Dr Vino's wine blog

If you can’t buy wine in your local supermarket, do you think you should be allowed? Massachusetts residents will be asked essentially that question on a statewide ballot initiative this November. If I were a resident of the Commonwealth, I would vote yes.

As crazy as it may sound to residents of California, Illinois or Florida, many states in the northeast still have laws that prohibit the sale of wine in supermarkets. Wine and spirits must be sold at spearate (but equal?) stores. Chains are prohibited in New York where licensees can only have one license in the entire state. Massachusetts is somewhat better with a maximum of three locations per licensee.

Here’s why I would vote yes on “question 1” on November 7:

1. Convenience. If you are going to have wine with dinner, you can’t get more convenient than buying wine where you are also buying the ingredients for dinner.

2. Price. The prices of high volume wines would come down. The Massachusetts Food Association, a trade group that is pushing the initiative, estimates that the reform would save wine consumers between $26 – $36 million. While it’s hard to say exactly how much it would save, it’s easy to tell which wines would benefit. If a consumer wants a branded commodity wine, then they should be able to get that at rock bottom prices. The large purchases of supermarkets and big box retailers would give them the clout to deliver those low prices.

3. End the stigma of wine as “different.” Wine has made significant inroads into American life in the past decade. For that to continue, it has to be easy to buy and at a good price. Selling wine next to cheese and not in a different store will continue this positive trend.

4. The big retailers will have increased clout in the market to offset the clout that the distributors crurrently wield.

5. Sales to minors will not increase as a group against the initiative suggests. It’s funny to see shopkeepers using this rhetoric since it is usually employed by the distributors. Many supermarket chains require any alcohol purchase to be done with an ID. Some even enter the ID number into the computer system.

6. Lest you think I am being too cruel on the “mom and pop” package stores, it will actually improve the small shops that survive. Instead of selling branded commodity wines with thin margins, they will be able to move more upmarket and sell premium wines with fatter margins. They will be forced to provide a better selection, better service, and better wine events than the supermarkets. And that will be a boon for the both the curious and the enthusiast wine drinker.

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Question 1: Sale of Wine by Food Stores
This proposed law would allow local licensing authorities to issue licenses for food stores to sell wine. The proposed law defines a ““food store” as a retail vendor, such as a grocery store, supermarket, shop, club, outlet, or warehouse-type seller, that sells food to consumers to be eaten elsewhere (which must include meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, fresh fruit and produce, and other specified items), and that may sell other items usually found in grocery stores. Holders of licenses to sell wine at food stores could sell wine either on its own or together with any other items they sell.

Related:
Study hits wine sales ‘monopoly’ [Boston Globe]
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What’s the multi-millionaire to do when collecting wines isn’t enough? Why, collect wineries of course. Bernard Magrez made a fortune with the sale of his Bordeaux négociant house, William Pitters, and now has assembled a portfolio of 37 “micro-cuvees.” They come mostly from Bordeaux and include such big guns as Chateau Pape Clement but also from places as far flung as Tunisia and Uruguay.

So for Bernard Magrez, the question becomes, what do you do when collecting wineries isn’t enough? Since collecting cars doesn’t always work (he had to return his Hummer when it didn’t fit in his driveway in Bordeaux), the answer for him is to open wine shops.

His new Paris shop opened in July and another for Bordeaux is slated for the fall. The shops sell only wines bearing the Magrez signature—and they do almost all have his name on the label. Although there are 37 wines, the brand is clearly Magrez. The unseen signature in the bottle, however, is Michel Rolland, the renowned and controversial “flying winemaker” known for favoring big reds.

I dropped by the handsome Paris boutique a few weeks ago. In the high-rent district a stone’s throw from the Opéra, the black exterior gives way to a mostly black interior complete with two chandeliers of black Baccarat crystal. Georges Bentet, the shop manager who has been a sommelier in both France and the US, greeted me and I asked him a bit about what’s going on. He offers hour-and-a-half classes on wine appreciation complete with tastings from about five Magrez offerings. How are they going? So far, no takers.

