I got very excited to see a restaurant's wine list in a nearby town
where we do our local shopping (about 30 miles away).

What is so exciting is that the owner lists the exact wines, the cost
per bottle and per glass. Unbelieveable!
http://www.obwrestaurant.com/menus/winelist.htm

If anyone wishes to comment on any of these wines or his cellar in
toto, I'd love to hear it. The owner looks as though he still loves
the restaurant business (and says he's tasted thousands of wines --
this is a small town and I know of only one really good restaurant
here. Not there there aren't more, I just probably haven't heard of
them, nor can afford them.

Thanks.
Dee

On Apr 7, 7:08�pm, "Dee Dee" > wrote:
> I got very excited to see a restaurant's wine list in a nearby town
> where we do our local shopping (about 30 miles away).
>
> What is so exciting is that the owner lists the exact wines, the cost
> per bottle and per glass. *Unbelieveable!http://www.obwrestaurant.com/menus/winelist.htm
>
> If anyone wishes to comment on any of these wines or his cellar in
> toto, I'd love to hear it. *The owner *looks as though he still loves
> the restaurant business (and says he's tasted thousands of wines --
> this is a small town and I know of only one really good restaurant
> here. Not there there aren't more, I just probably haven't heard of
> them, nor can afford them.
>
> Thanks.
> Dee

The way that the wines are listed is actually the way most restaurants
around here (and most other places) list them. The list certainly
supports Virginia wines. I found the pricing on the Bordeaux to be a
bit strange since one could buy the Leoville Barton for $110 but the
Chateau Palmer was $280 when on release they were about $20 apart in
price. I just checked and Parker actually rated the Leoville Barton
higher than the Palmer. Go figure!

Dee Dee wrote:
> I got very excited to see a restaurant's wine list in a nearby town
> where we do our local shopping (about 30 miles away).
>
> What is so exciting is that the owner lists the exact wines, the cost
> per bottle and per glass. Unbelieveable!
> http://www.obwrestaurant.com/menus/winelist.htm
>
> If anyone wishes to comment on any of these wines or his cellar in
> toto, I'd love to hear it. The owner looks as though he still loves
> the restaurant business (and says he's tasted thousands of wines --
> this is a small town and I know of only one really good restaurant
> here. Not there there aren't more, I just probably haven't heard of
> them, nor can afford them.

The Mason SB is one of the best CA examples of the grape (IMO). The
Diochon M-a-V is a good producer, so-so year. The Ecard and
Geantet-Pansiot Burgs ought to be very nice, but I'd take the Ecard as
it'll be readier. Of the Rhones, I'd go for the Mordoree CdR. Vietti is
a good producer, though I get the impression that they are fairly
"modern" in style. The Phelps Insignia and Dashe Zin are both good
wines, but the Insignia is still very young. (I've got Insignias from
the '80s still in my cellar). Their selection of Ports, Madeira and
Sherry is also very nice.

Regarding the whole: their markups look quite reasonable, typically a
bit less than 100% over retail. It's a nice list.

HTH
Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

Dee Dee wrote:

> What is so exciting is that the owner lists the exact wines, the cost
> per bottle and per glass. Unbelieveable!
> http://www.obwrestaurant.com/menus/winelist.htm

At least in the USA it is unusual for a fine dining restaurant to show
menu prices let alone wine prices on their website.

Here is one of my favorite restaurants and they too have their wines and
prices listed.

http://www.cottageplace.com/

Mike Tommasi > wrote in news:57rgrpF2dlva1U2
@mid.individual.net:
>>
>
> The best sections appear to be the Rhone and maybe the Sherry.
>
>
I am amazed of the hype that surround the wines from Lustau, specially when
they are the equivalent of "negoce" wines. Not bad, but nothing really
great.

S.

On 8 Apr 2007 11:15:13 +0200, Santiago > wrote:

>Mike Tommasi > wrote in news:57rgrpF2dlva1U2
:
>>>
>>
>> The best sections appear to be the Rhone and maybe the Sherry.
>>
>>
>I am amazed of the hype that surround the wines from Lustau, specially when
>they are the equivalent of "negoce" wines. Not bad, but nothing really
>great.
>
>S.


