Wine Loves ?Transparency? Until it doesn?t:  An Ethical Debate

The domestic wine world loves authenticity and transparency – especially consumers.  This is a common refrain albeit more ideal than reality. 

This point has been underscored for me recently with David Darlington’s new book, An Ideal Wine: One Generation’s Pursuit of Perfection – And Profit – in California.  Darlington spends much of the book elucidating the use of technology tools in the wine business.  These tools are principally from service providers like Enologix and Vinovation. 

While many vintners are quoted (and seemingly forthright) in the book, the reality is that both companies have cloaked client lists and the respective businesses operate on the margins of the industry with precious few of their clients willing to go on record about their use of analytical and corrective wine tools. 

Transparent?  When it comes to the production side of the business, not so much.

There’s another area where wine isn’t exactly transparent, and that’s on the pricing side of the equation in between distribution and retail.

image

Wine media members can secure a subscription to the Beverage Media price list magazine in their geography (used as a retail reference) and see monthly wholesale pricing, comparing that pricing to the actual prices on local store shelves, or even restaurants.

Who is gouging who?  Who offers legitimate deals?  The information is available.

I’ve always had a slight desire to re-publish wholesale pricing, comparing it against actual store pricing, shining a light on a couple of retailers in my town who are less than magnanimous in the alleged “deals” they are offering.  Yet, societal mores have precluded me from doing so.  I’d probably bear the wrath of enough people to earn a Scarlet Letter.  Or, worse, I would violate some Beverage Media terms and conditions that I wasn’t aware of.  At the least, I would break an unspoken rule in the gentlemanly sport of business – similar to the unspoken baseball rule that says you shouldn’t break up a double play AND use your cleats as a weapon whilst doing so.

Well, in the Netherlands, an online wine shop lacks the compunction that I possess and for the better.  At least I think it’s for the better.  Anything that can blunt the criminal blow that is restaurant wine pricing the world over should at least deserve an, “Atta boy.”

Sterwijnen Thuis, a Dutch wine web site, loosely translated as “Home of Star Wine,” has taken wine list selections from the top 60 Dutch restaurants, and they then sell some 350 - 400 of the same labels online for considerably less, listing the name of the restaurant where the wine is featured.  In doing so, the spread of margin in between what Sterwijnen Thuis sells the wine for versus the restaurant pricing becomes glaringly obvious.

As you might imagine, not everybody is happy about this, especially the restaurants.

The Dutch Alliance Gastronomique is conferring with restaurateurs and some are talking lawsuit.

image

Sterwijnen Thuis, reflexively perhaps, indicates that they are simply making publicly available information, well, publicly available.  It’s not their fault if they can sell the same wines as a restaurant for much less money.

Ahem.

Unfortunately, in order to follow this story you’ll need to use an auto-translation tool in your browser (I use Google’s Chrome browser), and you can find the story here and here.  An English-language blurb can be found here.

I open this up to readers.  Is Sterwijnen Thuis within their right to baseline their inventory against the gloss of very reputable restaurants while showing cost savings in the process?  Is all fair in love and war?

Or, is this an egregious lack of decorum worthy of brush back pitch to the chin in the top of the inning as recompense?

Leave a comment with your thoughts.

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/wine_loves_transparency_until_it_doesnt_an_ethical_debate/

Shiri Appleby Sienna Guillory Sienna Miller Simone Mütherthies

Driftwood Estate Winery 2010 Chardonnay

Tired of the same old Chardonnay? Not liking the oaky taste? Too much buttery and vanilla sugary taste? Well I think I have found the cure.  Well its my cure so far.  We visited Driftwood Estate Winery a few weeks ago on our mini Texas Hill Country Vacation. We tried two whites. The 2010 Viognier […]

Source: http://thegrapesaroundtexas.com/2011/06/27/driftwood-estate-winery-2010-chardonnay/

Rose Byrne Rose McGowan Roselyn Sanchez Rozonda Thomas

Berlin Tasting in Copenhagen

Berlin Tasting in Copenhagen" might sound a little confusing? However the Berlin Tasting is a reference to a famous tasting held in Berlin the January 23. 2004. It was held by the Chilean wine producer Eduardo Chadwick from Errazuriz and he had invited 66 wine journalists from all over Europe to taste the best Chadwick wines from Chile against the supernames from Bordeaux and Tuscany. 16 wines were tasted from the vintages 2000 and 2001, among them 2000 Chateau Latour, 2000 Chateau Lafite and 2000 Chateau Margaux.

Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/37/berlin-tasting-in-copenhagen/

Saira Mohan Salma Hayek Samaire Armstrong Samantha Mathis

Wine Writers Aren't the Frauds...It's Marketers

I often wonder why the issue of "wine writer ethics" seems to raise its head on such a regular basis. Most recently a highly respected and accomplished English writer, Fiona Beckett, broached the subject. Fiona reiterated the obvious: Critics shouldn't...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FermentationTheDailyWineBlog/~3/jL_PkWDa4yY/wine-writers-arent-the-fraudsits-marketers.html

Sanaa Lathan Sara Foster Sara Spraker Sarah Gellman

American Sommelier Association ? 6 Day Training in Napa Valley

I received this information from the American Sommelier Association and thought I would pass this on to our readers. In these economic times there are many out of work or in transition wanting to shift careers. Perhaps this intensive course may pave the way for a future career in the wine business. It appears that there are some scholarship funds that can reduce the cost of the training course by 50%. Continue reading

Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/american-sommelier-association-6-day-training-in-napa-valley/

Nicky Hilton Nicole Richie Nicole Scherzinger Nicollette Sheridan

Deal Alert: 2008 Alesia Pinot Noir

Sorry if this one is gone before you read this, but Last Bottle has the 2008 Rhys Alesia Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir for $39/btl with free shipping on 4 bottles.

Here are my thoughts on this wine from last month. I think it's a beautiful wine. I can't seem to keep enough high quality California Pinot Noir on hand and this one falls firmly within that category. It's interesting to see a wine of this caliber on a flash sale site but it bodes well for Last Bottle. I like the wines they're sourcing so far.

If you're subscribed to the WWP via E-mail and want more timely updates might I suggest you follow me on Twitter (@RobertDwyer) or Like the WWP on Facebook? Gotta keep in touch on the deals you know?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/VreAnQls4wI/deal-alert-2008-alesia-pinot-noir.html

Sienna Miller Simone Mütherthies Sofía Vergara Soft Cell

2007 Sauternes & Barsac

Here you find the ratings of the 2007 Sauternes and Barsac wines from Robert Parker, Decanter and Wine Spectator: Sauternes & Barsac Decanter Wine Advocate WineSpectator Price Chateau d’Yquem ***** 19 96 - 98 97 - 100 Chateau Guiraud **** 17,5 92 - 94 91 - 94 Chateau La Tour Blanche **** 18 86 - 88 90 - 93 Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey **** 18 91 - 93 91 - 94 Chateau de Rayne-Vigneau ***** 19 91 - 93 92 - 95 Chateau [...]

Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/41/2007-sauternes-barsac/

Robin Tunney Rosario Dawson Rose Byrne Rose McGowan

Helping NJ Work Through Its Issue With Wine

I'm a fairly busy guy. However, I'm never too busy to help out the good folks at the different state legislatures. So, allow me to take some time out from this fairly busy schedule of mine to put the New...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FermentationTheDailyWineBlog/~3/f0U58mqeThQ/helping-nj-work-through-its-issue-with-wine.html

Kristanna Loken Kristen Bell Kristin Cavallari Kristin Kreuk