The friendly Georges says that the wines are, surprisingly, more expensive at the shop than in supermarkets. Wait–supermarkets?!? Yes, some of these wines indeed appear in supermarkets. But what the shop offers, he says, is depth and breadth of the Margrez line. Want an older vintage of Pape Clement? Or a large format Fombrauge? This is where you can find them.

If you can’t make it to this location, rumor has it that Magrez will be opening similar boutiques in other cities around the world.

Bernard Magrez, the boutique
36 rue St. Augustin, 75002 Paris
01.49.24.03.11

tags: wine | wine stores | Paris | Bernard Magrez

American wine geeks will feel at home at La Derniere Goutte. And it’s not because the name—the last drop—evokes an American ad campaign of a bygone era. It’s thanks to the fact that the owner speaks perfect English, since he is an American.

Juan Sanchez started his first wine shop in Paris 13 years ago in the charming streets of the Latin Quarter. After three years at one location he moved around the corner and started La Derniere Goutte. He has been sourcing wines from boutique producers ever since.

The small, climate controlled shop has a great selection of wines from independent growers particularly from the Languedoc and the Rhone. Many of the growers practice wine making that uses little intervention in the vineyard and in the winery.

And many of the producers aren’t imported to the US so you can keep WAY ahead of the Jonses. Have you ever wanted to try a champagne from Anselme Selosse for example? Juan has several as well as other champagnes made by the growers themselves (not the norm in Champagne where the big houses prevail). It’s a good thing he offers a tax refund of 13 percent for purchases over 120 euros.

Beyond simply having great wines, Juan and his staff make it easy for you to actually buy them on a tight travel schedule since they’re one of the few Paris (wine) shops open on Sundays. And oh yeah, if you’re local, they deliver too. How about that for convenience!

6, rue de Bourbon le Chateau, 75006 Paris
tel : 01 43 29 11 62

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Juan is also a partner in the restaurant Fish, just around the corner on rue de Seine. Located in an old fishmonger’s store with ornate tile work on the façade, the food and service on the inside are just as refreshing as the air conditioning. We enjoyed the Domaine Roquefort rose from Provence (find this wine), which is available by the glass, carafe, or bottle. The friendly staff pour natural wines from the list and would no doubt welcome naturalistas seeking glass when the restaurant is not in full swing. You may even see Juan there after the shop closes.

A bit of trivia: directly across the street from Fish is a sandwich shop called Cosi. They bake their own flatbreads in the oven and offer a menu of light fare. Sound like the publicly traded American company by the same name is following Starbucks and making inroads into France? Actually it is the other way around in this case. This location spurred American investors to buy the rights and turn it into a hugely successful business in the states.

Fish, La Boissonnerie, 69, rue de Seine 75006 Paris. Tel : 01 43 54 34 69

tags: wine | wine shops | natural wines | Paris

Icosta from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile writes:

Which is the biggest wine store in the world?
Thank you very much!!!!

Wow! Great question!

Of course Costco and Sam’s Club (Wal-Mart) are the largest retailers of wine in the US but their stores could hardly be considered wine stores even though they have some wine in them.

The biggest store that is devoted mostly to wine sales that I have been in has to be Sam’s Wine and Spirits in Chicago (privately owned by the Rosen family, not part of Wal-Mart despite the similarity in names). It’s like an airplane hangar filled with wine and spirits and beer. It’s got 9,500 wine SKUs in 25,000 sq ft and has to be one of the largest in the world if not the biggest. It grossed $60 million in 2004 and the Rosens opened a new location in 2005 and 2006, also in the big box format.

One of the NYC area stores may be as big in revenues but none competes in terms of square footage. Perhaps one in LA? Or a BevMo? Bottle Barn?

Perhaps there are bigger ones outside the US? What do you think? I’m sure whichever wine store it is would love to have bragging rights.