1. R Parker reviews lustau quite favorably.

2. the distributor for lustau in the dc metro area(dc md va) is a
very hard worker.

On Apr 8, 11:23 am, Mike Tommasi > wrote:
> we dont get much choice in France... they are not bad. It's a bit like
> somebody telling me Ott is good Bandol... sure ;-)
>
> More generally, much of the wine on this list was below Lustau level.
>

Hi, Mike, I agree with your comments, Bandol!!!!!

Where in France are you?

Judith

On Apr 8, 6:24 am, miles > wrote:
> Dee Dee wrote:
> > What is so exciting is that the owner lists the exact wines, the cost
> > per bottle and per glass. Unbelieveable!
> >http://www.obwrestaurant.com/menus/winelist.htm
>
> At least in the USA it is unusual for a fine dining restaurant to show
> menu prices let alone wine prices on their website.
>
> Here is one of my favorite restaurants and they too have their wines and
> prices listed.
>
> http://www.cottageplace.com/

Wow, I like the menu, I just wish it was in England! I also took a
look at the wine list, can you explain why Californian wine is so
expensive in the USA?

Judith

On Apr 7, 7:08�pm, "Dee Dee" > wrote:
> I got very excited to see a restaurant's wine list in a nearby town
> where we do our local shopping (about 30 miles away).
>
> What is so exciting is that the owner lists the exact wines, the cost
> per bottle and per glass. *Unbelieveable!http://www.obwrestaurant.com/menus/winelist.htm
>
> If anyone wishes to comment on any of these wines or his cellar in
> toto, I'd love to hear it. *The owner *looks as though he still loves
> the restaurant business (and says he's tasted thousands of wines --
> this is a small town and I know of only one really good restaurant
> here. Not there there aren't more, I just probably haven't heard of
> them, nor can afford them.
>
> Thanks.
> Dee

A pretty nice list, with choices over a good spectrum, so lots of
matching possiblilites. Prices are pretty good.

On Apr 8, 2:41�am, Mike Tommasi > wrote:
> miles wrote:
> > Dee Dee wrote:
>
> >> What is so exciting is that the owner lists the exact wines, the cost
> >> per bottle and per glass. *Unbelieveable!
> >>http://www.obwrestaurant.com/menus/winelist.htm
>
> > At least in the USA it is unusual for a fine dining restaurant to show
> > menu prices let alone wine prices on their website.
>
> > Here is one of my favorite restaurants and they too have their wines and
> > prices listed.
>
> >http://www.cottageplace.com/
>
> Under France Blush (?!) they have Beringer white zinfandel.
> Under Champagne the first entry is a Prosecco.
> Reds from Italy are "varietals".
> Under Gewurztraminer not a single Alsace wine.
> Under Aromatic wines they have a Pinot Grigio from Italy. Not.
>
> I think this wine list is a mess
>
> --
> Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
> email linkhttp://www.tommasi.org/mymail

List is a bit of a mess. But Miles should ask if they'll sell takeout,
and buy all the '96 Grange at $55 they have (what do you think that
really is?).

Mike Tommasi wrote:

> Under France Blush (?!) they have Beringer white zinfandel.
> Under Champagne the first entry is a Prosecco.
> Reds from Italy are "varietals".
> Under Gewurztraminer not a single Alsace wine.
> Under Aromatic wines they have a Pinot Grigio from Italy. Not.
>
> I think this wine list is a mess

I agree. The wines listed on the website are only a small fraction of
what they actually have and poorly organized. I dont think the person
who runs their cellar is the same as who did their website! They have
one of the most extensive wine lists I've ever seen. It is a very small
restaurant, only about 10 tables. They also have classes on wine and
cooking and bring in wine makers from all over the world. Too bad their
website doesn't do them justice.

