Pennsylvania is on sale today February 29

Not sure if this is wine talk or commerce corner, but everything in the Pennsylvania state wine and spirits shop and on their website is 10% off today. Leap day sale! 10% off sale items too. As an example I bought a bottle of highland park 12 scotch which was already on sale, and had an added coupon for only $41.39. Stock up!

They can’t mess up booze, too badly. Caveat emptor.

Running low on “cellar defenders” so I picked up a couple of bottles today. Nothing I’d consider a “deal”. No shortage of Chairman’s Selections stacked up throughout the store…if you like rolling the dice.

RT

bought a couple of 2007 Cristal Rose which was already on sale and got an extra 10% off. Down to $338.40 per bottle

Hope the provenance is good. Always a concern for PLCB’s pricier offerings. The local cold rooms are no longer cold and haven’t been for years.

RT

Understood Richard. This hasn’t been hanging around for very long. My biggest purchase ever from PA was 2+ cases of the 98 Soldera Brunello. and so far they have all be great.

I got the last of the 15 chave hermitage. My local cold room is quite cold.

The Ardmore and Center City stores seem to do a respectable job. Northern burbs…not so much. Storage and transport before the wines hit the cold room can be iffy. The typical levels of knowledge and care are a good bit less than private specialty shops.

RT

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each cold room i have been in at a state run store in pa has been more than sufficient temperature wise. i am not sure why there is so much blind faith in other retailers. i have seen plenty of high end burgundy sitting by the case on the curb during the scorching summer heat outside of astor wines in new york. while obviously i would avoid wines with pushed corks or signs of seepage i don’t see the problem with buying from the pa stores. i don’t understand all the complaints against them either because they are vastly superior to the state run stores in utah for example.

I’ve had so many damaged wines from PA state stores that I don’t purchase anything from them anymore. Not even online. Many of the stores have huge windows with sunlight beaming in all day. The temperature is warm in the stores and shipping/storage conditions are questionable at best. Anything discount is a no-go. Even wines in the temperature controlled “cellar” rooms are usually found outside in the heat as well, so who knows how that inventory is moved around.

They do take returns though, so you can always get your $ back. But, it is not worth the risk/effort.

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Utah?

Provenance can be an issue anywhere. Visit Moore Brothers or 56 degrees in NJ and the differences are dramatic. I’ve been living and buying wine in PA for 30+ years. The amount of “cooked” wine isn’t dramatic but easily 2x my experience with DE, NJ, and NY retailers. YMMV.

RT

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The higher end bottles I’ve bought lately have either been in a nice walk in cooler or a eurocave.

Returns are within 30 days. It used to have no limit, to Joe Dressner’s chagrin.