Its that time again: hunting the bargain quaffers.

in article 4240eaa7 snipped-for-privacy@news.iprimus.com.au, Mat at Ask@me wrote on 3/22/05

If I'm understanding your post, Mat, many of these wines are in 'non-labeled' bottles..... at least I'm presuming that 'cleanskin' describes that (and from the pictures of un-labeled bottles at the site I checked as well). That's something I've never come across here in the States, and I'm assuming that's because it isn't legal here. I guess the point of my post is to find out how the Aussie law is different... why... and also to see if there is, in fact, any similar availability in the US, though I doubt it.

Hello Midlife,

You are understanding my post. They come in plain bottles with a simple stick on label usually stating alcohol content, region [never vineyard], standard drinks, retailer and that's usually pretty much it.

We sell many many thousands of cases of them. They are a boom industry at the moment. Shops / online retailers popping up everywhere.

It is a bit of an old chestnut. Why do wineries do it? Sometimes they are surplus stock. Sometimes they are poor vintages they do not want to be associated with. Sometimes they want to cut out the costs of labelling and marketting. Sometimes they were earmarked for something else, so need to be sold quick smart as the deal fell through.

So it can be the case you get a much superior wine at a bargain price. It can be the case that you get complete muck, but do not pay too much for it. I think that is where trusting your retailer comes in. Most places will let you taste it before you buy, so you know what you're getting in advance.

Everyone I know who had ever bought cleanskins from one of the better retailers [well any retailer] has always been happy with them. I'm a bit suspicious on the Safeway cleanskins however. Every single store seems to have about 200 cases, multiply that by about 150 stores in Victoria alone.

The bad thing is that if it is a 100% wine to you personally, you can usually never find it again, they run out etc.

I can't see why the US would not take this on board. Its a win-win for producer-consumer. You cut out the cost of labelling, marketting etc bringing down the price greatly.

I am very surprised that given the success of this in Australia various entities in the US industry are not screaming for it.

I'm sure some other US ppl will be able to fill us in more.

Mat.

Randall's is supposedly one of the better cleanskin retailers.

Check out randalls.com.au then go to "cleanskin clearance". It is a blue blob at the top of the main frame / page.

From that page:

A CLEANSKIN IS AWINE SOLD WITHOUT A PRINTED PROPRIETARY LABEL AT REDUCED COSTS. WINE MAKERS SELL CLEANSKINS FOR SEVERAL REASONS:

• To offload excess stocks at a cheaper price without damaging their "goodwill" public image or relationships with distributors and/or other retailers.

• To offload parcels that are too small to go through the label design and printing/packaging process.

• To sell wines that are not up to the winemakers price/quality standard eg. A wine may not be good enough for a label but may be a great value cleanskin for .

• To sell of cancelled export/contract orders: or excess parts thereof.

• To make quick "cash" sales to help cash flow.

Mat.

various

I'm sure a big part of it is US labelling laws. But instead of clearskins, we have 2 buck chuck. Pretty much the same concept. Buy up excess (for whatever reason) wine and bottle it under a standard label that has been previously approved by the powers that be.

Andy