Wine & Spirits Bargains at the PLCB (Part 2)

[Vadouvan]

Anyone read this yet ?

http://marksquires.com/art_lcb-bargains.htm

[KatieLoeb]

Anyone read this yet ?

http://marksquires.com/art_lcb-bargains.htm

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Re: The Lancaster Red. Mark Squires knows a hell of a lot better than to recork and refrigerate wine until the third day. Of course it was horrible by then. I'd have been more impressed if he'd transferred the leftover wine to a half bottle so there was less surface area exposed. Or having made his initial observation about the wine not being good on "Day One" perhaps tried decanting it? That would have been revolutionary.

All of his criticisms go back to the MSRP argument upthread. NO ONE pays MSRP in any industry. In defense of the Lancaster Red it's made by some of the best folks in the business, with some of the finest Alexander Valley grapes. The winery's own website lists the wine at $65, so I presume that's what one would pay at the source.

I think Mr. Squires has an axe to grind. Again, if it isn't to your taste, don't buy it anymore. But trying to quantify something as subjective as taste and then trying to convince everyone that they're getting ripped off seems a bit mean spirited to me.

But I guess that's what "sells" e-zines, huh?

[Jeff L]

Re: The Lancaster Red.  Mark Squires knows a hell of a lot better than to recork and refrigerate wine until the third day.  Of course it was horrible by then.  I'd have been more impressed if he'd transferred the leftover wine to a half bottle so there was less surface area exposed.  Or having made his initial observation about the wine not being good on "Day One" perhaps tried decanting it?  That would have been revolutionary.

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Funny, that's exactly what I thought while reading his review of the Lancaster Red. By the way, I found this wine to be terrific, bringing the whole taste subjectivity issue into question again.

Forgetting the value proposition for a moment, I will say the Chairman's Selections have introduced me to a wider variety of wines that I might not otherwise have been exposed to.

[KatieLoeb]

Great minds think alike, my friend...

edited to add:

And I also thought the Lancaster Red was delicious and a screaming bargain at $19.99.

[Dennis]

Seeking advice...My wife & I are spending a week in CA this summer and will divide the time between SF & Sonoma. I've been to SF & NAPA before but not Sonoma. So far, we're looking at Santa Rosa, Healdburg, & Geyserville.

I'd welcome any suggestions based on your 1st hand experiences.

Thanks

[dagordon]

Seeking advice...My wife & I are spending a week in CA this summer and will divide the time between SF & Sonoma. I've been to SF & NAPA before but not Sonoma. So far, we're looking at Santa Rosa, Healdburg, & Geyserville.

I'd welcome any suggestions based on your 1st hand experiences.

Thanks

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We were in Sonoma in November, we too had been to Napa before and wanted to see something else. We were only there for a day but we had a great time, it definitely seemed like more of a "real" place (as opposed to a tourist attraction) than Napa. As far as wineries, check out Arrowood, Ledson, Ch St Jean (I got a bottle of the 2003 Sonoma County Reserve Chard and after having it on new year's wish I had bought a case, it's absolutely stunning.) Eat at the General's Daughter.

We were particularly impressed with the Chardonnays we tasted there -- the St Jean, the 2004 Arrowood Alary Vineyards, among others. It seemed like there was a kind of general trend at the places we went to away from a lot of oak and malolactic fermentation. Maybe this is a Sonoma thing recently? I really have no idea what I'm talking about.

[James Colabelli]

Nozzole Chianti?

Please... Nozzole is the Gallo of Italy.

Please be serious

James

[mike volker]

Dennis,

Do a search and you will find this thread several times.

1 plan a day in dry creek valley (lunch across the hwy at Jimtowm store)

2 Eat at: the Girl and the Fig, La Salette (both are in Sonoma)

3 Stop at Sonoma wine shop, taste some wine, and say hello to the boys for me. Not only will they ship to you here in Pa, but they will ship your purchases back for you as long as you buy some wines from them.

Best,

Mike

[Meanderer]

Seeking advice...My wife & I are spending a week in CA this summer and will divide the time between SF & Sonoma. I've been to SF & NAPA before but not Sonoma. So far, we're looking at Santa Rosa, Healdburg, & Geyserville.

