely concentrated dark red fruits, smooth tannins and a nice chewy finish. A really good Chianti Classico, drinking well – fantastic value for money at €8.99.
On tasting this weekend, come in and try it and fill yer boots!

Friday, March 2, 2012

March Case Deal


In March we have St. Patrick’s Day, Mothers Day, the fiscal compact to study, so we want to take a load off your mind and get some seriously good wines at seriously good prices in to you so you have one less thing to worry about….

Mixed Case Offer
We are doing a mixed case deal on some of our favourite wines this March. It’s a mix of French and Italian, reds and whites, some posh, some less so – you will have wine for every occasion……we recommend 3 bottles each of:

Gregoris Pinot Grigio 2011 – this is REAL Pinot Grigio, made with real character and depth of flavour by one of Northern Italy’s best white winemakers Antonio Fattori.

Domaine Saumaize Saint Veran 2010 – amazing purity and concentration from this unoaked Saint Veran. Crisp acidity, with ripe, red apple and citrus fruit and a long, mineral finish. Beautifully balanced wine.

Domaine Grauzan Pinot Noir 2009 – light, juicy, fruity Pinot Noir with soft tannins – dangerously easy-drinking!

Degani Ripasso 2008 – full-bodied, rich and chocolatey with delicious dark cherry fruit, ripe tannins and great concentration. Great food wine.

The normal case price is €187.50 – we are doing it at 20% discount for €150 with free delivery anywhere in the country. Order now and get your wine delivered for the month (or the week!).

You can, of course, mix the case any way you want and get your 20% discount, so, for example you can get the case of Pinot Grigio for €129.60 instead of €162 etc etc