Swirl Envy Lite, Restaurant Prices, Wine Bigotry, Calendaring!

One of my favorite email wine publications is 30-Second Wine Advisor

The first article was about the prices of wine in restaurants. As you all know, this is a particular pet peeve of mine. When I went into a particular restaurant some months ago (that I named once and won’t give them publicity any more) that had an $11.00 bottle of Nobilo (a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc) on their wine list for $46.00, I went ballistic. We’re not talking about a carefully stored wine that may have earned a higher price because the restaurant ensured its providence, but we’re talking about a wine that is under screwcap and can be stored in a cooler somewhere. A good wine (delicious, as a matter of fact), but certainly not worth *that* kind of markup! There was not that kind of perceived added value.

Restaurants routinely mark up the prices of wine three to four times the wholesale price that they pay, therefore making quite a tidy little sum on each bottle. While I am the last person to deny anyone a decent profit and love the free-market system in which we live, I feel that this is unjust and does not help the restaurants.

At any rate, 30-Second Wine Advisor printed the following, which is an excerpt from the email:

Still, a $25 price tag on a $5 bottle seems to be pushing it … yet it’s not uncommon. It’s no wonder that wine lovers enthusiastically embrace BYO where the law allows; and that many more elect to pass on wine in favor of beer or a non-alcoholic beverage when dining out.

Accordingly, I’m watching with considerable interest as a local restaurant rolls out a cheeky challenge to wine-list practice. Louisville’s Bristol Bar & Grille

, celebrating its 30th anniversary, announced that effective immediately it will offer its entire wine list at twice each wine’s wholesale price, effectively matching full-retail wine shop prices.

As a practical matter, this means that the Bristol’s bottle price for Heidsieck Champagne will drop from $57 a bottle to about $33. Trevor Jones “Virgin” Australian Chardonnay, $31 on the old list, now sells for $19. The sought-after Cakebread Chardonnay, which sells around $70 at many Louisville eateries, now goes on the Bristol’s list at $38.

I think this will be fabulous for the restaurant *and* the consumer, and I’ll tell you why.

First, I admire the guts it took to tackle the problem head-on. Second, if a person knows that he or she is going to pay something close to retail, that person is likely to buy an entire bottle, or, if in a group, won’t hesitate to try multiple bottles if the event calls for it. Let’s see. Customers buying more stuff. More wines may mean more food. That means a larger check total, customers that feel satisfied and not ripped off, and everybody is happy. Customers are less likely to bring in a bottle and pay corkage because they know that the prices on the restaurant’s wine list are fair.

I would rather pay $25.00 corkage for my bottle of Williams Selyem than pay $200.00 for a bottle I paid $60.00 for. Do the math. That’s a “Duh!” moment. I have opted to only buy one bottle of wine at a restaurant and have gone home to open up something else to share with my guests later. Drinking the wine in the restaurant in a celebratory fashion is much better, more fun, and far more festive! I will do my best to continue to track this story to see what the impact is on that local area’s restaurant wine prices.

Now, lest you think that I have a pure, unbiased view of wine colors, I have to correct that assumption. I prefer red wines. Deep and rich, they offer full-bodied complexity. Not unlike myself. Their dark fruits and earthy character enthrall me and reds will always be my favorite.

The upshot is this: Don’t be a wine bigot. Try different wines. Read up on stuff about wine and wine pairings. Understand that some wines will go better with some foods (Chenin Blanc and Steak = Bad. Chenin Blanc and fresh Oysters = Yum).

Speaking of My Space, I’ve learned to love it! I have lots of “friends” which include Hug Cellars and Vihuela Winery of Paso Robles! I’m currently waiting for Clautiere to add me on their list. Don’t forget to send pics to my gmail account at vegasrenieatgmaildotcom so that I can post them in My Space. If you’re member, look me up at www.MySpace.com/vegaswineaux .

Until next time!

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Schedule Change Alert! Friend Me Up, Charity Event and New Store Friends!

Vegas Wineaux now has a MySpace page! The link is http://www.myspace.com/vegaswineaux. Friend me up! For quick updates, news, gossip, and non-Wineaux stuff, that’s the place to go! There is a little personal information about me and it’s a quick way to let those on my Friend list know of any changes in Wineaux plans, schedules, or of upcoming events that require a quick notice. I’ve been surprised at the response received over the last few days, and can’t wait to see y’all there!

Here’s something that’s special to me that I want to share with you. I will be head wine pourer at a charity event on Friday, October 12. It is the 1st Annual Taste of Spirit, a fundraising event for Spirit Therapies. Spirit Therapies is an organization that provides children with developmental disabilities therapy through horseback riding. As Joe Fusco, Vice President of Spirit Therapies told me, the response of the children is heartwarming. He told me the story of one young boy who’d spent his entire life in a wheelchair and being on a horse was the first time he was able to look eye-to-eye with anyone else. He’d always been looking up at others.

The event is Friday, October 12, 2007, at 6:00 p.m. at Sierra Goold, 6595 S. Jones (near the 215) in Vegas. Besides beer and wine tasting, there will be an auction, music, and live Cowboy entertainment. The tickets are $50.00 per person. Call Joe at (702) 335-7416, or check out their website at http://www.SpiritTherapies.org for further information and for tickets. Vegas Wineaux will be there, helping to support a wonderful organization and doin’ it for the kids!!

Bella Vino is a new(ish) wine store on the other side of the world in the Aliante community in North Las Vegas. Located at the intersection of Aliante and Centennial Parkway, the cool little boutique wine shop is located in the Centennial Plaza (next a pretty nice Sushi restaurant. But I digress). Because Bella Vino is exclusively a wine shop, it has wines that won’t be seen anywhere else. We snarfed up a few bottles of unusual wines, including a South African Pinotage Rosé. Stop by and say hi to Michael Harju, the proprietor. Check out their website at http://www.bellavinowinecompany.com. Michael has regular community tastings and has store tastings every Saturday. Hope to see you there!

Next week - details about the class and reviewing Wine Week!

 

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