I'd welcome any suggestions based on your 1st hand experiences.

Thanks

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If you plan to be there in late August, don't miss the Cotati Accordion Fest. The culmination of the event is the Lady of Spainathon. Chills will run down your spine.

[percyn]

Seeking advice...My wife & I are spending a week in CA this summer and will divide the time between SF & Sonoma. I've been to SF & NAPA before but not Sonoma. So far, we're looking at Santa Rosa, Healdburg, & Geyserville.

I'd welcome any suggestions based on your 1st hand experiences.

Thanks

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I second the Girl and the Fig. There are also some decent but not great places in the center of town. There is a great bakery (forget the name) on the edge of downtown who's baker/owner was on the US world baking team.

If you are looking for a place to stay, I recommend Sanoma Mission and Inn. They also have dinners where they bring in guest hosts from the vineyards. When we were there a few years ago, it was Francis Ford Coppola.

We've stayed in Santa Rosa as well, but preferred Sonoma and Nappa.

Enjoy yourself and report back.

[Capaneus]

Nozzole Chianti?

Please... Nozzole is the Gallo of Italy.

Please be serious

James

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Thanks for sharing James. I'll try to be more earnest, as per your thoughtful admonition.

Now, do you have an opinion about the actual, you know, wine? I liked it, a couple of others here liked it. Oh, and RM Parker liked it, and he and I don't often agree. How about you?

[newsgal]

Seeking advice...My wife & I are spending a week in CA this summer and will divide the time between SF & Sonoma. I've been to SF & NAPA before but not Sonoma. So far, we're looking at Santa Rosa, Healdburg, & Geyserville.

I'd welcome any suggestions based on your 1st hand experiences.

Thanks

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Dennis,

Add me to the cheerleaders for General's Daughter - WOW - what an experience. I've seriously considered flying to SFO when I see cheapo fares for the specific purpose of dinner there. Three, four, or five course meal - each paired with wine.

As for wineries - don't miss Eric Ross (Glen Ellen) for big Zins - and check out the Locals tasting room in Windsor (just north of Healdsburg) - some very nice stuff. We brought back a case of a fine Petite Sirah from St. Francis, and Loxton's wines aren't bad - and he's a ton of fun to talk to!

[James Colabelli]

Well, the point I find interesting is that on this and other food and wine boards/discussion groups, people always claim to be "above" the word of critics, etc., but, in the end, will use a critic's score or rating of a wine/restaurant to bolster their opinion or justify their liking/disliking of something.

Likewise, most people think "Chairman's Selection" wines are "great" or "awesome deals" just because they feel clever or lucky to be drinking a "$55. dollar bottle" or whatever that they only paid $14.99 for.

The great bulk of the Chairman Selections are wines from off vintages or bottlings that the winery had broblems with like TCA or whatever. It's kind of like feeling cool about driving a Mercedes, but it's 12 years old and breaks down all the time... But it has that little hood ornament!

The last time I actually tasted a Chairman's Selection wine it was the 1999 Chapoutier "Le Sizeranne". The wine tasted like ass. I mean, some really bad reductive aromas and the thin body/lack of taste associated with this sort of extreme wine fault. (Not a bottle variation flaw like TCA... and even then, usually entire bottling runs tend to have this in common, since the corks come from the same batch). But I'm sure alot of dumbasses thought it was "great" just because they got such an "expensive bottle" so cheap.

In wine, as in all else in life, you usually get what you pay for.

In the case of Nozzole, I mean, yes the wines are ok usually. But to compare or think of their wines as "great Chianti" is just plain silly. Castello di Ama makes "great" Chianti... In the world of Chianti, a little house like Monterinaldi makes a $14. retail bottle that I would MUCH rather drink than a $34. bottle of Ruffino or the like.

And the world of tasting wine is NOT subjective. It is objective in an academic sense. It has to do with one's experience and the learned ability to make a structured tasting note or notes on a wine or a group of wines. Simply put, "I loved it" is a subjective and totally acceptable review of a wine one has enjoyed. "It's great" is an objective comment based upon the ability, experience, and knowledge of the taster/tasters.

