Funniest thing you've ever overheard in a wine shop?

WINE TALK
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I don’t know if that’s so funny…

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The funniest thing you’ll ever hear in a wine shop is the day I walk into Roberto’s wine shop anonomously and start asking questions simply designed to torture him. It is going to be hilarious, I just have to make sure I have someone already in the store to secretly videotape it.

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This was not in a wine shop but in a tasting room where I was pouring…woman walks up and asks what white wines we have. I tell her we are pouring a Riesling and a Viognier. She says…oh, I’ll have the Riesling, I am allergic to Viognier. [cheers.gif]

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I love (hate) when people still try to sell me '00 or '97 Barolo and talk about how it’s the vintage of the decade. What’s worse is when it’s someone who you know, knows better.

25

LOL

I was waiting for someone to pull that rabbit out of the hat but I thought it would be Greg del Piaz. Funny that when I was in Treviso, Conegliano, and Valdobbiadene I never saw one, anywhere, and trust me I was asking around…

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Something similar happened to me in FL (which I related to in the Wine Pimps section), the salesman thought I meant Burgundy-colored wines so started showing me ALL their red wines, especially the CA bottles. When I mentioned I wanted wines FROM Burgundy, I realized he was in WAY over his head and basically escaped him to find the Burgs on my own (not many).

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For those who like these stories there is a treasure trove of them in this long lived thread in Wine Pimps.

http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=56194#p56194

28

Surprising. Were you pronouncing Chardonnay correctly? neener

Even Mionetto, the huge industrial producer, used to market one in the USA. It was almost a fad a few years ago.

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I am happy to admit I don’t know everything about Italian wine. [truce.gif]

Also, this was circa 2000 so maybe much has changed.

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Things are always changing in the wine biz, you can count on that!

31

In a wine shop in Manhattan about 2 years ago (I can’t remember the name). I was with my grandfather who was buying single malts but I overheard this while browsing the wine. I know it was Clerc Milon but I can’t remember the vintages.

Salesman (late 20’s - maybe early 30’s): Can I help you?
Customer (two men in their mid-50’s): We want a bottle of Bordeaux for dinner tonight. We’re thinking this Clerc Milon. What do you think?
Salesman: If I was going to get Clerc Milon, I’d get this vintage instead since it’s drinking better right now.
Customer: (pointing to his original choice) But this is a better vintage.
Salesman: Yes, but it needs time. It’d be like drinking nails now, and the other one is drinking beautifully right now.
Customer: (Pauses a few seconds) Well you probably don’t really know because you don’t drink these wines anyway, do you?
Salesman: No, I used to drink more Bordeaux but not anymore. If I was going to spend that much money on a bottle of wine, I’d buy a bottle of Burgundy because Bordeaux is for kids. I find Burgundy much more interesting, but it’s your money, I’m just trying to help you spend it wisely.
Customer: (pauses again somewhat taken aback then trying to make a joke) Do we get a discount if we’re from out of town?
Salesman: No, but I won’t charge you the 10% surcharge for harassing the help (laughs to break tension)
Second Salesman: (to me) Can I help you find something?
Me: (pointing to first salesman) I think I’d like to wait for him when he’s free.

Insulting the salesman seemed an odd way to get a recommendation. I was amused to see the salesman insult them back. They did end up buying the vintage he suggested.

32

Overheard while I was shopping:

Customer: (asked of the sales clerk on the floor) “How come the shelf talkers only have descriptions but no scores?”
Clerk: “We don’t believe in them”
Customer: “Scores?”
Clerk: “That’s right”
Customer: “Since when?”
Clerk: “Right around the time we stopped believing in the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny”
The customer smiled and asked what to serve with a veal chop.

33

Overheard in the supermarket aisle over Christmas:

“This is the one we had last time: ‘Appellation Controlee’’…”

34

A few years ago while wasting time in warehouse style store on 119 in White Plains (one of those that has their own scores), I told aggressive manager type I was just looking. He moves on, a sales rep comes in. Starts telling him about the great pricing they’ll give on a new CdR if they take quantity, will have samples next week. Sales manager “great, we’ll take a pallet- we’ll slap a 92 on it and move it all in a week”
Haven’t stopped in there since.

35

I once went in there after buying some fish at Apple Farms and needing a white to go with it. While I was there, I saw a magnum of heavy duty Bordeaux that was way underpriced, almost certainly way below cost. I asked them to check the price as I thought it was low, and I usually try not to take advantage, and was given a snotty, 'we don’t make that kind of mistake here." So I took the 3 mags they had made up a case (BTW as far they are concerned, a magnum counts as one bottle) with NZ Sauvignon Blanc and took an additional 10% off.

36

Mark, that is the best, when you’ve tried to do the right thing, but they refuse to let you.

A long time ago, I went into the wine section of our local BJ’s. They had a big stack of BV cabernet. At that time, there were 3: the low end one was there for $2.99, the middle one should have been $8.99 (I think it was just called “Rutherford”), and then the George de Latour was the top one. Mixed in this stack were both the low end one and the Rutherford, which was a good value at its regular price. But the only sign with price was the $2.99 for the low end one. I asked the clerk “How much for the Rutherford?” He pointed at the sign like I was an idiot and said emphatically “$2.99”. I pointed out that was for the cheap one, not the Rutherford. He again looked at me like I was an idiot and said “Look. Cabernet is Cabernet.” I said “OK, I’ll take it all.” I don’t recall how many cases it was, but it drank beautifully for many years.

37

I hear good things about that wine

38

We had a tasting bar in our wine shop in Austin. Woman comes in with her friend. Asks for a suggestion. I ask, “what type of wine do you like? What flavors?” Response: “Anything red that will taste good with a few ice cubes in it.”

39

Also while working the tasting bar, I had a guy who was a big self-proclaimed “wine guy” flexing for his buddies. “The glass of wine you poured me is corked.” Me: I’ll happily pour you something else sir, what else would you like?" “Can you open another bottle, I’d like the same thing, just not corked.” Me: “Absolutely” reached down, pulled out a new bottle of Aussie shiraz in screw-cap, make a very obvious move of unscrewing the cap, pour a 2oz taste and slide the glass over. “Again, I’m happy to pour something else for you if this wine is not up to your standards, sir.”

“Oh no, this bottle is, uh, certainly not corked.”


(and yes, I know screw caps can have taint from TCA…but assure you, neither did.)

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