When $1,170 is too low a price for a wine

[Craig Camp]

So I surprised myself last week when I tasted a wine that is priced at $1,170 per bottle and I thought it was actually too low in price. And so did a number of my wine-writing colleagues, one of whom actually suggested that it would be better if the wine had a price of about $1,500 per bottle.

[Mark Sommelier]

Some of us have been buying and tasting this wine for many years. The current wholesale price is $835 a bottle. $1170 is below normal retail price.

[LJC]

Mark:

What do you mean, "normal" retail?

[Coop]

This is messed up! Should be $1,500.00. Thats exactly 2 of my mortgage payments. For this I get a 3,500 square foot house fashionably close to Vancouver. I can't see myself ever getting a taste of anything from the DRC.

[Pan]

DRC?

[Craig Camp]

  Pan said:

DRC?

Darn' Right Capitalistic

(Domaine de la Romanee Conti)

[Mark Sommelier]

  LJC said:

Mark:

What do you mean, "normal" retail?

Normal retail price equals wholesale price times 1.5. $800 wholesale in a retail store should be $1200. The more common example is the ocean of wine that importers/suppliers/distributors sell for $6.66. Intended retail is - tada!! - $9.99.

I have tasted Montrachet, Domaine de la Romanée Conti (DRC, Michael) many times. It is indeed sublime. Haven't tasted the 2001 yet.

[Rieslingfan]

If this is even remotely justifiable then Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese should carry the same price tag.

DRC pricing (and Petrus...and Le Pin) is a joke to the nth degree.

[Chris Cognac]

  Coop said:

This is messed up! Should be $1,500.00. Thats exactly 2 of my mortgage payments. For this I get a 3,500 square foot house fashionably close to Vancouver. I can't see myself ever getting a taste of anything from the DRC.

Damn that's only around 1/2 of mine!..For that I get a 52 yr old 3 bed with broken everything next to a freeway!...But I am 4 miles from the Ocean and 15 miles from Downtown L.A. and my commute is only a few mins as opposed to 2 hrs that some of my friends drive!....And there is a great Mexican take out joint right at the beach....Grab

some taco's and watch the sun slowly sink into the ocean.....Yea, its alright..Plus I am wearing shorts today...along with a wicked aloha shirt!

[Coop]

Sounds better then a bottle of grape juice for the same price!