On Apr 8, 8:32�am, "
> wrote:
> On Apr 8, 6:24 am, miles > wrote:
>
> > Dee Dee wrote:
> > > What is so exciting is that the owner lists the exact wines, the cost
> > > per bottle and per glass. *Unbelieveable!
> > >http://www.obwrestaurant.com/menus/winelist.htm
>
> > At least in the USA it is unusual for a fine dining restaurant to show
> > menu prices let alone wine prices on their website.
>
> > Here is one of my favorite restaurants and they too have their wines and
> > prices listed.
>
> >http://www.cottageplace.com/
>
> Wow, I like the menu, I just wish it was in England! *I also took a
> look at the wine list, can you explain why Californian wine is so
> expensive in the USA?
>
> Judith

Greed

DaleW wrote:

> List is a bit of a mess. But Miles should ask if they'll sell takeout,
> and buy all the '96 Grange at $55 they have (what do you think that
> really is?).

lol, I didn't notice that! I dont think they sell takeout! Darn!

wrote:

> Wow, I like the menu, I just wish it was in England! I also took a
> look at the wine list, can you explain why Californian wine is so
> expensive in the USA?

Supply, demand, income levels and the fact that restaurant prices are
typically 2 to 3 times what the price would be from a wine store. Do
restaurants in Europe have such markup?

On Apr 8, 8:32 am, "
> wrote:
I also took a
> look at the wine list, can you explain why Californian wine is so
> expensive in the USA?
>
> Judith

Hello, Judith, I lived in California for nigh-on 30 years and I never
figured it out. Other than people thinking the wines are worth it, I
just don't know.

I wonder what other reason there is, myself.

Dee,
Virginia, USA

"Dee Dee" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> On Apr 8, 8:32 am, "
> > wrote:
> I also took a
>> look at the wine list, can you explain why Californian wine is so
>> expensive in the USA?
>>
>> Judith
>
> Hello, Judith, I lived in California for nigh-on 30 years and I never
> figured it out. Other than people thinking the wines are worth it, I
> just don't know.
>
> I wonder what other reason there is, myself.
>

In the hopes that you haven't seen this yet, here is a
link to the article "My $100 Bottle of Wine." It should
answer many of these questions.
http://www.coffaro.com/BrendansTruth.html

pavane

On Apr 8, 5:52 pm, Mike Tommasi > wrote:
> wrote:
> > On Apr 8, 11:23 am, Mike Tommasi > wrote:
> >> we dont get much choice in France... they are not bad. It's a bit like
> >> somebody telling me Ott is good Bandol... sure ;-)
>
> >> More generally, much of the wine on this list was below Lustau level.
>
> > Hi, Mike, I agree with your comments, Bandol!!!!!
>
> > Where in France are you?
>
> Bandol...
>
> --
> Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
> email linkhttp://www.tommasi.org/mymail

We have a maison secondiare in the Massif Central although a lovely
wild area, the wine leave a little to be deisred. St. Pourcain is
o.k. but I don't know of anything outstanding there, do you?

Judith

On Apr 8, 5:20 pm, "pavane" > wrote:
> "Dee Dee" > wrote in message
>
> oups.com...
>
> > On Apr 8, 8:32 am, "
> > > wrote:
> > I also took a
> >> look at the wine list, can you explain why Californian wine is so
> >> expensive in the USA?
>
> >> Judith
>
> > Hello, Judith, I lived in California for nigh-on 30 years and I never
> > figured it out. Other than people thinking the wines are worth it, I
> > just don't know.
>
> > I wonder what other reason there is, myself.
>
> In the hopes that you haven't seen this yet, here is a
> link to the article "My $100 Bottle of Wine." It should
> answer many of these questions.http://www.coffaro.com/BrendansTruth.html
>
> pavane

Hi Bi!, MIles, Dee Dee and Pavane, we have very high taxation in
England on wines and spirits (and tobacco). For example I would pay 6
euros for an ordinary bottle of wine in France and in England for the
same thing I would pay around £12-15. For oridnary plonk in France, I
would pay 2-3 euros a bottle and this would retail in England for
£8-9.

Of course we are not a wine growing country and so we have to pay to
import it. On the many times I have visited the USA and bought
Californian wine, I have ben astonished that it is the same price or
even a little more than in England!!!! It doesn't make sense.

Judith

gerald > wrote in
:
>
>
> 1. R Parker reviews lustau quite favorably.
>
> 2. the distributor for lustau in the dc metro area(dc md va) is a
> very hard worker.

