The lure of winemaking

BobMilton · May 30, 2012, 8:41pm

P Intag:

Roy Piper:

Paul Luckin:

$6 per bottle in packaging?

ooooof.

I am looking at about $3/glass, $1.25/cork. $.75/capsule, $.50/bottling, $1 label = $6.50. Thanks for reminding me.

I think you Napa guys need to get together and purchase bulk or something. How is it that I can buy a bottle of drinkable 2009 Bordeaux at Trader Joe’s for $5, with the winery, distributor, and retailer all making a profit? This wine contains all of the things you purchase for $6.50, filled with the actual product, is produced in a high-tax, high-labor-cost European country, shipped thousands of miles, and marked up twice, with everyone making a profit (presumably). My only guess is that the bottle costs for that wine must be less than $.50, probably less. No wonder I am priced out of Napa – too many vintners make little or no effort to reduce their costs.

Or two buck Chuck. Wine’s not very good. but you get a glass bottle, a real cork, a capsule, front and back labels, and some liquid all for $2.

ToddFrench · May 30, 2012, 10:57pm

P Intag:

Roy Piper:

Paul Luckin:

$6 per bottle in packaging?

ooooof.

I am looking at about $3/glass, $1.25/cork. $.75/capsule, $.50/bottling, $1 label = $6.50. Thanks for reminding me.

I think you Napa guys need to get together and purchase bulk or something. How is it that I can buy a bottle of drinkable 2009 Bordeaux at Trader Joe’s for $5, with the winery, distributor, and retailer all making a profit? This wine contains all of the things you purchase for $6.50, filled with the actual product, is produced in a high-tax, high-labor-cost European country, shipped thousands of miles, and marked up twice, with everyone making a profit (presumably). My only guess is that the bottle costs for that wine must be less than $.50, probably less. No wonder I am priced out of Napa – too many vintners make little or no effort to reduce their costs.

For years I’ve wondered the very same thing

Merrill_Lindquist · May 30, 2012, 11:13pm

P Intag:

Roy Piper:

Paul Luckin:

$6 per bottle in packaging?

ooooof.

I am looking at about $3/glass, $1.25/cork. $.75/capsule, $.50/bottling, $1 label = $6.50. Thanks for reminding me.

I think you Napa guys need to get together and purchase bulk or something. How is it that I can buy a bottle of drinkable 2009 Bordeaux at Trader Joe’s for $5, with the winery, distributor, and retailer all making a profit? This wine contains all of the things you purchase for $6.50, filled with the actual product, is produced in a high-tax, high-labor-cost European country, shipped thousands of miles, and marked up twice, with everyone making a profit (presumably). My only guess is that the bottle costs for that wine must be less than $.50, probably less. No wonder I am priced out of Napa – too many vintners make little or no effort to reduce their costs.

Oh goody goody. I assume by “bulk” you are referring to bulk juice as well, since you used the terminology. We “guys” can all go out and purchase the same crap from who-knows-where, make HUGE batches of the same crap and get HUGE discounts for MASSIVE purchases of packaging materials. Hey, we could leave out and and off all those little details everyone seems to take pleasure in. Then you could have one crappy wine produced very cheaply and just fill your cellar with it. What fun.

J_Singleton · May 30, 2012, 11:31pm

Fairly certain he isn’t talking about bulk juice. As for costs, I personally had no clue ONE cork cost $1.25. Yikes. And “guys”, really? Didn’t we already have a thread about this? Can’t begin to count how many times I’ve heard a woman say “you guys should…” when addressing mixed company. It’s practically interchangeable with “you all”

Rick_Smith · May 31, 2012, 12:42am

Of those, only the cork may impact the taste of the wine (hopefully not!).

P_Intag · May 31, 2012, 4:25am

Merrill Lindquist:

P Intag:

Roy Piper:

I am looking at about $3/glass, $1.25/cork. $.75/capsule, $.50/bottling, $1 label = $6.50. Thanks for reminding me.

I think you Napa guys need to get together and purchase bulk or something. How is it that I can buy a bottle of drinkable 2009 Bordeaux at Trader Joe’s for $5, with the winery, distributor, and retailer all making a profit? This wine contains all of the things you purchase for $6.50, filled with the actual product, is produced in a high-tax, high-labor-cost European country, shipped thousands of miles, and marked up twice, with everyone making a profit (presumably). My only guess is that the bottle costs for that wine must be less than $.50, probably less. No wonder I am priced out of Napa – too many vintners make little or no effort to reduce their costs.

Oh goody goody. I assume by “bulk” you are referring to bulk juice as well, since you used the terminology. We “guys” can all go out and purchase the same crap from who-knows-where, make HUGE batches of the same crap and get HUGE discounts for MASSIVE purchases of packaging materials. Hey, we could leave out and and off all those little details everyone seems to take pleasure in. Then you could have one crappy wine produced very cheaply and just fill your cellar with it. What fun.

Not sure why you would assume I was referring to the juice – I was only talking about the bottle costs, but I think the approach could include other non-wine items as well.

Paul_Romero · May 31, 2012, 7:31pm

I did it for hot chicks. The licensing was slightly easier than opening a strip club.

