My monthly stupid question: Copperidge Cab Sav 1999.

Yes I have heard of it. I bought a bottle of it here in an Ontario Liquor Control Board store. I found it sweet for a cab, I served it with a Roast of Beef it was OK not great. I have never rushed out to search for more. It is on many a menu in mid chain restaurants in the USA. Some have it as their red house wine. it is common, drinkable, and forgetable. You probably got your money's worth.

Take care

Bob Patrick

Yes, it's a very low price wine usually found in the US only on restaurant wine lists, typically sold by the glass. As you infer, it is a cheap table wine, soft and uninteresting and in my very limited experience, sometimes thin and dilute. The "California" designation on the label is a warning sign, as it indicates that the grapes were sourced either from multiple AVAs (not a bad thing in principle) or sourced from an AVA that they wish to keep off the label (the various Central Valley counties known for raisins more than vitis vinifera usually). In this case, I'd expect the latter explanation.

Mark Lipton

Thanks Bob and Mark, much appreciated.

I picked it up for $AU4.00, so it was *very* cheap. But I get wines at

15-25% of (not off) retail price often.

I had word from someone who bought exactly the same bottle (and who shares similar tastes) that it wasn't too bad. So at least its a forgettable quaffer. Might have to crack it open for a BBQ or pizza or something. I doubt it will last much longer in the bottle.

Thanks again,

Mat.

in article 4192c6b2 snipped-for-privacy@news.iprimus.com.au, Mat at Ask@me wrote on 11/10/04

5:55 PM:

Obviously just jealous, but wondering how you can buy wine at below the retailer's cost.

Ah ha! He's got a bite! :-)

Well at my local liquor chain they are currently killing off surplus stock from another store (and do so from time to time). So it's 60%+ off. Then you buy six you get 10% off (or 20% sometimes) then I get 5% employee discount.

So I guess its not really 15-25% I pay, as the discount is rolling, not all at once. You get 60% off. Then you get 10%/20% off the discounted price, then 5% off that. So say a $10 bottle. Lose 60%+, goes to $4.

10%/20% off that is 40/80c, so say $3.60/$3.20. Then 5% off that. 18c/16c.

So for a $10 retail bottle its $3.42 or $3.44. Considering it is one of the most expensive places to buy grog (well for a large retailer, there are much cheaper) it is still pretty cheap. Picked up some rather nice bottles in various ranges for much discount.

Just have to be careful, especially with more expensive bottles. They have a return policy, but sitting there in the light all that time. For perhaps literally years.

I'm still pretty pleased with myself tho, lol. :-D

in article 4192f8e2$1 snipped-for-privacy@news.iprimus.com.au, Mat at Ask@me wrote on 11/10/04

9:30 PM:

I wish you well with that. I buy T-shirts using that strategy, but with wine I think I'm happier paying more and selecting wines based on recommendation and with an open selection. I rarely see anything I recognize on "close-out" at my local retailers.

Hi, I went into my local LCBO(Liquor Control Board of Ontario) Store yesterday and noted they have replaced the Copperidge with Silveridge. Now this was $7.45 a 750 ml. bottle in Canadian funds. This represents entry level. I am being nice.

Take care

Bob Patrick

I work as a purchaser in a hotel in NJ, we use Copperridge as the house pour. It is 3.17 a bottle my cost. It is cheap but at that price who cares, it is an acceptable quaffing wine

Enjoy it!!!!

Citra is just as cheap from Italy

O tish tosh! :-)

There were a few well knowns there (Annie's Lane, Angoves for example [well known Aus labels]). I think because its a mass-market outlet, anything that isn't in the top 10 sellers (Wolf Blass, Rosemount, Jacob's Creek etc) tends not to sell. And when stores get refurbished etc they need to get rid of surplus stock, so spread it around other outlets.

I personally find that recommended-ers have a low hit rate for me. Many a time I've read a high score review and rushed out and bought a bottle, only to not see what the writer saw. In fact sometimes I wonder if they just read the notes off the back of the bottle. That is a rather long topic in itself.

