Don’t know if anyone can help me on this but I’ll throw it out there anyway.
Just returned from a trip which included visiting a friend in Monaco .
This friend asked me if I could help him with a favor requested by a friend of his. This friend of a friend is a multi-billionaire . He wants to visit Screaming Eagle apparently for the primary purpose of buying wine directly at the property. (Most likely for bragging rights when he entertains his other billionaire friends).
I explained to my friend I have no contacts at Screaming Eagle but could possibly get him into other California wineries, but my friend said no, this guy has only 24 hours for this caper, and specifically wants Screagle ,and plans on arriving by the helicopter which is housed on his yacht.
I called the few friends I have who might be able to pull this off and they were unsuccessful. They also told me unless his helicopter was an armed Apache, he would most likely not be able to buy directly at the vineyard anyway.
Anyway, does anyone have any pull at Screaming Eagle? My own friend is also a billionaire and would most likely pay for this favor.
This is how things work in the inner circles of Monaco.
Philip - I have no billionaire friends but two close buds with hundreds of millions. Neither would ever seek to execute this level of douchebaggery. Will they each actually go crazy if they net another 500M or so?
Like I said a year ago, give me a call when you come to LA or Santa Ynez and we’ll talk about wrestling and bored,unhappy billionaire douchbags .
If I didn’t know people like this, I would always be a little envious. The only remaining resentment is that I can no longer afford to buy great wines due to people like this.
Every once I a while I read a thread subject that causes me to wonder whether the thread was supported by good common sense, or whether it was started simply to focus attention on something other than wine.
Strangely,I have a friend whose second cousin’s wife knows someone who wants to anchor his yacht in The Russian River, so he can visit a winery there, with the object of buying wine directly from that particular winery. Seems he doesn’t trust middlemen or retailers because his buddy, a Mr. Koch, was stung buying counterfeit wines. Plausible? Unlikely, but still there might be just a shred of light.
Perhaps I should have refrained from posting on this thread, and possibly began a new thread.
Tell your friend I’ll let him land his small drone on my patio and he can pick up a very rare magnum of Sutter Home White Zinfandel. For him, only $500,000.
The major point is for him to brag to his friends that he loaded the Screagle he is serving them on his helicopter after visiting and purchasing them during a visit to the property.
No…he/we completely get it. However using this topic as an AM punching bag as it’s full of stupidity and arrogance is something we here at WB tend to relish.
You are correct, this is an issue tangential to , but bigger than wine.
I have an interest in the cultural significance of wine /restaurants . We had an enlightening cultural experience at restaurant Paul Bocuse during this trip, and posted this in the Epicurean section.
On this trip I gave a talk on why Romanee Conti is so expensive, in terms of the bragging rights which emanate from the cultural significance of Romanee Conti in the court of the Prince of Conti.
This scenario is very similar to what motivates this friend of a friend.