Comments on: No wine worth more than $10?

By: tom merle

tom merle — Sat, 23 May 2009 20:45:31 +0000

Something got lost in the translation. What Fred, my old classmate, must have said and actually means is that you can produce a wine of quality for under $10 and therefore the consumer shouldn’t have to pay more than $10 for a fine California wine. Where costs go up, as with Napa grapes, even Bronco has to charge more. Of his 50 brands, a good eight are priced between 10 and 20 dollars. Logically, this doesn’t change his main premise.

By: lgking

lgking — Sat, 23 May 2009 03:24:06 +0000

James@

I hear you and understand your position, but I still can not agree. Just because someone is newer to the game and has to pay higher prices for all his costs…does NOT necessarily justify the high cost of the end resulting product.

Back in the ’80’s I use to work for a guy who did something else all his life and then a friend of his made it big in the US wine industry…and he thought he wanted that too. He bought expensive prime land, and the best winemaking equipment, and built a showpiece of a winery.

His costs were enormous, and the Chard would retail for around $20.00, and the Cab would retail for around $25.00.

We use to put on staff ‘blind tastings’ at the winery several times a month. We all would search high and low for wines from every price point and country. At the end of the day, his wines were no better than $10.00 – $12.00 bottles of the other guys.

So my point is that a wineries ‘high costs’ do not necissarily JUSTIFY some of the rediculous asking prices.

Most businesses in most industries do extensive market research to evaluate if in fact they can bring to market a product that is both price competetive and good value…and still make some money at the end of the day. I truely do not think this is being done to any great extent in this industry. A lot of people just ‘jump in’ because they want to see their name on a bottle.

By: t.vierra

t.vierra — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:49:01 +0000

“There is nothing in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and he who considers price only is that man’s lawful prey.”
John Ruskin

By: Arthur, winesooth

Arthur, winesooth — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:40:55 +0000

@ John M Kelly:

How about the Coppola offerings found on supermarket shelves – just to begin? Raisin, raisin and more raisin. Then there is the $48(+) bottle of Joseph Phelps Napa cab. Cleaner than the TBC cab, for sure, and showing more distinct and vibrant varietal traits (I am deliberately avoiding the use of the word “character” here). But 48 bucks?.
Yes, TBC reds are pretty lame (though of variable quality between the cab, merlot and shiraz), the white zin is ridiculous and the sauv blancs tend to be flabby and funky, but the consistent pack leader in that line up is the chardonnay.

By: Dylan

Dylan — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:32:44 +0000

Steve, my prediction is that we’re going to see the rise of the middle market wine category happening in the next two to three years. Millenials are entering a phase where I believe they are prepared to start paying more than just “whatever is cheapest” and looking into the price range of $12-$25 for higher quality than they drank prior. There will be a demand at this price range for better quality than the cheaper stuff and greater varieties to choose from. I’m not saying Millenials will be the only participants in this category, but I feel as though they’ll be the catalyst necessary to motivate ventures and resources into that price/quality balance.