I like not closing my mind and trying new and interesting things. I haven't had the time or the years to develop strict tastes. I prefer heavier reds, or slightly fruitier whites when it is hot. But if something interests me for whatever reason (maybe strange appelation, or one I've not tried, maybe an unusual grape, maybe something with an odd vintage). Sometimes if even the label interests me I'll buy it.

Had some hits, had some misses, but thats all part of the fun. I used to be a one bottle man, always got the same one. That lasted about 6 months, then I thot with all that wine out there, whats the point of that?

For a special occaision I will go after something specific however, as taking a risk is inadvisable. But just for casual drinking its go crazy. I guess if ur paying a lot for an individual bottle you might not be so foot loose and fancy free, but I'm pretty low rent unfortunately.

I'm not sure what the exchange rate is, but Melbourne is somewhat further, not to mention a rather large ocean away from California than New Jersey (I assume that is what NJ stands for) and Ontario.

I'm tipping the Canadian dollar is worth more than the Oz dollar. $AU4 is what, $US3?

Four dollars Oz (RRP was about $AU10-12 from memory) is what ud pay for a cup of coffee. So even if it is complete pig-swill (and someone mentioned it was passable) I'll quite happily drink it on a lazy evening with pizza, TV and friends, and have a warm glow basking in my own thrift. :-)

] Midlife wrote: ] [] ] > Obviously just jealous, but wondering how you can buy wine at below the ] > retailer's cost. ] > ] ] ] Ah ha! He's got a bite! :-) ] ] Well at my local liquor chain they are currently killing off surplus ] stock from another store (and do so from time to time). So it's 60%+ ] off. Then you buy six you get 10% off (or 20% sometimes) then I get 5% ] employee discount. ] []

We sometimes get situations like this in France, too. Since we're still bottom feeding -- Adele being done with treatments and certified clean, but still has tasting problems -- some of these close-outs can be very attractive. Recently we've been getting a few new world wines, and since the Normans won't touch 'em they end up in the cheap bin. Decent mass market carmenere "Casa Mayor" and Sangre de Toro for 1.50 EU! I can live with that! :)

-E

Hi the Canadian $ is .83 of Us $. so the $7.45 Canadian would be $6.18 US. There is an LCBO mark up. I have no Idea how many times whole sale the retail price becomes. Ontario tends to tax the hell out of everything, especially items containing alcohol or tobacco.

Bob Patrick

Hi Emery,

I'm not a great believer > bottom feeding -- Adele being done with treatments and certified clean,

Wonderful news. Send her our best, Emery.

They'll get better by all accounts.

Al the best,

Ian from the "Great North Wet" which has belied its name and been warm and sunny for most of the time. We're in Arcata, northern California, vising redwoods. (Had an indifferent chinese meal last night, one of the first poor meals in our trip - shame).

All the best

Ian H (despite the address above)

] Hi Emery, ] ] I'm not a great believer in using NGs for personal messages, but the ] circumstances warrant it for once, IMO. ] []

Thanks muchly from us both, Ian. And also to those others on the group who have been supportive.

cheers,

-E

Thanks for the info Bob. The Australian dollar is about 0.79c US these days.

Yeah up until recently wine has escaped much taxation in Australia. Someone like Swooper (hello Matt) might be able to shed further light, but I believe the federal govenment added some silly wine tax recently which never used to exist.

We must after all tax fun things wherever possible to get maximum revenue. :-\

A case of domestic beer goes up approx $AU1 every 6 months (or it might be 12 months), as for tobacco I don't smoke. I think its about $AU50 (very roughly) a carton. A case of domestic beer is up to about $AU33. Most of the money on beer and tobacco is tax. As for wine I'm not really sure how that works in Australia these days.

Mat.

As a footnote to this thread, someone I know gave the 1999 a 9/10 very recently.

Liked it so much they went out and brought 2 bottles of the 2000 (1999 all gone, only 2 of the 2000 left).

This from a lover of big bold cab sav and shiraz, such as Tahbilk Shiraz, Taylor's Cab Sav, De Bortoli Vat 9 Deen Cab Sav, Pepperjack Shiraz and the like (all drunk young).

I have not had the chance to open mine yet. Looking forward to it now tho, if not just for something different and exciting and new (to me anyway).