No kidding?
The poster comes off as kind of bitchy. But does have some valid gripes. Just not sure that it’s the right time and place.
Yep. Got the e-mail offering.
What is the right time and place?
Whiney, I would have put it. And too long and rambling, and too timid by half (“Selector L”?)
All legitimate beefs, perhaps, and I am in no way defending unethical behavior on anyone’s part, but the whole thing came across to me as pretty wienerish. And inside baseball, as Eric notes.
Are any of these yours? The “hot chicks” one has a copyright on it. Another professional photographer I know was complaining about a wine store that had used his photos without permission or remuneration. He sent an email and they were removed, but no remuneration.
I bought some Raffault La Singulière and found this whole tale distressing to read and just ugly. I also now wonder what hyper-extracted and overly-oaked Chinon will taste like.
Who is the ‘Italian wine Specialist in Seattle’, I thought at first Rimmerman but I didn’t know he had an ‘Italian wine specialist’.
I think rants like this are hard because on one side I understand where he’s coming from and rants are always a great read but on the other side this is business and their own personal business that probably shouldn’t be broadcast.
It’s kinda funny that Dressner is slamming and demeaning ‘natural wine’ movement a bit …
’In February at the hipster Natural Wine fairs in and around Angers (Dive Bouteile, etc…), there were many little wilding packs of New Selectors (Selecteurs Nouveaux?) and their coterie of customers…'
Isn’t this sort of how they started?
Interesting post.
I can understand the frustration – but feel airing dirty laundry like this can have the unintended consequence of making the poster look worse than the folks being accused of bad behavior.
Business is tough – not everyone plays by the same rules – right or wrong – it is reality.
I remain a loyal fan of the Louis/Dressner portfolio – but reserve the right to buy wines that interest me from all sources.
I’ve got one of a pregnant women sitting on a couch with a glass of scotch on the rocks on her baby bump and a cigarette in her mouth. She’s the wife of a former neighbor and I would love to show the photo to the baby who is now a college student…
If the blog post is in fact accurate regarding the activities of the certain individuals, then I would not in fact want to buy from those folks. Misleading or false advertising is not noble regardless of the price of the goods.
Seems like they could turn a lot of these situations into opportunities. No problem to let the guy use your paperwork for a share of the margin and a joint marketing agreement for future sales on the west coast.
Maybe I am naïve but a lot of this smacks of “I saw it first, so it’s mine”. Personally I like some syndication and, where appropriate, transfer of rights. It’s healthy.
Louis Dressner obviously has a heap of experience including all of the details most customers (and people new to the importation game) don’t consider. Accept to share (or lose) one or two at the benefit of selling your other skills (paperwork etc).
Business is tough. Make it work with you. Don’t work against it. And if it doesn’t work with you…tell the guy you’re buying the container at cost and letting him eat the losses.
And there is the problem…we will never know the truth…so impossible to weigh in.
Oh I bet we know enough of it.
This whole thing reminds me of the Garagiste Germanic Treasures offering that turned out to be ridiculously expensive crap. Why anyone still buys from them is beyond me.
Perhaps. Perhaps not. Still think it is a poor business decision.
The person who is being complained about is Lyle Fass, who has a relatively new import company.
One of the people being complained about.
I guess they call it wine for a reason. Someone decided to put an H in there.
So to the folks complaining about the column: will you no longer buy Louis/Dressner imports?
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That’s what I thought.
Not getting the whining thing, though I suppose I can see where some might. Not how they might, but where they might. Kind of like is your glass half full or, well, you get it.
These people needed to be called out. This is not a limited incident within the industry, not even close. And, if calling people out is considered to be whining, then I’m afraid things are worse than I’d imagined.
The paradox is worth a chuckle, though: People complaining about what they perceive to be one person’s whining.
If some people (those ‘called out’) made some mistakes, honest or otherwise, it would be nice to see them own up to it. 