All that being said, it is great that people are so passionate and interested in wine that they share their opinions on boards like this one.

[Mano]

Well, the point I find interesting is that on this and other food and wine boards/discussion groups, people always claim to be "above" the word of critics, etc., but, in the end, will use a critic's score or rating of a wine/restaurant to bolster their opinion or justify their liking/disliking of something.

Likewise, most people think "Chairman's Selection" wines are "great" or "awesome deals" just because they feel clever or lucky to be drinking a "$55. dollar bottle" or whatever that they only paid $14.99 for. 

The great bulk of the Chairman Selections are wines from off vintages or bottlings that the winery had broblems with like TCA or whatever.  It's kind of like feeling cool about driving a Mercedes, but it's 12 years old and breaks down all the time... But it has that little hood ornament!

The last time I actually tasted a Chairman's Selection wine it was the 1999 Chapoutier "Le Sizeranne".  The wine tasted like ass.  I mean, some really bad reductive aromas and the thin body/lack of taste associated with this sort of extreme wine fault.  (Not a bottle variation flaw like TCA... and even then, usually entire bottling runs tend to have this in common, since the corks come from the same batch).  But I'm sure alot of dumbasses thought it was "great" just because they got such an "expensive bottle" so cheap.

In wine, as in all else in life, you usually get what you pay for.

In the case of Nozzole, I mean, yes the wines are ok usually.  But to compare or think of their wines as "great Chianti" is just plain silly.  Castello di Ama makes "great" Chianti... In the world of Chianti, a little house like Monterinaldi makes a $14. retail bottle that I would MUCH rather drink than a $34. bottle of Ruffino or the like.

And the world of tasting wine is NOT subjective.  It is objective in an academic sense.  It has to do with one's experience and the learned ability to make a structured tasting note or notes on a wine or a group of wines.  Simply put, "I loved it" is a subjective and totally acceptable review of a wine one has enjoyed.  "It's great" is an objective comment based upon the ability, experience, and knowledge of the taster/tasters.

All that being said, it is great that people are so passionate and interested in wine that they share their opinions on boards like this one.

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Mr. Colablelli,

I believe the question was simply, have you tasted the wine?

As far as the Chapoutier La Sizeranne is concerned, I thought it was good, but nothing to write home about. Never having tasted ass, I'll defer to your experience.

Dennis,

+3 The Girl and the Fig (I believe the owner is from the Philly area).

For lunch, definitely Taylor's Refresher.

We had excellent meals at the Chandon winery and a place called The Back Porch. We also ate at the CIA, which is staffed by students and professionals and was very good. Next door to the Back Porch was a more upscale restaurant with an Italian name, but was a bit disappointing for the money.

At the Back Porch and the Girl and the Fig, we brought our own wine and paid corkage.

If you're willing to make the drive from Sonoma to Napa, check out the Glenn Ellen Inn, which is a terrific place to stay. Ask for the cottage with the Jacuzzi. In the morning take a walk up the hill to Jack London State Park.

Finally, if you know anyone in the wine biz, do what you can to have them arrange for you to attend winery tours for those in the trade.

Edited February 11, 2007 by Mano (log)

[James Colabelli]

Okay..

The "La Forra" bottling is a slightly more New World version of Nozzole's Riserva Chianti... the main difference is the aging in 2 and 3 year old barriques for something like 6 months before putting the wine in the larger Slavonionia nuetral-oak casks. They are also one of the few houses that still uses Trebbiano and, I think, Malvasia grapes (just 2 -3%) in their blends.

I have had the 2001, and it reflects the overall ripeness of the vintage, with a tad more tannic force than one would expect from the vintage and the house style. (I tasted it in 2005). It's okay wine. At $40 or whatever the standard retail is, it's overpriced... at 15-20 bucks it would be a decent value for a good Chianti.

Bear in mind this wine was released in 2004... 3 years ago. The PLCB discounting it is just another instance of picking up some wine that the distributer couldn't sell out at the normal wholesale price. In an "open market"state like NJ, this happens all the time, and bargains like this one are not at all uncommon.

