PLCB Website Updated

[KatieLoeb]

Hi everyone:

My local PLCB Wine Manager turned me on to the new and improved functionality of the PLCB website. The inventory is now in real time (within one day, updated overnight every night, I think), so you can actually find the stores that have the product you are seeking. This new functionality is brand spanking new out of the wrapper as of TODAY - 2/01/05. I will give you an example:

I wish to find a bottle of Roth Cabernet Sauvignon 2001. I happen to know that the Specialty code is 11010. I go to the following page:

PLCB Product Search

I punch in the code at the bottom where it says "Search for Code:" and click "SEARCH".

When the results page comes up I click on the underlined code in the far left column. I can then specify by city or county where I'd like my search area to be. When I click on "SUBMIT" I will then get a list of stores within my specified area that are carrying the product, and more importantly, HOW MANY UNITS ARE IN STOCK! Bloody brilliant!!! This improvement should make all of us far more self-sufficient consumers and save us a lot of time tying up the phone looking for wine that's already sold out at our first choice store, but might still be available down the road. It will also make the PLCB store employees more aware of the stock in their stores, and better equipped to provide better customer service.

Even if you don't know the code, you can search by keyword and sort by price, by brand name or by code order if you'd like. It's a little more work, but everything is right there for you to use. Remember, even monkeys poke sticks into anthills to get the ants out. It's all about the tools, people!

Gotta love it! Yet another step into the 21st century for the PLCB. All hail the Chairman!!!

[herbacidal]

That is a totally awesome upgrade to the system.

Rock on, Mr. Newman.

[mrbigjas]

whoa that's good stuff.

[cdh]

yee hah!

[katbert]

Is the PA wine & spirits page supposed to be a complete listing of what's offered? The product lookup for PLCB says that

07826 Regular FAIRVIEW GOATS DO ROAM IMP. RED VI $8.99

exists in several stores in PHL, but the PA wine & spirits doesn't have anything with goat in the name except for : Fairview Goat Roti $15.49. I admit that wines that invoke animals are appealing for me. Cute!

[KatieLoeb]

Is the PA wine & spirits page supposed to be a complete listing of what's offered? The product lookup for PLCB says that

07826    Regular  FAIRVIEW GOATS DO ROAM IMP. RED VI    $8.99

exists in several stores in PHL, but the PA wine & spirits doesn't have anything with goat in the name except for : Fairview Goat Roti $15.49. I admit that wines that invoke animals are appealing for me. Cute!

←

Katbert:

The items listed as "Regular" mean they are are standard stock in virtually every PLCB store. The product lookup is good to find out the code so you can call ahead and have those bottles pulled for you if you want. This upgrade makes the harder to find "Specialty" products easier to locate, as they are only available in the limited number of "Specialty" stores. These are usually the big bargain "Chairman's Selections", etc.

I forsee battles ahead with lancastermike and mike volker and I racing around trying to beat each other to the last half case of something spectacular.

I hear the Flora Springs Trilogy 2001 is coming soon. Gentlemen - start your engines!

[lancastermike]

Is the PA wine & spirits page supposed to be a complete listing of what's offered? The product lookup for PLCB says that

07826    Regular  FAIRVIEW GOATS DO ROAM IMP. RED VI    $8.99

exists in several stores in PHL, but the PA wine & spirits doesn't have anything with goat in the name except for : Fairview Goat Roti $15.49. I admit that wines that invoke animals are appealing for me. Cute!

←

Katbert:

The items listed as "Regular" mean they are are standard stock in virtually every PLCB store. The product lookup is good to find out the code so you can call ahead and have those bottles pulled for you if you want. This upgrade makes the harder to find "Specialty" products easier to locate, as they are only available in the limited number of "Specialty" stores. These are usually the big bargain "Chairman's Selections", etc.

I forsee battles ahead with lancastermike and mike volker and I racing around trying to beat each other to the last half case of something spectacular.

I hear the Flora Springs Trilogy 2001 is coming soon. Gentlemen - start your engines!

←

Katie,

Just came home from the Fruitville Pike store and pickins were slim.as to Chairmans Selections. The fellow who is the wine wiz was not in today but the were doing a major restocking and moving of stuff. They told me there were new things coming soon. Glad to hear your post about the search feature. I tried it and it is way cool. Yeah, I will be using that bad boy to look for the good stuff. Happy Hunting!

[mrbigjas]

i just checked, btw, and you don't actually need to know the code--just the name is generally enough. very very cool. i just put in a couple of weird liquors that they supposedly carry but that i haven't seen downtown, and found out where i can get them in the area.

[davidbdesilva]

This is very cool indeed, thanks Katie! Now I can readily see how much of a bloody mark-up I paid when I order a bottle of wine at a restaurant. Hmmmm... this site may make me even more appreciative of our BYOB's!

[KatieLoeb]

This is very cool indeed, thanks Katie! Now I can readily see how much of a bloody mark-up I paid when I order a bottle of wine at a restaurant. Hmmmm... this site may make me even more appreciative of our BYOB's!

←

David:

Surprisingly some of those huge bargain Chairman's selections or "sale" items are still sold to restaurants at the SLO or "pre-sale" prices. I had it happen to me twice at Rouge, where I paid $40-ish for a bottle of wine that went onto the wine list for $105 and then the very same wine was made available as "Specialty" to consumers for $27 and made me look like a thief!!

This should definitely make you more prepared for the BYOB's though! And make it easier to order a case of SLO wine if you so desire.

[davidbdesilva]

I have been playing around with this fun new tool (instead of working ) and have noticed that the Ardmore specialty shop seems to carry everything I've been entering (even hard to find French Burgundies). I hit the Doylestown specialty shop when I can, which is close to where I work and is pretty nice, but the Ardmore shop sounds pretty awesome. Can anyone comment on whether this store is as good as it sounds?

Thanks Katie for clarifying things for me and for turning me onto this site. Now I can at least see where I can access hard to find wines even if I can't afford them!

Edited February 4, 2005 by davidbdesilva (log)

[KatieLoeb]

I have been playing around with this fun new tool (instead of working  ) and have noticed that the Ardmore specialty shop seems to carry everything I've been entering (even hard to find French Burgundies). I hit the Doylestown specialty shop when I can, which is close to where I work and is pretty nice, but the Ardmore shop sounds pretty awesome. Can anyone comment on whether this store is as good as it sounds?

Thanks Katie for clarifying things for me and for turning me onto this site. Now I can at least see where I can access hard to find wines even if I can't afford them! 

←

David:

The Ardmore store is a very fine one indeed. I've often found hard to find (not necessarily expensive, just hard to find) wines there that weren't anywhere else. One example I can think of is the Lazy Creek Gewurztraminer. I think they were the only store (in this general area at least) that had it because the wine manager there liked it and ordered it, not because it was such a wildly popular product.

If you don't specify any county for your search and just click on SUBMIT you can see where every bottle of the desired wine is in the entire state. If you're feeling really ambitious you can ask to have the wine transferred from the East of End of the Earth store to your local store. The process takes a few weeks, but it's worth it if it's something you truly covet.

[davidbdesilva]

Yes I have been doing exactly that! Currently I'm wiping up the drool from the puddle beneath my computer as I lust after the French Red Burgundies (Volnay's, Corton's and the like) and the Cognac and Armangnac XO's that pop up! (getting turned on by wine? ). But, the price tags act as a quick cold shower for my excitement

I can see it now, "honey I'll be right back, I'm driving to Allegheny county to pick up a bottle of cognac!" Ha!