I am aware of the Parker reviews and understand that not all the finos or
manzanillas get distributed abroad. But really, many winelists out of Spain
have Lustau as their Sherry. I have just read a Parker review of a Lustau
wine and I read that Lustaus are in the portfolio of Christopher Cannan
(Europvin), a really big negociant from Bordeaux, with interests in many
countries, actually.

But, then, nothing comparable to Valdespino Inocente (or the outstanding
"saca" that has been called "Fino Macharnudo Alto") or "Manzanilla Las
Cañas" which are the real products, even if they are SO difficult to find.

S.

Dee Dee wrote:

> Hello, Judith, I lived in California for nigh-on 30 years and I never
> figured it out. Other than people thinking the wines are worth it, I
> just don't know.
>
> I wonder what other reason there is, myself.

Why would a winery sell a wine for $10 when they are selling out at $30?
I find the better wines at the smaller wineries. They sell everything
they make at rather high prices. Often they come close to selling out
to wine club members who buy futures before the wine is even bottled.

On Apr 8, 1:31 pm, "
> wrote:

>
> Of course we are not a wine growing country and so we have to pay to
> import it. On the many times I have visited the USA and bought
> Californian wine, I have ben astonished that it is the same price or
> even a little more than in England!!!! It doesn't make sense.
>

looked up Costco (which sell a huge number of CA wines - even here on
the east coast where I live in Virginia - to see if they sell in the
U.K. One place:

United Kingdom Region
213 Hartspring Lane
Watford, Hertfordshire
England, UK WD2 8JS

Regarding the Costco prices of CA wine, I often wonder how 'any goods'
can be the same with Costco regardless whether it is in a high
economy area, vs. a low economy area here in the U.S.

It would be interesting to know whether the cost of the same CA wine
is the same in U.K.

miles > wrote in :
>
> Supply, demand, income levels and the fact that restaurant prices are
> typically 2 to 3 times what the price would be from a wine store. Do
> restaurants in Europe have such markup?

In Spain, typical markup is 100% over wholesale price. Then add VAT. For
example, today I had a nice lunch at a new restaurant with an interesting
but small winelist (I hate huge winelists) and paid 12 euros + 7% VAT for a
bottle of Baltasar Gracián Viñas Viejas 2004, which is a wine comparable to
Las Rocas de San Alejandro Old Vines. Friday I had lunch at a One Michelin
Starred restaurant and had a bottle of Ernst Burn Clos St. Imer La Chapelle
2002 for 40 euros + 7% VAT.

In both cases, margin is about 100% over estimated wholesale price (which
is usually 15%-20% lower than retail). And they manage to use great
wineglasses (Schott in the first case, for an inexpensive wine, Riedel in
the second case).

S.

On Apr 8, 8:32 pm, "Dee Dee" > wrote:
> On Apr 8, 1:31 pm, "
>
> > wrote:
>
> > Of course we are not a wine growing country and so we have to pay to
> > import it. On the many times I have visited the USA and bought
> > Californian wine, I have ben astonished that it is the same price or
> > even a little more than in England!!!! It doesn't make sense.
>
> looked up Costco (which sell a huge number of CA wines - even here on
> the east coast where I live in Virginia - to see if they sell in the
> U.K. One place:
>
> United Kingdom Region
> 213 Hartspring Lane
> Watford, Hertfordshire
> England, UK WD2 8JS
>
> Regarding the Costco prices of CA wine, I often wonder how 'any goods'
> can be the same with Costco regardless whether it is in a high
> economy area, vs. a low economy area here in the U.S.
>
> It would be interesting to know whether the cost of the same CA wine
> is the same in U.K.

We have a Costco about 100 miles from us but it is a sort of warehouse
where you have to be a member to shop and you have to buy in bulk and
one also has to pay a hefy subscription annually to join!

Judith

On Apr 8, 7:24 pm, miles > wrote:
> Dee Dee wrote:
> > Hello, Judith, I lived in California for nigh-on 30 years and I never
> > figured it out. Other than people thinking the wines are worth it, I
> > just don't know.
>
> > I wonder what other reason there is, myself.
>
> Why would a winery sell a wine for $10 when they are selling out at $30?
> I find the better wines at the smaller wineries. They sell everything
> they make at rather high prices. Often they come close to selling out
> to wine club members who buy futures before the wine is even bottled.

