Size of a "case" of wine

My numeracy seems to be challenged today! 10% off is a better deal than 1/12th, sorry!

It is. I think they always specify a "6 bottle case" though. And in the sense that the supplier deliver the wines in 6 bottle boxes I suppose that is fair enough.

Some shops in Britain are only licensed to sell by the case. In this case, a case is 9.0li.

Regardless of which is a better deal, to me a "case price has always meant simply a discount for buying by the case. No specific amount of discount is implied by the term.

In our store, a case is typically 12x750ml (9.0L) or equivalent.... i.e.

6x1.5L would be a case, as would 24x375ml or any combination. The caveat being wines shipped as 6 bottle "case" in which point we honor the 10% discount, as is customary in the Southeast.

Cheers, Gary

Sorry, I am neither British nor American, so correct me if I am wrong.

When talking about production figures, a "case" is always the equivalent of 12 bottles @ 750ml each, i.e. 9 liters.

As to what is meant as "case" in retail/trade, I have no idea. Normally it should mean the same (12 standard bottles), but don't forget that there is one major wine producing area that never ever has shipped anything else than 6-bottle cases (at least not in the modern era): Champagne.

M.

Decanter, which is quite British, still reports the auction prices of wines for a case of 12 bottles. This seems to have been standard for the British auction trade for a very long time.

In the US I have seen a few cardboard cartons, which many here call cases, that hold 15 standard bottles of wine - usually less expensive wine. I first noticed this when I once bought 12 bottles of mixed wines. They were packed into a cardboard carton, and I saw 3 empty cells. I at first thought some of the wine was missing, and then I noticed that the box held 15 bottles. Also 1/2 bottles often come in cartons of 24 bottles, and magnums in cartons of 6 bottles.

Reply to snipped-for-privacy@cwdjr.net .

I have to disagree. I have been in the retail wine trade for twenty years and in fact I receive most of my Champagne in twelve bottle cases. I have been guest of most of the major producers of Champagne and have seen most their products come off the bottling line and then being packed in twelve bottle cases. As for still wines I receive most in cases of twelve bottles. Some of the higher end wines are packed six bottles per case. We give discounts to both six and twelve bottle cases. I am in the United States so it might be different in other countries.

With the greatest of respect, are you referring to Champagne (the *real* Champagne) or a generic sparkling wine.

Because, I agree with Michael P. All of the Champagne I have seen imported into NZ is in 6 bottle cases.

Salut/Hi James Silverton,

le/on Sun, 27 Mar 2005 15:42:24 -0500, tu disais/you said:-

Traditionally and classically, a case meant a dozen bottles even in the UK.

However, many french winemakers ship in cartons of 6, and ordering a "case" from them can lead to disappointment. I'd go so far as to say that most supermarkets in the UK and France have much of their wines delivered in 6 bottles cartons. However if I were asking for a "case discount", I'd not expect this to be quantities of less than a dozen.

No, James, a case price is nearly always 10% in the UK. When I was running my wine consultancy biz, I wasn't allowed to buy and sell, but I could pay "on behalf" of a client, so long as the money changing hands was the same. So I would get 10% case discount, and then take a bottle in the case as commission and that meant that everyone gained. I'd get my bottle, the shop sold a case and the client got 2.5% discount off normal bottle price in effect.

Nowadays I always spell out how many dozens I want.

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Never heard of the difference between "Champagne", a wine producing area in Northern France, and "domestic champagne", a generic US product?

Or do you simply read posts inattentively?

M.

I am UK based, and the only merchant I know that gives a case discount means 12 for the price of 11.

So both discount schemes exist, but as you are in the wine business I'll willingly accept that 10% is more common.

Interesting.... so if a case discount means 12 for 11, does that mean you can't mix and match bottles, or do they have to all be the same price? We use 10% so that a customer can mix and match but still receive a discount.... and we're US based.

Cheers, Gary

Well, at the merchant I was referring to, the deal is that the cheapest bottle in the case is free, unless that bottle is worth less than 5% in which case the deal reverts to the 5% discount that you get for ordering a minimum of 6 bottles. It gets complicated if you order more than one mixed case, but I think bottles are distributed in cases to best advantage for the customer and you get 5% on the remainder :-)

5% on 6 bottles is the deal at all the major supermarkets over here BTW, and quite a few smaller shops seem to offer it too.

(Since posting last time I have just remembered I do know of a place that does 10% on a case.)

Salut/Hi Steve Slatcher,

le/on Mon, 28 Mar 2005 10:00:35 +0100, tu disais/you said:-

Well, blow me down!! Shows how things change. Sorry James for misleading you and thanks Steve for correcting me.

"Sibeer" skrev i melding news:hPV1e.7400$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

Hi I think the guys jumped a bit too quickly to the wrong conclusion... :-) We'll have to accept for a fact that at least some major French Champagne producers export to you in 12 bottle cases, unless proven otherwise :-) To which Champagne houses have you been? Anders