David_M · May 31, 2012, 8:12pm

P Intag:

Roy Piper:

Paul Luckin:

$6 per bottle in packaging?

ooooof.

I am looking at about $3/glass, $1.25/cork. $.75/capsule, $.50/bottling, $1 label = $6.50. Thanks for reminding me.

I think you Napa guys need to get together and purchase bulk or something. How is it that I can buy a bottle of drinkable 2009 Bordeaux at Trader Joe’s for $5, with the winery, distributor, and retailer all making a profit? This wine contains all of the things you purchase for $6.50, filled with the actual product, is produced in a high-tax, high-labor-cost European country, shipped thousands of miles, and marked up twice, with everyone making a profit (presumably). My only guess is that the bottle costs for that wine must be less than $.50, probably less. No wonder I am priced out of Napa – too many vintners make little or no effort to reduce their costs.

Not to mention that some of the French growers are subsidized. Not here in the USA, well may only corn, soy… Have fun with that “drinkable” wine.

Adam_Lee · May 31, 2012, 9:36pm

Hmm…winemaking and going to strip clubs…both “hands-off” activities (unless you pay the big bucks, then nothing you see will be natural?).

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

P_Intag · June 1, 2012, 4:59am

David M.:

P Intag:

I think you Napa guys need to get together and purchase bulk or something. How is it that I can buy a bottle of drinkable 2009 Bordeaux at Trader Joe’s for $5, with the winery, distributor, and retailer all making a profit? This wine contains all of the things you purchase for $6.50, filled with the actual product, is produced in a high-tax, high-labor-cost European country, shipped thousands of miles, and marked up twice, with everyone making a profit (presumably). My only guess is that the bottle costs for that wine must be less than $.50, probably less. No wonder I am priced out of Napa – too many vintners make little or no effort to reduce their costs.

Not to mention that some of the French growers are subsidized. Not here in the USA, well may only corn, soy… Have fun with that “drinkable” wine.

Forget about the “drinkable” wine - my post was about the packaging costs. You may be correct about French growers being subsidized, but how can you explain away 2-buck chuck? Surely, Mr. Franzia isn’t benefiting from subsidization? Yes, I realize a fine Napa Cab deserves higher end packaging than $2 Chuck, but I’m certain that a little better business sense could reduce packaging costs dramatically.

larry_schaffer · June 1, 2012, 5:11am

Paul,

You do bring up a great point, and one that should be discussed further. You COULD spend less than $1.25 per cork . . . but then again, they won’t LOOK as nice . . . AND you stand a higher chance of TCA.

You COULD use screw caps and save money, but who the heck wants THAT closure on a nice bottle of wine

You COULD use cheaper, lighter glass, but then it won’t FEEL like an expensive wine

You COULD go without foil, but then consumers will think it’s a mistake and send it back

You COULD stick it in a box instead of glass . . . but we all know that good wine can’t come in boxes, can it?!?!?

You COULD use standard blank case boxes, not printed ones and not wooden boxes, but then, again, it won’t SEEM like an expensive wine . . .

And now back to our regularly scheduled flogging

Lewis_Dawson · June 1, 2012, 5:34am

LOL…

ericleehall · June 1, 2012, 3:20pm

I got into the business to make Pinot I liked for myself… then of course, once it came out good, I had to sell some to my friends. Now I have a LOT more friends… (Like that guy down the street who apparently grew a pound of weed, and sold half… remember him?)

Jim_Cowan · June 1, 2012, 5:31pm

Eric, my man!
Where you been?
Best, Dave (as in “not here”)

Paul_Romero · June 1, 2012, 6:15pm

This week we started ‘Topless Friday’s’. I’m working hard to merge the two business models.

Ian_Brand · June 1, 2012, 6:41pm

Not sure I’d pay to see some hairy man-titty. Might have to rethink that model.

Paul_Romero · June 1, 2012, 6:58pm

Who would. That’s why you need an all girl crew.

Adam_Lee · June 1, 2012, 7:38pm

Or manscaping…

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

Dan_Kravitz · June 2, 2012, 1:22am

larry schaffer:

Paul,

You do bring up a great point, and one that should be discussed further. You COULD spend less than $1.25 per cork . . . but then again, they won’t LOOK as nice . . . AND you stand a higher chance of TCA.

You COULD use screw caps and save money, but who the heck wants THAT closure on a nice bottle of wine

You COULD use cheaper, lighter glass, but then it won’t FEEL like an expensive wine

You COULD go without foil, but then consumers will think it’s a mistake and send it back

You COULD stick it in a box instead of glass . . . but we all know that good wine can’t come in boxes, can it?!?!?

You COULD use standard blank case boxes, not printed ones and not wooden boxes, but then, again, it won’t SEEM like an expensive wine . . .

And now back to our regularly scheduled flogging

Larry,

With all due recognition of tongues planted firmly in cheeks (if not in gravel), what if it GASP! ISN’T! an expensive wine (defined, I believe as somewhere between $3 and $103, depending on…)

btw, I would love to do a study on TCA in corks that cost $0.25 and corks that cost $1.25.

Beset regards,

Dan Kravitz