Obviously it is as a poster said earlier, supply and demand. Now I am
off to bed as I have an early flight in the morning.

Judith

Santiago wrote:

> In Spain, typical markup is 100% over wholesale price.

In the USA restaurants sell wines at 200-300% over RETAIL prices!!
Stores such as Costco sell well below the typical retail prices.

> Then add VAT. For
> example

The USA typically has 8% sales tax on goods but it varies by city and
state. Theres also a tax added to the price of a bottle of wine but I'm
not sure what that amount is. It's based on volume and alcohol content.

wrote:
>
> We have a Costco about 100 miles from us but it is a sort of warehouse
> where you have to be a member to shop and you have to buy in bulk and
> one also has to pay a hefy subscription annually to join!

It's $50 a year to be a member. Wine is sold by the bottle at far lower
price than a typical wine or grocery store. Some things are bought in
bulk such as having to buy two boxes of cereal or 2lbs of bacon rather
than one, a package of 4 steaks rather than one but the cost savings
more than makes up for it, often 30-60% cheaper. Things like cameras
are often $100's less than most other stores and is equal to or cheaper
than online once shipping is added. We buy a lot of our groceries there
and it saves us a bunch.

miles wrote:
> wrote:
>>
>> We have a Costco about 100 miles from us but it is a sort of warehouse
>> where you have to be a member to shop and you have to buy in bulk and
>> one also has to pay a hefy subscription annually to join!
>
> It's $50 a year to be a member.

100 gets you an executive membership the perk? you get back .01 of your
purchases in a rebate check at the end of the year. We have made money
on it every year. Regular customers will always get at least the difference.

On 8 Apr 2007 13:11:12 -0700, "
> wrote:

>We have a Costco about 100 miles from us but it is a sort of warehouse
>where you have to be a member to shop and you have to buy in bulk and
>one also has to pay a hefy subscription annually to join!

Some goods are only sold in large packets, but I can assure you that
if you so wish you could pop into a UK CostCo and buy a single bottle
of wine. Whenever I have compared prices they are very competitive
too. Hardly worth a 200mile round trip, but if you were closer I
would recommend checking them out.

--
Steve Slatcher
http://pobox.com/~steve.slatcher

On Apr 8, 4:11 pm, "
> wrote:
> On Apr 8, 8:32 pm, "Dee Dee" > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Apr 8, 1:31 pm, "
>
> > > wrote:
>
> > > Of course we are not a wine growing country and so we have to pay to
> > > import it. On the many times I have visited the USA and bought
> > > Californian wine, I have ben astonished that it is the same price or
> > > even a little more than in England!!!! It doesn't make sense.
>
> > looked up Costco (which sell a huge number of CA wines - even here on
> > the east coast where I live in Virginia - to see if they sell in the
> > U.K. One place:
>
> > United Kingdom Region
> > 213 Hartspring Lane
> > Watford, Hertfordshire
> > England, UK WD2 8JS
>
> > Regarding the Costco prices of CA wine, I often wonder how 'any goods'
> > can be the same with Costco regardless whether it is in a high
> > economy area, vs. a low economy area here in the U.S.
>
> > It would be interesting to know whether the cost of the same CA wine
> > is the same in U.K.
>
> We have a Costco about 100 miles from us but it is a sort of warehouse
> where you have to be a member to shop and you have to buy in bulk and
> one also has to pay a hefy subscription annually to join!
>


As far as I know, Costco's all the same. One does buy a lot of
things bulk, but NOT TV's, computers, clothing, beding & linens,
exercise equipment, furniture, wine, books, pots & pans (except in
sets) prescriptions, optical (glasses) CD/DVD, clothing, etc. These
things are by the item, not by bulk.

We pay $100 for a membership with which 2% back pays us back the
membership + several hundred dollars in excess of that membership.
There are two other large warehouse membership shopping, and we belong
to another one also. We save thousands of dollars each year.
Membership is a trifle; 100 miles is not a trifle for some.