My point isn't the wine itself... you like it, she doesn't, he does, I don't... who cares?

The point is that these silly "bargains" called "Chairman's Selections" are taking the heat off of the PLCB by dumbasses who think they are getting deals of the century or something. The PLCB needs the heat turned up, until we have a free market in PA and the damn government isn't the only retailer of alcoholic beverages. (besides beer) I mean, even small-time stores in Trenton and suchlike blow away the selection, customer service, and prices of the best "Wine and Spirits Shoppe" in PA. (I love the "Shoppe" spelling on a crappy store in West Philly that sells more Vladimir Vodka to homeless guys than any other SKU in the store)

Getting excited about a bunch of ordinary, and sometimes crappy, "Chairman's Selections" and feeling good about the PLCB as a result is something like a battered housewife feeling better about her marriage because "Now Bobby only hits me when I do something wrong"

[KatieLoeb]

James:

I think that last analogy is harsh, at best. And most certainly disrespectful to battered women.

What I truly don't understand is why some folks enjoying the Chairman's Selections seems to bother you so much. Do you have some personal stake in making the Commonwealth a free retail market? I'm no fonder of the system than you are, but it is what it is and we're all forced to deal with it. If some consumers are happy about the Chairman's Selections, why does that disturb you so? If you think the CS are a ripoff, and it's clear that you do, I don't find anyone else here taking it personally that you're driving to NJ or Delaware to stock your wine cellar.

Not everyone is a trained sommelier. Hopefully, even Beringer White Zinfandel is a gateway drug for better wine choices in the future for the as-yet-uneducated souls that think it's good. If the CS program introduces some consumers to better/different/new wine, then it's most definitely a good thing.

The buying power of the Commonwealth has finally been harnessed for good and not evil. It might not be your definition of good, but I have yet to see wines of the same caliber offered as consistently as they are at the Specialty stores under the CS program, offered by the discounters that you mention. There's plenty of wine at the same price points at Canal's or Total Wine, but they aren't from the wineries and winemakers that are getting the wine press or the high scores. I'm pretty certain a lot of PA consumers had never heard of Arrowood or the second label Grand Archer wines before they saw them at the Wine & Spirits Shoppe. These are good quality and consistent products from a reputable winemaker. Same with the Lancaster Red. If buying up the last 800 cases of it made it available to a broader audience at a decent price, what does it matter if the distributor was "dumping" it or not? And in fact, the CS wines were purchased directly from the wineries by Mr. Newman (the subject of slanderous speculations about his travel expenses according to the Inky), so as far as I can see, there's no distributor involved.

Where's the problem exactly?

[James Colabelli]

Katie,

Thanks for your well thought out response.

First of all, I meant no disrespect to battered women. I was just drawing an analogy.

I must disagaree with 2 of your statements:

"The purchasing power of the PLCB is being harnessed for good not evil"...

wrong. It is being "harnessed" to placate the people who would be the most passionate opponents of the whole government run liquor stores - the wine enthusiasts. By getting a "bargain" now and then... and one not that more than one might get in a "free"state like NY or NJ, they tolerate the whole effed up system. Are most aware that if they were buying the same wine in NJ at the same price, they would get a 10% - 20% discount for buying a case, or that even hole in the wall stores in these places offer free delivery? That in even small stores like Shope Rite in Trenton, they have a WSET Diploma student on the sales force, or that at a Canal's in Marlton, the buyer attends the Napa wine auction every year so he can get Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estates for his customers? That's some serious customer service, as opposed to the state employee who just says "we don't have that" (one exception is the dude at the state store in Ardmore... I forget his name...oh yeah, it's Tom Peters)

"the state store system is a fact of life" (or something like that)

wrong. Last time I checked, I was a registered voter and a taxpayer. So it's up to me, and people like me, to get rid of the silly system that puts booze in the hands of a state run monopoly. Is this Russia or something like that? The BS Chairman's Selections are an "escape valve" for a portion of the frustration of the fine wine consumer in PA. Look at out best restaurants.. Hotel Dupont, Four Seasons Fountain, Le Bec Fin... NONE are Wine Spectator Grand Award winners. Not that that is a litmus test to a great wine program, but the reason there are NO Grand Award winners is because: 1. you can't get great selection or older vintages in PA, and, B. Restaurants pay retail as opposed to wholesale prices for all their booze.

