I don’t understand your problem, Frank. You buy a wine because you thinks you will like it. Someone else likes it. Other people buy it in the aftermarket because they think they will like it. This makes you angry. Why?
At first I thought that you were ranting against wine ratings. But then you offer props to Eric Levine.
Then I thought that you were upset because the price had jumped before you were able to taste and reorder. But I can see over a half-dozen retailers offering the same wine/vintage for less than your $70 cost.
Guys, I appreciate the replies. Let me clarify a few things to evolve my rant:
I understand that when a product is deemed good, faced with increasing demand and fixed supply, are subject to costing more. I get that, it doesn’t bother me. Look, if I want to buy Musigny, I will pay more for it. I’m down with the way our economy prices things from a supply/demand model–I’m not railing against that thinking.
What aggravates me about the Pisoni example within this thinking is that I challenge one of you to tell me that the Wine Bid price is not based on what ONE guy said about the wine, and that this is not the sole driver for that price. By god, it is. The wine has not been out all that long and Wine Bid or however they set the price, is jacking it up to $300 for the 3-pack because of one person’s stated opinion. That’s the reason, it’s not arguable.
Which brings me to my other clarification…
We have a small cadre of people–we know who the critics are, just look at the threads that run across Wine Talk regularly. This small cadre of palates are affecting the business in ways that has concentrated power far too closely. One of them writes a review, makes a pronouncement, and we’re stuck with these wines disappearing or in the case of Pisoni, the Wine Bid effect that I already mentioned. But, what about the other side of the coin, the situation where a critic gives a lower score (and I am not even going to discuss bias, objectivity, all of that here) and the resulting wine, and the winemaker/owner, feels that impact.
Again, my point. A handful of people who have been allowed/encouraged/granted the ability to guide the hobby, the market. This is why I gave Eric the props he deserves by elevating the power of the community’s voice, not the singular critic’s voice.
I am tired of our hobby and business not taking more issue with how we have let this small crew of people affect our business. Look no further than my example above.
Sounds like your beef is more with the people who buy into the model than the model itself.
I understand your frustration, but there really is little that can be done about this. Wine is a confusing subject, and people who don’t know enough about any subject are inclined to rely upon the “experts” (certified, or self-proclaimed). The confluence of a global wine market and the Information Age has brought us to this point, and if you’re a fan of certain wine styles you just have to grin and bear it.
This is something I have said about Cellar Tracker all along. I hugely admire Eric for what he has done building the world’s best resource for a database of wines once they are in circulation. However, when wines (especially premiere releases) first come to market, it will likely be a retailer, sommelier or a critic discussing them before anyone else, becoming an early data point that raises awareness that over time may prompt broader adoption.
There are hundreds if not thousands of excellent wines available. (I chose the word excellent, not great, because most of them are not great.) The one’s that remain elusive because of scarcity or cost are not worth distressing about. My contention is that while it may be true that trophy hunters chasing points can drive the price of some wines up, why worry about it? A professional critic is going to have access to so many more wines than the average person, that the benefit far exceeds the liability of some of those wines rising in price. Non-geeks in particular need guidance. Find someone you trust is compatible with your tastes and priorities and consider it a starting point, not an end unto itself.
Frank, I’m with you, in many ways. There are always a very few wines that each of us love which can be jacked around by the critics. Happened this year with 2010 Clape (for example). At the same time, many of the wines in my cellar aren’t worth what I paid for them originally - mostly wines I have no intention of selling, but there are a few. Someone that wants those wines will benefit, just as someone who goes looking for the Pisoni right now will pay a bit more. It’s the price of an open market in both wine, and critical reviewing. There are enough people who follow Parker (or others) that a good word from him can make a difference. The good news is that it is usually short-lived. I’m confident this vintage of the Pisoni will come back to earth next year, and you’ll find it somewhere at (or even less than) its release price. And also confident that Jeff isn’t going to let it go to his head, and will keep the price where it is (frankly $70 for a Pinot is already up there).
I use it as motivation to keep searching, keep finding wines that are not so well known, don’t get the reviews, but are as good or better than what’s popular with the greater wine buying public.
One of my all-time favorite French wines. Parker never raved about it until '09. I bought the '09 before his 99 rating, price shot up. I bought '10 before his 100 point rating, but the price had hedged up quite a bit. Now the '11 is being offered at $125+. I’m likely tapping out on Clape, especially as Clape’s VDA and CDR are so freakin good at a fraction of the price. My local guy, BTW, is now selling the 2010 Clape Cornas for $250!
Same here. Thankfully, we live in abundance when it comes to wine, though it does pinch when one of our favorites gets blown up - I hear ya FMIII.
Had similar issues when I used to follow music (instead of wine). Once my favorite independent bands blew up and I couldn’t see them at smaller clubs anymore, it was time to find the next one.
While may not be quite the same (instant and sharp increase in pricing), I’ve seen on multiple occasions mailing lists becoming much harder to get on to, with much longer wait times, as a result of the enthusiasm on this (and its predecessor) board. Seems to me that there are multiple “market movers” in the 2.0 world.
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