Send in your questions.

tags: wine | wine stores

If you are in Paris looking for a wine from the Etats-Unis, New Zealand, or even Brazil, your home to one-stop shopping convenience has a name: Lavinia.

Sprawling over a climate-controlled three floors, the store is the most New World in its orientation in all of Paris. Opened in 2003 after its owners cut their teeth on locations in Barcelona and Madrid, the store stocks 6,000 wines, hundreds of spirits, a significant selection of wine books in French and English, and a handsome tasting bar and restaurant. And with copious amounts of staff, the customer service is as refreshing as the air conditioning.

Consider it a must-stop for wine geeks, whether for ex-pats or locals who are stuck in a rut or visitors who are looking for the best of French wines.

The entry floor has many wines stuck neck first into a display with helpful rings around them indicating a good value, organically grown, best seller, or a seasonal selection. One section suggests wines paired with various foods. They offer a sample of a wine or two a week, poured in a glass (not plastic!).

This floor houses the wines of the world, from Argentina to Spain and Tuscany to Napa. A panel on the wall said “Cuba” and I was intrigued–since my home country has an embargo against products of the island, this was my first chance to try a wine from the island more known for tobacco than grapes. Alas, it was not to be since the wine, once stocked, was no longer available (a testimony to its poor quality a staff member told me).

Upstairs is the library, a huge array of armagnacs and cognacs, and the swanky bar/restaurant. Their attitude toward customer service is such that the whole store becomes the wine list: each wine in the store can be consumed at the bar for the same price as in the store, which makes it the most diverse wine bar in Paris (open til 8 PM).

Downstairs is all French, all the time. There is a cooler storage area for not just e expensive and rare wines but also some affordable “natural” wines that need a little more TLC. This area holds perhaps the most appeal for visitors to Paris looking to pick up some of the bounty of France.

If the sumptuous selection is too much for you to carry home, they deliver! (a concept, essential in Manhattan, which is still in its infancy in Paris) And for non-EU visitors who start swiping the plastic with vigor, the store offers a 13% tax refund on purchases over 300 euros–though it will require getting to the airport early to claim it.

The selection here of wines from the world can’t be beat in Paris. If you are sold on the business model, then it can be yours: a sign in the window says “franchisees wanted.”

Lavinia, 3-5 Boulevard de la Madeleine, 75001 Paris. 01 42 97 20 20
www.lavinia.fr

tags: wine | wine shops | wine stores | Paris

As the top wine producing country with a population that drinks about 13 gallons a year for each person, you would think that it would be easy to buy wine in France. Well, you’d be right. And you’d be wrong.

Unlike America, where “blue laws” dominate the sale of wine in many states, it is unbelievably easy to buy wine in France. I’ve seen wine for sale in flower shops and in corner stores, direct from the producer at a farmer’s market and at big box retailers. But the real trouble can be something good–or at least finding the exact thing that you might want.

In the regions, regional wines dominate independent shops, or cavistes. This makes sense since wine has historically been consumed close to where it is grown. But if you want a Sancerre with your salad, then you can be out of luck if you are in Savoie.

There are hundreds if not thousands of these specialty stores in the country. Outside of Paris, based on my somewhat small sample, I found cavistes to have a wide selection of regional wines and little else. In Paris, not all cavistes have air conditioning though most have cooler, underground storage. I visited a shop a few days ago that was about 95 degrees inside and had an eclectic inventory of vintages (including a NZ sauvignon blanc from 2002–eegad!). But, hey, not all wine shops feel the love.

Shopping at a large supermarket (hypermarche) provides a lot more choice across regions. However, they often lack depth in vintages, sometimes overly emphasize private labels and have scant staffing–it’s a supermarket after all. The top few chains account for the lion’s share of French wine sales. There are occasionally interesting producers there–even some top Bordeaux wines sell through big retailers. At one huge Casino store I bought wines from Jean-Luc Colombo and Clos la Coutale in Cahors. But I had to pass over a lot of pretty uninspiring wines to get to find those.