As a former restaurant owner and restaurant beverage manager in PA, I felt a certain frustration at buying over 3 MILLION dollars of booze annually from the PLCB, and when I went in to the state store to pay for it (!) having to stand in line BEHIND some toothless homeless dude at a cash register while he purchased his pint of Vladimir vodka so I could pay for my 18,000 worth of booze a week, only then to have to PAY for some dude to pick it up and deliver it to my restaurant! In NYC you can get FREE delivery for a bottle of Scotch from a deli for Pete's sake.

I have been to many stores in NJ where you can get older vintages of collector wine like Verite, Lafite, etc. at below the cost of current releases. But as the rest of this message states, that's just a tip of the iceberg of the PLCB's total bullshit.

And, I have no vested interest in any of this. Most of the wine I enjoy is either sent to me at no charge from wineries I have relationships with, and the remainder I buy via auction either from Acker, Winebid.com, or Sotheby's in NYC.

[KatieLoeb]

"The purchasing power of the PLCB is being harnessed for good not evil"...

wrong. It is being "harnessed" to placate the people who would be the most passionate opponents of the whole government run liquor stores - the wine enthusiasts.

The number of wine "enthusiasts" are vastly outnumbered by other taxpayers that don't give a fig about the PLCB in general or who are teetotalers completely. It's a damned shame, but it's a fact. The wine enthusiasts, myself included, are hardly placated by that.

And I don't think it's an overstatement to say that the Chairman's Selections have created at least a few more wine ethusiasts in the Commonwealth. Even if, as we've discussed upthread, the MSRP for the wines is bullshit, if folks buy and try better wines than they normally would have, then it's a good thing and a win-win for the restauranteurs and beverage managers who will now have a more educated consumer dining at their table. I see no downside to that within the constraints of a state run system.

Are most aware that if they were buying the same wine in NJ at the same price, they would get a 10% - 20% discount for buying a case, or that even hole in the wall stores in these places offer free delivery? That in even small stores like Shope Rite in Trenton, they have a WSET Diploma student on the sales force, or that at a Canal's in Marlton, the buyer attends the Napa wine auction every year so he can get Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estates for his customers? That's some serious customer service, as opposed to the state employee who just says "we don't have that"

You're giving folks too much credit. Most wine buyers purchase wine on an as-needed basis for immediate consumption, and usually one or two bottles at a time. The case discount and free delivery is totally lost on them, as is decent customer service.

And speaking of customer service, are you denying that under Chairman Newman's tenure the stores became closer to regular retail and less of the Gulag-like shopping experience they were not that long ago? Have you honestly not found any improvements in customer service? In addition to the Ardmore wine manager, both Corey Rice (formerly at 12th & Chestnut) and Peggy (at the 19th & Chestnut stores) have been enormously helpful to me personally. I've found helpful and knowledgeable employees in stores in Bucks and Montgomery counties and even in Lancaster when travelling through that area. I think you just haven't met the right folks.

Look at out best restaurants.. Hotel Dupont, Four Seasons Fountain, Le Bec Fin... NONE are Wine Spectator Grand Award winners. Not that that is a litmus test to a great wine program, but the reason there are NO Grand Award winners is because: 1. you can't get great selection or older vintages in PA, and, B. Restaurants pay retail as opposed to wholesale prices for all their booze.

Surely you know that those "awards" are fairly meaningless, right? A restaurant has to pay a $250 "entrance fee" to even be considered and has to provide their wine list and menu for review. No one from Wine Spectator necessarily ever visits the restaurant and confirms whether any of the information submitted is legitimate or not. The Spectator gets over 4000 "applications" every year. That's a cool million. Not a bad revenue stream for one that was just made up from nothing. I wonder if I could create some sort of "Katie Rating" and start charging restaurants for my considered opinion? It'd beat the shit out of working for a living and would save me a lot of money on black shoes and pedicures.