And, back on topic, perhaps Costco doesn't sell California wines or
any wines in your country. In our state (commonwealth), Virginia,
they sell wine, but in the other states we travel through to visit
family, none carry wine.

Dee Dee

On Apr 8, 4:50 pm, Steve Slatcher > wrote:
> On 8 Apr 2007 13:11:12 -0700, "
>
> > wrote:
> >We have a Costco about 100 miles from us but it is a sort of warehouse
> >where you have to be a member to shop and you have to buy in bulk and
> >one also has to pay a hefy subscription annually to join!
>
> Some goods are only sold in large packets, but I can assure you that
> if you so wish you could pop into a UK CostCo and buy a single bottle
> of wine. Whenever I have compared prices they are very competitive
> too. Hardly worth a 200mile round trip, but if you were closer I
> would recommend checking them out.
>
> --
> Steve Slatcherhttp://pobox.com/~steve.slatcher

100 miles in the UK must seem like a long way? We don't do it often,
but our real-big-time shopping. We always check in at the Costco's
along the way as some of them will carry different goods depending on
the ethnicity of the area; i.e., when we visit Connecticut, there are
always jars of goodie Italian things; near to the DC area, one sees
more Asian type foods.

And typically in VA, different Costco's will sell some different
wines. Don't know why.
Dee

Dee Dee wrote:

> And typically in VA, different Costco's will sell some different
> wines. Don't know why.
> Dee

That topic has arisen here before. It seems that each Costco's manager
has a lot of discretion over what wines his store will stock. So,
Costcos that serve more prosperous communities might have more expensive
wines, but Costcos that have a manager who knows something about wine
will probably have the most interesting deals.

Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

Dee Dee wrote:

> And, back on topic, perhaps Costco doesn't sell California wines or
> any wines in your country. In our state (commonwealth), Virginia,
> they sell wine, but in the other states we travel through to visit
> family, none carry wine.

Thats interesting. Every Costco I've been to in Arizona, California or
Nevada has had a good selection of wines.

On 8 Apr 2007 15:45:55 -0700
"Dee Dee" > wrote:

> 100 miles in the UK must seem like a long way? We don't do it often,

I believe gas in the UK is comparable to France.

About 1.30 EU/liter -> 4.90 EU/gallon -> $6.50 US/gallon.

That'll make you think twice before driving 200 miles for groceries!

-E
--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
by removing the well known companies
Questions about wine? Visit http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

miles wrote:

> Dee Dee wrote:
>
>> And, back on topic, perhaps Costco doesn't sell California wines or
>> any wines in your country. In our state (commonwealth), Virginia,
>> they sell wine, but in the other states we travel through to visit
>> family, none carry wine.
>
> Thats interesting. Every Costco I've been to in Arizona, California
> or Nevada has had a good selection of wines.


What do you mean by "good selection"? I think most people would interpret
that term as rmeaning a *large* selection, but my experience has generally
been that the selection has been small, but interesting and well-chosen.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

On Apr 8, 7:00 pm, miles > wrote:
> Dee Dee wrote:
> > And, back on topic, perhaps Costco doesn't sell California wines or
> > any wines in your country. In our state (commonwealth), Virginia,
> > they sell wine, but in the other states we travel through to visit
> > family, none carry wine.
>
> Thats interesting. Every Costco I've been to in Arizona, California or
> Nevada has had a good selection of wines.

I didn't say that they didn't have a good selection of wines.
Dee

Everyone here probably knows that Costco is the largest purchaser in the
world of wine.

In the USA they have regional buying offices. In the southeast region it is
in Atlanta and the buyer does a great job.

In my case I have a working relationship with Costco (not for wine) and I
can tell you virtually all buying decisions on wine are done at their HQ and
then the regional buyer has some latitude. Little discretion at store
level.

They have a demographic profile called traits for each store and they know
what fits based upon that. It is a very sophisticated buying technique.
They know which stores get expanded departments for hispanic, asian etc. I
think they run an incredible operation.

It really would be hard for retailers to compete in price as they offer a
limited selection of wines that are perceived fast sellers. Club stores
make their real money on memberships. They do not charge much for markups.



