How to ask to cut a deal for a bottle of wine?

So here’s my situation. A wine store near where I spend my weekends, a decent store in a otherwise wine-store-bereft city. They have a pretty decent selection but a tendency to keep bottles on their shelves until they sell…however long that takes. 3 years ago, when I first starting spending time here, I discovered a dusty old bottle (from late 90’s) of a now-deceased producer whose wine is now very difficult to find. And I’ve checked every so often for the past 3 years, waiting for the bottle to finally move to the clearance rack…but it’s never made that move. Still sits with the other burgs, still carries its original $48 pricetag.

Now, I really want this wine. But given that (1)it’s been cooking on the store’s rack since before I could legally drink, (2) it’s from a poor vintage and (3) it hasn’t sold in over a dozen years, I have no intention of paying the full ticker price ($48) for it. In fact, the continued presence of this bottle on the regular rack seems to be nothing more than the triumph of hope over experience. But there it sits.

Basically, I want to offer $35 for the bottle, which I’m pretty sure is a fair price given the vintage, condition, etc.
How do I go about this without offending the store’s owner? I shop there fairly frequently, but not excessively so- maybe $50-100 per month (I do the bulk of my purchases at home in NYC)

I’ve done this a few times and taken home cheaper cooked wines
that I would then pour down the drain…
All the while thinking about how much good storage is worth

Um… really? You REALLY want this wine, but $13 is keeping you from it?

To Mel’s point, is it likely to be good now? What have the summers been like in there?

I’d just offer - “hey, I notice this wine is still around after a couple of years… you have any interest in selling it for less than the label price?” If they get offended at that, well, that’s silly. If they say no, no harm. If they say yes, offer $35.

I know Posner likes love notes. Like:

Dan,

Do you like me?

If yes check here.
If no check here.

Second question.

If you answered yes, will you sell me the Australian wine that has been “cooking” on your shelves for $13 off?

John

Now, when I say cooked, I don’t mean totally fried. Fill is perfect, cork is flush with top if bottle. Its been sitting at 70 degrees for the last decade, so I wouldn’t save it for my grandkids, but it doesn’t appear heat-damaged.

What John said…

FYI, we stopped cooking wine days ago, John…it is cold now…so we freeze it!

David,

I am amazed that have stared at the same btl of wine for 10 years and $13 stops you from making the purchase. Nevertheless, make an offer. At our store, we usually slash your tires, after such an offer is made

there’s a wine store I frequent which is smack dab in Chinese central. There is never a time that I walk in where one of my people is not trying to cut a deal on a random bottle of wine.

“what can you give me discount for BV latour”
“I can give you $5 off each bottle if you buy 6”
“i only want one, you give me $5 off?”

or the high end guys

“I want Le Pin, how much discount you give me”
“can you give me OWC?” (points at a sealed case of Le pin)
“you can give me that box and put my bottle in it and order anther wooden box from Le Pin right?”

David,
the wine shop may be thrilled to unload it , give them a chance to say yes or no, you have nothing to lose and being a repeat customer you have a better chance of acquiring it than a new person.

+1.

The nice thing about “opening” the conversation in this manner is the implication that you are a regular customer.

Bring them cookies. Fresh baked cookies. Or lollipops. That should do the trick.

Pay the $48. They’ll be more likely to give you your money back when the wine sucks. Seriously.

Exactly.

Buy them a 14 dollar lunch. Better yet, PM me I’ll send you the 14 bucks if you promise to never ask this question again.

You are kidding right?

This isn’t a freaking CAR or 20k in kitchen equipment - it’s a stupid ass fucking bottle of corked, cooked wine.

got up on the wrong side of the bed?

I’m very curious (okay maybe not “very”) what the wine is.

got up on the wrong side of the bed?

No - just floored. If the question was about a wine over say, 250 bucks and it had been a widow or an orphan for an extended period I can see this coming up - but for a wine under 50 bucks???

David - simple. Tell the proprietor ‘I’ll give you $35 for that bottle of wine - contact me when you want to take it off the shelf’ then walk out.

+1

That’s why I’ve stopped trying to get “deals” on wines stored in iffy shops. Too many DOA bottles that I might have been able to return had I paid full price.

Pay them the $48. Load up 12 bottles.

If they try to stop you walking out, tell them:

“WTF?!! You thought I was paying for just ONE cooked, corked bottle?”

Walk in with your corkscrew and Riedel, open it, taste it, and proclaim “See, it’s cooked!!” then slam the 35 bucks down on the counter, throw the bottle to the floor and walk out. And don’t forget the ‘collared’ shirt.