Restaurants paying retail rather than wholesale is the biggest downside for both beverage professionals like you and I AND the consumer as a result of the state run monopoly. I feel your pain on this one and hate it just as much as you do. But that has less to do with awards than it has to do with the status quo and the nature of the monopolistic beast. And that's an argument we've had ad nauseum in this thread and others like it. It will not change. There are too many jobs at stake and too much tax revenue to go to free enterprise. And as I mentioned before, not enough tax payers that give a crap to do anything about it. If anything, creating more "wine enthusiasts" might be the best loooooong term plan for overturning the state run system in the Commonwealth. It's a little like watching a glacier move, but it's progress.

As a former restaurant owner and restaurant beverage manager in PA, I felt a certain frustration at buying over 3 MILLION dollars of booze annually from the PLCB, and when I went in to the state store to pay for it (!) having to stand in line BEHIND some toothless homeless dude at a cash register while he purchased his pint of Vladimir vodka so I could pay for my 18,000 worth of booze a week, only then to have to PAY for some dude to pick it up and deliver it to my restaurant! In NYC you can get FREE delivery for a bottle of Scotch from a deli for Pete's sake.

I used to do those kind of numbers too. Damn, I miss having an unlimited budget and free reign to buy whatever wine struck my fancy. <sigh> I never waited in line behind the dentally challenged homeless dudes because I availed myself of the wholesale warehouse at 23rd & Washington. Nobody there but other restaurant folks and a very helpful sales staff. And I paid those same guys to deliver the goods. :shrug: This ain't NYC. And I know that because there's no scotch at the corner deli.

Look. I understand your pain. But I think you're railing against the machine for naught. Go. Sit down and open a fine bottle that you've bought at auction and transported illegally into the Commonwealth. Pour yourself a glass into your nicest stemware. Swirl. Sniff. Sip. Swallow. Exhale. Sigh contentedly. That's as good as it's going to get. Getting all red in the face and making that vein stand out on your neck is the antithesis of what wine should do for you. Wine should create pleasure, not anxiety. Getting all worked up over this is just raising your blood pressure needlessly. Thankfully a glass of wine daily is good for your health.

[Andrew Fenton]

Surely you know that those "awards" are fairly meaningless, right?  A restaurant has to pay a $250 "entrance fee" to even be considered and has to provide their wine list and menu for review.  No one from Wine Spectator necessarily ever visits the restaurant and confirms whether any of the information submitted is legitimate or not.  The Spectator gets over 4000 "applications" every year.  That's a cool million.  Not a bad revenue stream for one that was just made up from nothing.  I wonder if I could create some sort of "Katie Rating" and start charging restaurants for my considered opinion?  It'd beat the shit out of working for a living and would save me a lot of money on black shoes and pedicures.

As always, Katie, I like the way you think! Maybe you could tie the Katie Rating to an annual "Dumas Award." (That sounds... French! and therefore, Classy.)

Call me- I may have an investor lined up...

[Mano]

Look.  I understand your pain.  But I think you're railing against the machine for naught.  Go.  Sit down and open a fine bottle that you've bought at auction and transported illegally into the Commonwealth.  Pour yourself a glass into your nicest stemware.  Swirl.  Sniff.  Sip.  Swallow.  Exhale. Sigh contentedly.  That's as good as it's going to get.  Getting all red in the face and making that vein stand out on your neck is the antithesis of what wine should do for you.  Wine should create pleasure, not anxiety.  Getting all worked up over this is just raising your blood pressure needlessly.  Thankfully a glass of wine daily is good for your health. 

←

Either that, or move to NJ and don't look back. If you do remain in PA, don't visit Napa. Even their mom-and-pop groceries have wines we'll never see here. You'll end up frustrated, much as someone traveling first class with frequent-flier miles. Next flight you're back in coach and will be for the foreseeable future.

Mr. C. do you think anyone on this forum likes the current PCLB system? We may like The Chairman's Selections, which offer very good values on many good and some very good wines. The few outstanding wines sell out quickly. Give me Canals any day of the week. My kids stopped groaning every return trip from NYC because I taught them the meaning of the phrase "tough noogies" when we pulled into Canals on Rt. 1.