"miles" > wrote in message
...
> Dee Dee wrote:
>
>> And, back on topic, perhaps Costco doesn't sell California wines or
>> any wines in your country. In our state (commonwealth), Virginia,
>> they sell wine, but in the other states we travel through to visit
>> family, none carry wine.
>
> Thats interesting. Every Costco I've been to in Arizona, California or
> Nevada has had a good selection of wines.

Ken Blake wrote:

> What do you mean by "good selection"? I think most people would interpret
> that term as rmeaning a *large* selection, but my experience has generally
> been that the selection has been small, but interesting and well-chosen.

I mean fairly large with low end to high end wines. Some Costco's do
have better selections than others but all of them have been good.

Dee Dee wrote:
> On Apr 8, 7:00 pm, miles > wrote:
>> Dee Dee wrote:
>>> And, back on topic, perhaps Costco doesn't sell California wines or
>>> any wines in your country. In our state (commonwealth), Virginia,
>>> they sell wine, but in the other states we travel through to visit
>>> family, none carry wine.
>> Thats interesting. Every Costco I've been to in Arizona, California or
>> Nevada has had a good selection of wines.
>
> I didn't say that they didn't have a good selection of wines.
> Dee

You mentioned some don't carry wine. I hadn't experieced that at the
Costco's in the southwest where they all carry wine.

Richard Neidich wrote:
> In my case I have a working relationship with Costco (not for wine) and I
> can tell you virtually all buying decisions on wine are done at their HQ and
> then the regional buyer has some latitude. Little discretion at store
> level.

Thats interesting. In some Costco's here they have a full time wine
knowledgeable person helping people with their selections. That person
has told me they handle the ordering and selection of wines. It might
be that they have to work off a list from HQ, I dont know.

In article .com>,
says...
>
>On Apr 8, 6:24 am, miles > wrote:
>> Dee Dee wrote:
>> > What is so exciting is that the owner lists the exact wines, the cost
>> > per bottle and per glass. Unbelieveable!
>> >http://www.obwrestaurant.com/menus/winelist.htm
>>
>> At least in the USA it is unusual for a fine dining restaurant to show
>> menu prices let alone wine prices on their website.
>>
>> Here is one of my favorite restaurants and they too have their wines and
>> prices listed.
>>
>> http://www.cottageplace.com/
>
>Wow, I like the menu, I just wish it was in England! I also took a
>look at the wine list, can you explain why Californian wine is so
>expensive in the USA?
>
>Judith

Judith,

In the US, it depends solely on the wine and the restaurant. As has been
mentioned, US restaurants range from +100% to 400% markup over their wholesale
prices. There are many CA wines here, that are not at all expensive. Also, in
US, the restauranteur has to pay inventory taxes on their cellar, pay to
maintain, cool, etc. their cellar, and hope to get some sort of return on that
investment, for both the general overhead and the personnel to manage it. Some
"smarter" restauranteurs are starting to cut these markups, and are selling
more wine, and, in most cases, making more money in the long run. Too many
studies, have indicated higher profits, when more wine is moved, though some
still adhere to obscene markups, thus selling less wine.

Now, I have to comment that in the UK, most US wine, that I have encountered
is of a much lower level (remember, wineries such as Mondavi, have several
labels and levels of wine) and at horribly inflated prices, especially London.
The wines from France are usually a bit lower, than we pay in the US, even
given the exchange rate, and the wines of OZ are definitely lower, even in
London. I do not know if there are extra import tariffs imposed on US wines,
but I would not pay those prices, and for the most part, the examples that I
have encountered (even in starred restaurants) would not be consumed by me, at
any price. Trust me, we have many, much better wines, than you will most
commonly see in the UK.

It is understandable why much of Europe (and the UK especially) has such a low
impression of US wines. Maybe someone can shed some light on the importation
to Europe/UK, of US wines, and why they are so horribly expensive there. To
see Mondavi Coastal Cab for £110 (Savoy House), when it is a poor example and
about US$9. OTOH, I get to drink some great white Burgs and just pretend that
the £'s are $'s. In the US, anything FR is usually priced much higher, and
it's not a tariff issue, but because of the "aura" of the wines.

Hunt