Newbie looking for reference

She remarried a couple/three years ago and ended up moving to Napa. She's recently reissued her original tasting book with a photo of her at the new digs.

Firefox makes my XP machine freeze at random times! otherwise i like it.....

Thanks for the info. My copy of her "short course," was the first printing, so I am behind the curve.

Hunt

James scribed:

Poo! Opera is superior to Firefox.

Salut/Hi snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com,

le/on 20 Feb 2006 08:01:49 -0800, tu disais/you said:-

A typical Scarpitti reply. Inaccurate, arrogant and ill mannered. That's why many people here regard his as a troll. He may not be as entirely ignorant about one tiny sector of wine, but the general tenor of his replies show a person who, were he to be as rude face to face as he is here, would be sporting a very well merited broken nose at least.

On behalf of the rest of us. I apologise to Konrad. We're not all boors.

He is. Why does anyone presuppose he'll be 'ripped off'? The expensive wines are expensive because that's what the market is willing to pay for them (i.e., the market agrees that the price is fair), and wineries that over-price wine do not stay in business very long.

Then perhaps you can explain "Opus One"? You obviously don't know shit about pricing and marketing of wine.

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote:

"Bi!!" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@t39g2000cwt.googlegroups.com:

And then there is Far Niente Cab

Well, I certainly have never bought that wine, as I buy only Italian wines. I did see a gent walking out with a case of that crap from a wine shop.

Let's try this: "By and large, you get what you pay for."

I would get ripped off if I paid considerably more for something than I would have, if I had chosen another vendor or a similar product. I "presumed" that this could happen with wine because it does in the world of tea, from where I came, in which you need reliable, knowledgeable and honest dealers, if you want something better than mediocre.

And after randomly browsing wine-searcher and google for about five minutes, I found two web stores selling the same wine for completely different prices, making your argument, which you consider so obvious that allows you to be disrespectful to others, entirely bullshit.

Hi Konrad,

On 2 Mar 2006 22:54:04 -0800 "Konrad" wrote:

My, what a thread you've started. I apologize for our resident troll, who is best ignored, and also for my poor attempt at humor which was intended to remind that this is an international group with residents of many countries involved.

I think your point for tea is completely valid for wine also, or any product that sometimes involves a certain quality. With wine -- as with tea -- the question of provenance and storage is paramount. But unlike tea, with wine there is no way to tell (aside from gross abuse) that a bottle has been badly stored before you open it. So it is sometimes worthwhile paying a premium to a reputable dealer, especially one with whom you've built a relationship.

There are many wines that are vastly overpriced for the quality. Someone named Opus One, a classic example. These "status wines" are usually avoided by the knowledgeable. I have had many a bottle at 10 EU (and less) that offer far more enjoyment than this sort of product. Wine is so varied that it is difficult except in the largest sense to equate price with quality. To navigate this minefield a certain amount of reading and study is useful, but a relationship with a good retailer is the best tool. If you are willing to tell us what market you're in, someone may be able to make a recommendation on that score.

Further, as you point out, there can be a vast price disparity for exactly the same wine. (The case you site is a bit tricky, because futures are allocated in "tranches" and the price can depend on when the supplier buys. In other words the higher price may not be "ripping you off" so much as having paid a higher wholesale). There are a few ways to see if a price is reasonable. The most reliable, in my view, is to contact the producer and see what they are selling it for. That works well here in France, where there is a lot of direct sales. (Indeed, that's how I get most of my wine). Some Bordeaux estates, though, as well AFAIK in California, intentionally market direct at higher than retail in order to avoid undercutting distributors etc. There is wine-searcher as you now know. And, as with tea, there is the trusted relationship between a good retail outlet and the client. When in Paris I sometimes visit a small shop that specializes in small, naturally produced and organic or biodynamic wines. The guy always has me blind taste a few samples, and because I've correctly identified a few (but muffed many more, I'm not a very talented blind taster) he respects my palate, as I respect his approach and choices. He is perfectly willing to discuss margins and I have every desire and interest for him to make a living and stay in business. In short, we trust each other and as such I have no worry about overpaying.

Indeed. As someone new to this normally very civil group, you had no way to know, but 95% of this poster's writing is offensive nonsense.

Anyway, HTH.

-E

Wine pricing in many states is regulated. In Ohio, it's 150% of cost. A wine that costs the dealer $10 must be sold at $15,

Restaurants often treble the cost. THAT'S where you get 'ripped off'.

K> > Let's try this: "By and large, you get what you pay for."

Different states? Of course!