One good thing about the current system is that outstanding wines cost the same even after Parker and his ilk rates them a 95. Upon release, my '94 Insignia cost $38 and 1990 Cos d'Estournel probably less here in PA while in NJ the prices were double and triple after WA or WS were published. Yet for every situation like that and every CS bargain there are dozens of over-priced and unavailable wines that are easily purchased in NJ and Delaware.

While many of your points have been made here for years and will be repeated for years to come, your vitriolic rants have become the focus of my attention, at least. Maybe it's because as a mental health professional that I'm not bothered by the local characters who buy their pint of Vladimir. Or maybe it's because I rarely see them as my Wine and Spirits Shoppe in homogeneous upscale Bucks County has only Smelly Sherman and two or three other homeless psychotics who self-medicate with alcohol. Either way, they pay sales tax the same as you and me.

Edit: James, you obviously know a lot about wine and I'm always eager to learn more. No doubt, it would benefit all of us here if you gave EG the best of what you have to offer instead of the worst.

Edited February 13, 2007 by Mano (log)

[mike volker]

For what its worth Katie, I wrote to the Inky a couple years ago and told them they should have you write a weekly column in the food section rating the Chairman's Selections. Now might be the time to promote yourself for something in that vein. Just a thought.

I did email Sen Raffety via your post. Part of what I said was that with the most buying power in the the country, we should have the lowest prices.

Best,

Mike

[KatieLoeb]

Mike:

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

I never did hear from the Inquirer, though... And now that the new Chairman is a self-professed temperance freak, there's little point in promoting anything. The Chairman's Selection program is going to go the way of the dodo.

I hope Senator Raffery's inbox is flooded with all of us outraged consumers that are pissed off about how the Conti Golden Parachute Appointment was handled and how disappointed we are that no one is questioning the other board members about their expenses.

I haven't heard back from Sen. Rafferty's office either.

[Rich Pawlak]

I am DYING to hear what Jonathan Newman has to say about all of this recent back and forth. I know Collabelli journalistically (I edited his wine columns at STYLE magazine), and I KNOW he knows wine pretty thoroughly, but I think he hasn't done his due diligence with regard to entire CS program. I am eagerly waiting for Newman's inside info to enlighten the discussion.

[lancastermike]

I've found helpful and knowledgeable employees in stores in Bucks and Montgomery counties and even in Lancaster when travelling through that area. I think you just haven't met the right folks.

This brought a smile to my face on a cold snowy morning here in Lancaster.

In an effort to stay on topic I am the sort of wine consumer Katie talked about. The Charimans wines have given us the chance to drink wines that I would not have done so. I have learned a small bit about different wines and their taste. I certainly am not the type of wine consumer that Mr. Colabelli is and I never will be. I will not enter any sort of wine discussion with him or the other much more educated consumers here. But it has been a positive for me.

Edited February 13, 2007 by lancastermike (log)

[newsgal]

In an effort to stay on topic I am the sort of wine consumer Katie talked about.  The Charimans wines have given us the chance to drink wines that I would not have done so. I have learned a small bit about different wines and their taste. I certainly am not the type of wine consumer that Mr. Colabelli is and I never will be. I will not enter any sort of wine discussion with him or the other much more educated consumers here.  But it has been a positive for me.

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Mike,

I couldn't agree more - those of us in the Lancaster County area were beforehand stuck with primarily teeny tiny state stores that often had little more than the Sutter Home/Beringer/etc. mass-produced varieties, and often only a handful of non-US bottles. I'm also more than an hour from DE or MD and even further from NJ, so that "run for the border" wasn't as simple. Chairman's Selection has allowed me to try wines I may have never heard of nor had the opportunity to experience before, and I for one will miss the program immensely. Did I think I was always getting uber premiums? No, but it allowed me to try varieties of wines that just weren't available here before (My local store still looks at me blankly if I ask even for a Barolo - seriously). So it was an excellent program, and one I know I for one will miss tremendously.