Grapeswine price listings

WINE TALK
1

I don’t know how long this has been going on, but for several items I’ve just checked (including 2012 Corison Cabernet 375s, 2010 Monprivato), Grapeswine of Norwalk, CT lists a bottle price on wine-searcher that is actually their case price listed as a single bottle. So, I see a price of $156.57 for the Monprivato, but when I click through to their site, the real price is $177.92, and it says the wine-searcher price is only available on cases of 12. The staff at wine-searcher does not agree with me, but this seems like it couldn’t be anything else but intentionally deceptive business practice, which I find completely inappropriate. I think it’s a terrible way to do business on the part of Grapeswine. Since wine-searcher does not agree with me, and they seem like a generally well-run company, I’m interested to know what the group here thinks.

I should probably mention that I work in retail in Massachusetts, where we have no incoming or outgoing shipments of wine, so I am not in competition with this company in any real way. I’m irked as someone who uses wine-searcher as a consumer.

2

Never bought from them for this reason.
I have received cold calls from them on my cell after registering.

3

The grape swine people are still around? Surprising.

4

Bait N switch?

5

Not surprised that they are shady with their web pricing. The aggressive telephone sales tactics are bad enough.

6

Scam

7

Heads up: don’t confuse grapeswine of Norwalk CT with grapesthewineco of N White Plains NY. The latter is Daniel Posner’s operation, nothing like the former ( & a place I’ve bought from for years with no problems)

8

Do you have to buy a solid case of that exact wine to get that price, or does any mixed case count?

Seems to me that the internet makes it harder for these thin value / “pickoff” business models have a harder time working.

Unhappy customers tend to tell 11 other people about their experiences, and on the internet that gets amplified so much. I just think firms are better off being clear about what their policies are up front, and if they are changing them, to do it deliberately and with advance notice.

9

IIRC, Wine-searcher removed them a decade or so ago. I am surprised to see they are back on.

10

Thanks, Peter. I should have mentioned this since the names are so similar.

11

I don’t know. Do you think the answer affects whether or not this is honest business practice?

12

They are a scam operation, and have been for years and years.

13

In the past, they have typically been a “wholesaler’s book” operation, just listing everything in listed as available at a small* markup. So beyond needing to order a case, if the wine is in-demand it almost certainly won’t be available, as wholesaler will be sold out.

*Though that doesn’t seem like such a great price, does it?