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Attention PA Shoppers

ludja
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ludja

ludja

Posted
Posted (edited)

Article in Wednesday's SF Chronicle: click

The article discusses Jonathan Newman's efforts as chairman of PA's Liquor Control Board to negotiate good prices for PA consumers in return for educating and opening up a new market of wine buyers to wineries. This is probably already being discussed on the board but I thought there might be some additional tidbits or perspectives that might be interesting to folks.

When he visits Napa and Sonoma county wineries three times a year, Newman asks for shocking discounts, such as two-thirds off the original wholesale price. Do they protest? Perhaps some do, but more often the winery proprietors say yes and then serve him a gourmet lunch -- though he says he prefers Jack in the Box tacos.

In less than three years as PLCB chairman, Newman, 43, has transformed Pennsylvania from an enological backwater into arguably the best place in America to buy wine. His Chairman's Selection program regularly offers fine wines from California at prices as low as a third of suggested retail. And not just California -- wineries from Italy, Spain and Chile also bow to his buying power.

edited to add: courtesy of PamelaF's diligent digests of the SF Chromicle each week.

Edited by ludja (log)

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

Posted
Posted

Sheesh! Where's everybody been?? We've been singing the Chairman's praises in this thread for months now, and I hope y'all didn't miss our Chat with PLCB Chairman Jonathan Newman just last week.

But thanks for the link. It's a great article and even better, every word of it is true. :cool:

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

ludja

ludja

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
Sheesh!  Where's everybody been??  We've been singing the Chairman's praises in this thread for months now, and I hope y'all didn't miss our Chat with PLCB Chairman Jonathan Newman just last week.

But thanks for the link.  It's a great article and even better, every word of it is true.  :cool:

:smile: I did know about the first thread, but didn't know how much it discussed price vs. accessiblity to certain wines. And, I *did* miss the discussion with him last week!. Please add this to one of the existing threads if more appropriate.

Edited by ludja (log)

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

shacke

shacke

Posted
Posted

"Cakebread Cellars, Whitehall Lane Winery and Flora Springs Winery & Vineyards are just three more of the famous names that have slashed their prices far below normal California wholesale to get their wines in Newman's Chairman's Selection program."

Cakebread Chairman's selection???? :wacko: Deidre! Info! Stat! (drooling noises....) Did this already happen?

Dough can sense fear.

philadining

philadining

Posted
Posted

Ludja, thanks for the link to the the article, it's good that the improvements here are getting notice elsewhere.

We here in the PA forum are pretty big fans of Jonathan Newman, and the new PALCB. In fact, a bunch of us, looped on a few too many bottles of bargain Cakebread declared our devotion by visiting the tattoo parlor:

gallery_23992_1199_4074.jpg

gallery_23992_1199_2377.jpg

I hope we don't live to regret this....

"Philadelphia’s premier soup dumpling blogger" - Foobooz

philadining.com

shacke

shacke

Posted
Posted
Ludja, thanks for the link to the the article, it's good that the improvements here are getting notice elsewhere.

We here in the PA forum are pretty big fans of Jonathan Newman, and the new PALCB. In fact, a bunch of us, looped on a few too many bottles of bargain Cakebread declared our devotion by visiting the tattoo parlor:

gallery_23992_1199_4074.jpg

gallery_23992_1199_2377.jpg

I hope we don't live to regret this....

I'd post mine but its still a family site. lol. Boy that one hurt the next morning.

Dough can sense fear.

philadining

philadining

Posted
Posted
I'd post mine but its still a family site. lol.  Boy that one hurt the next morning.

Yeah, well, having them transcribe that ENTIRE Wine Spectator review was pretty hardcore, man. Especially in that location. I still think you shouldn't have had them ink-in that full glass of cabernet, but hey, it's your body. Hope the swelling has gone down.

"Philadelphia’s premier soup dumpling blogger" - Foobooz

philadining.com

KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

Posted
Posted
Sheesh!  Where's everybody been??  We've been singing the Chairman's praises in this thread for months now, and I hope y'all didn't miss our Chat with PLCB Chairman Jonathan Newman just last week.

But thanks for the link.  It's a great article and even better, every word of it is true.  :cool:

:smile: I did know about the first thread, but didn't know how much it discussed price vs. accessiblity to certain wines. And, I *did* miss the discussion with him last week!. Please add this to one of the existing threads if more appropriate.

Ludja:

The discussion is still pinned at the top of the forum. Good questions and good answers from 'da Man. Excellent constructive suggestions on how to improve customer service as well. It went great.

I ran into the Chairman at the Philly Wine Festival. He always has nice things to say about eGullet. :wub:

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

Sfuffy

Sfuffy

Posted
Posted

Nice article but I think it's a bit off the mark in putting the blame on PA's archaic liquor laws on the Amish-Quaker axis.

herbacidal

herbacidal

Posted
Posted

Having not read the article quite yet, it's not just the Amish-Quaker axis.

But it's never one particular reason for something.

In this case, there's also the state store workers' union, the beer distributors'.

I'm probably leaving a few out.

Herb aka "herbacidal"

Tom is not my friend.

gabe

gabe

Posted
Posted

Modern Amish and Quakers in Pennsylvania are pretty different from each other, and I wouldn't call either group a "powerful temperance lobby." The Amish are pretty laissez-faire libertarian (though they vote Republican). Neo-Prohibition is not on the legislative agenda of any Quaker I know.

The bureaucratic beast is self-perpetuating. At least under Newman's reign it's starting to bring us great wine, cheap. Now if only they'd let us buy beer in grocery stores.

This Quaker likes good wine and good beer in moderation and has no interest in denying anyone theirs.

philadining

philadining

Posted
Posted
Nice article but I think it's a bit off the mark in putting the blame on PA's archaic liquor laws on the Amish-Quaker axis.

Ahh but don't underestimate the power of the Amish-Quaker axis.... you'll note that zippers are still illegal in Pennsylvania. And we are all required by law to sit quietly for a few hours on Sundays.

OK, I could be wrong about those.

But there has to be some reason that one can sell shoofly pie without a sucrose-overdose warning label. I suspect it's the Amish-Quaker axis....

"Philadelphia’s premier soup dumpling blogger" - Foobooz

philadining.com

Sfuffy

Sfuffy

Posted
Posted
Having not read the article quite yet, it's not just the Amish-Quaker axis.

But it's never one particular reason for something.

In this case, there's also the state store workers' union, the beer distributors'.

I'm probably leaving a few out.

It has yet to be updated to account for the influence of the Amish-Quaker axis but this is my earlier exigesis on the subject.

  • 2 weeks later...
Deidre Costello

Deidre Costello

Posted
Posted

This was originally posted on the Pa Wine Bargains thread by Capaneus (Capaneus, I hope you don’t mind I copied it here!) I thought that you may find this useful if you see the list here too. I will say the two newest favorites of mine in this round are Talbott Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow and the Arrowood Syrah Le Beau Melange 2001 both just came in. By the way if you want to receive this advance notice yourself check in with your local specialty store manager and ask to get you name on the e-mail notification list.

http://t.lt05.net/c.asp?mNRoSpTT4UVCaTnnFC...zViJMN2TogHeA0g

http://t.lt05.net/c.asp?JgkSVd9VeNhHkevqLm...zViJMN2TogHeA0g

http://t.lt05.net/c.asp?ZULPQBdWn2X0tnFmQK...zViJMN2TogHeA0g

As Capaneaus put it in his post on another thread:

”Happy Hunting.”

-Deidre

By the way Katie, loved meeting you at the Philly Festival!

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