Dumb Wine-Related Purchases

Accidentally throwing out a $200 Laguiole corkscrew after only five uses gets you to thinking …

Not counting actual bottles of wine, what are some of the dumbest or most regrettable wine-related purchases you have made?

Might be two tickets to Wine Spectator’s black-tie Grand Awards banquet. Or six-pack of all-black Riedel Sommelier Series stems now gathering dust. Or a Coravin system that at first seemed like a cellar-saver but is now more trouble than it’s worth.

Two 10-packs of wine diapers for travel…all collecting dust above my fridge as a result of this amazing new innovation called shipping.

Most every wine list purchase at a restaurant. Paying $150 for a $40 wine.

2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Maison Ilan Futures?

I bought a wine stopper specifically for Champagne (keeps the bubbles in), but I’ve never opened a bottle of bubbly and not finished it. . . does that count?

I also have a bottle of Palermo in my cellar that I don’t ever care to drink.

The Vinturi aerator, with stand. Used it for a few months at first and it has become a dust collector for the past few years

But I use the little screen it came with all the time.

Not “dumb”, just kind of a waste: A gift I got for barcoding and scanning wine…doesn’t integrate w CT. I feel bad about it.

^this. (Also a gift, along with a Coravin, wine label scrapbook, battery operated corkscrew, etc)

Pretty sure Eric will chime in here in a bit saying that there’s a fix for that.

From a few months ago:

UPC scanning is very problematic in general. We have never sold this heavily.

About UPC and EAN Barcodes - CellarTracker Support

I didn’t buy it, but got a Clef du Vin as a gift…

The thousands I’ve spent on corked bottles.

If we are going gifts as well, I received a set of multicolored (blue, orange, pink, brown) wine stems for a wedding gift. . . that was one of the harder times I’ve had trying to pretend I liked a gift.

Ninety percent of the 150+ wine glasses I have stashed in every available cubbyhole throughout the house. Lest I forget to mention the verbal assault from my dear wife due to “GLASSES all over the effen house! WTF!”.

For me, the Coravin was a waste of money. I find I don’t use it.

What? Nobody’s admitting to buying one of these?

Me too.

I haven’t bought it yet, but I’ve thought about it… $217 Campagnolo Giant Cork Screw.

Two years subscription to Wine Spectator (when I first started getting into wine).