French wine making may be on the cusp of radical change. French wine retailing should keep up with trends in retailing more generally as well as wine retailing. Over the next week or so, I will write up some worthwhile shops–and even some wine bars–in Paris. Who knows, maybe better stores would help slow or reverse the declines in French wine consumption? Or at least make this iconic product more accessible to the country’s 75 million tourists?

See my map of Paris wine shops

With the Supreme Court having ruled on winery to consumer wine shipments, one of the next big legal issues for consumers is to be able to buy wine from shops in other states. Three cases are currently pending in courts around the country.

Buying wine from the web sites of wine retailers is becoming increasingly easy. The “Cranky Consumer” column for the WSJ recently reviewed buying wine and found it “relatively painless.” But one thing she forgot to mention: browse the site but phone in your order.

If you’re looking a specific item, use wine-searcher, slap it in your cart and you’re done. But if you are looking for wines around a certain theme or rare wines, I’ve had experiences recently where calling has helped me.

Shops don’t always put their full inventory on the web site as recently arrived or limited quantity items might not make it up there. And sometimes the search functions aren’t advanced. Or you want to ask for a recommendation in a certain category to fill up your half a case order. In all these circumstances, I find talking to a human in the store useful. Imagine that! Humans trump computers!

tags: wine | buying wine | ecommerce

When I walked into Moore Brothers on a warm and sunny afternoon this week, I was instantly happy. That’s because the entire store is cooled to 56 degrees (or so they say; it actually felt like 65 to me but it was still a relief).

Is cooling the whole store a gimmick? Maybe. But it works.

“Wine is a perishable agricultural product,” writes Greg Moore in the engaging newsletter.

While the Gramercy shop sells only 300 wines from France, Italy, and Germany, I could easily have spent an hour in the shop and my entire monthly wine budget. I followed the polished concrete floors and exposed brick walls to the rear of the spacious store where a staff member was pouring four wines, all under $20, in glasses. Classy.

Because they work with only two distributors, consumers might not immediately recognize many of the wines. But Greg and David Moore know them all because they have visited the regions and worked with the producers for years if not decades.

Can the store deliver quality at a reasonable price? Or does all this Freon make it prohibitively expensive? It’s hard to say if they are price competitive because many of the wines are only available in other restaurants if at all in NYC. But Greg Moore suggests in the newsletter that “it’s self-evident that a bottle of Gianni Piccoli’s Biano di Custoza is much more intrinsically worthwhile than a bottle of Santa Margharita Pinot Grigio, which is much more expensive.” Unknown is distinctive and in this case good. Often very good.

In case you can’t keep up with their 300 wines, each customer has an optional file of purchases on their computer. Loved something and can’t remember the name? Call them and they’ll tell you. Or you can access your account online and track and rate your own purchases. But my bet is they’ll actually remember you in the store.

I’m thrilled that Moore Brothers has finally opened in Manhattan since one of my friends who shops at their Delaware store has been telling me about it for years. This specialty store has leapt to my short list of favorites in New York City and I look forward to going back often. Perhaps the best thing about my experience there happened when I got home and pulled the cork of the wine I bought. It was still chilled. How refreshing.

Where: 33 E. 20th St (see it on the NYC wine store map) Grab a fleece at the door!
When: M-Sa 10 – 8; Sun 12 – 6.
How: 4, 5 to Union Square, 6 to 23rd St.
Call: 866-986-6673
Who: the whole family–there is a playspace for kids
Shelf-talkers: none. Each wine at the tasting table had staff-written one page (!) of tasting notes, producer story, regional history.
Delivery: free delivery in Manhattan for orders over $150; otherwise $12.75 delivery charge. Shipments to New York state and beyond will be available soon.
On the web: site

tags: wine | wine stores | New York City