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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us November 1, 2005 Off The Vine Don’t worry about going into the shop Lorn Razzano Do you feel intimidated walking into a wine shop? It might sound strange, but there is a group of wine consumers who feel uneasy about going into wine shops. I have hear this comment over and over again in my wine appreciation class at Southern Oregon University. The major reason, according to the students (ranging from the age of 21 to senior citizens) lies with the feeling that they may not “know enough” about wine to engage or talk to the person working there and they did not want to “appear stupid.” The second reason why some folks feel uneasy about wine shops is the “high prices” that they assume they will see in the shop and feel that they may not be able to afford the wine. Let’s look at wine shops a little closer and explore what they are really about. There is some basis for the average consumer to feel that wine shops can be a little intimidating. In the old days, say from the 1950s to the 1980s, there were many boutique wine shop/liquor stores that specialized in hard-to-find, pricey wines and liquors that catered to a small but very loyal clientele. Many were located strategically around universities, where the patrons (I started working in one in 1964) were mainly professional people who had the means to travel and experience fine wines, mainly from Europe. It was, at that time, almost impossible to find the lower-priced “jug” wines that were an everyday occurrence in the supermarkets of the day in these fine boutique shops. The reason for the lack of the lower-priced wines was because the customers didn’t want (expect) them and the rent in the “professional” districts required a higher dollar return for the retailer. The higher dollar return also allowed the boutique wine shop to afford the employment of a full-time “wine expert” on the premise. Many times, these “experts” were, for the most part, middle-aged men who knew and loved the higher-priced wines, had experienced them all over the world and were conversant with the “level” of consumer who had similar tastes in wine. This was a wonderful retail situation as far as it went; however, the “average” consumer was rarely in the loop at all. It can be argued that California was the leader in these types of wine shops. But all was to come crashing down. The first blow to these exclusive wine shops was the striking down of price maintenance by the California Supreme Court. From the end of Prohibition to 1979, all retailed alcohol had to have a 25 percent markup by law. When the law crashed, so did the cushion that gave exclusive profits to the small wine shop. Soon, discount houses were marking their wines very low, making for fierce competition in the wine industry. Neighborhood wine shops had to change or die. The second big issue to hit the wine industry was the emerging higher quality of “everyday” wine. Very fine wine was no longer just about the big bucks, it is now about well made wines from Chile, Argentina, southern Italy, many parts of California and very nicely made bulk and jug wine. The result of all of this change is that today’s wine shop caters to everyone and has competitive prices that reflect the whole spectrum of the wine experience. So, here’s the tips about shopping in wine shops: 1. Have a pretty good idea of what you want to purchase before you shop. 2. Be certain about your budget. Try not to be upsold. 3. Ask to have the wine described to you — that is their job. 4. Ask for a taste of the wine being poured that day. Tasting is a great way to find new sensations in wine. 5. Have fun! Knowing and experiencing wine is a lovely part of living! See you next week. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Generic Viagra Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Absinthe Supply Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Hammocks Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino King of Spirits ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams