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Bryant Family + Cult Wine and the Cost of Shipping - Printable Version

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- andrawes76 - 03-18-2012

A family member of mine just bought an allocation of Bryant Family with three other friends, simply to be able to enjoy DB4, Bryant Family and Bettina Red. I recently came across the receipt and found something that bothered me AND more importantly bothered him more. To start off, he's a successful surgeon and he can afford to buy wines in the $100+ category.

Here is what was all bought and had shipped:

9 each of the Bettina Proprietary Red 2009 (released originally at $250/bottle, but increased to $299 when Parker gave it big scores).

6 bottles of the DB 4 2009 released at $95/bottle

9 bottles of the 2009 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon @ $335/bottle

Freight (Shipped 2-Day!!!) was $398.00 for 24 bottles, or $16.58/bottle. Just to break this down, it costs (with styro, box, shipping via UPS with signature, maximum about $90-@120) per case to ship wine across the US via 2-Day Shipping (coast to coast). This includes adult signature ($2.00-$3.00 per package and 5-7% in insurance). Therefore the winery is profiting about $80-100 per case in freight alone.

Now I understand that wineries have to make money, but making 100% on shipping is absolutely absurd, especially when they are clearly making good money on wine. How much does it cost to make a "cult" wine or a wine of Grand Cru Classe status? Well, it is expensive. Consider the following: the French Oak barrel alone is 1800 euro, bottle $1.50/premier glass, $1.00 cork, $.50 capsule (all branded, grade A+) it can cost up to $20-35/bottle to produce excellent wine (grand cru classe) and have killer winemaker consulting in the process. Bear in mind this is single vineyard or estate fruit, not cuvee (sourced fruit from multiple vineyards).

Now Foodie, a winemaker and winery owner in his own right can confirm or adjust my guess estimated numbers, but a winery who is selling a wine for $150+ bottle on release is clearly able to produce wine from the best grapes in any wine region, acquire a premier winemaker consultant and package the wine in some sweet looking solution. At any number over $50/bottle, they should be in the gravy train. At $150/bottle, we'd estimate that they are making at least $50/bottle profit and at $250, they are making $150/bottle profit. So my question is this... yeah making good wine is not easy. Its an achievement, but is it worth making your customers feel stupid with their money to "tax" them on their love for good wine? Shouldn't they be working to keep their members on the list and not in the business of fixing attrition?

More and more people are dropping the cult wine phenomenon, not because of the wines aren't good, but because at some point in time, you realize that there are other esoteric brands, other wineries that produce good value and great wines...

Thoughts and comments?


- Thomas - 03-18-2012

I agree, Alex.

What you have to understand, however, is that in the US, wine is still viewed as both a luxury and a status symbol. Among the largest activities available to con artists is the desire of people to feel like they fit in a higher status.

Need I say more?

The longer I walk this earth, the more I understand the words of Fred Franzia: no wine should cost more than $10 a bottle.

He isn't exactly right on the price, but the sentiment is right on.

Depending on what I encounter in the marketplace, I am either cursed or blessed by knowing what it costs to produce wine. My wife hates to go wine shopping with me ;-)


- Drew - 03-19-2012

I never spend more than $50 per bottle retail. It just doesn't interest me. I'm perfectly happy to drink $10 to $30 wines 99% of the time. One thing I do, though, is educate myself on the very good ones in that price range. I have 5 good retailers that I know on first name basis who guide me to the best values and I blog a lot. Wine is not status to me. I simply just like to drink it....maybe too much!


- winoweenie - 03-19-2012

Joined Drewski 4 years ago and now don't buy anything but everyday drinkers. WW


- Thomas - 03-19-2012

Yes indeed. Two years ago I became determined to lower my wine expenditures, which threatened to start eating into my IRA account!!!

Since that time, and with good research into both the wines and retailers, I have been doing quite well keeping the cost down and the drinking experience up--with only a few bad surprises along the way, but that used to happen when I spent a lot more money per bottle.

Ten days ago, I managed to bring home 36 bottles of various wines from the world over and spend only $332. Some were as cheap as $5, and the top price was $15. I've been going through them and have found that as everyday wines, some of them are quite spectacular, and only one out of 10 thus far has been worthless.


- andrawes76 - 03-20-2012

Best value I found was the 2005 Rock Rabbit Shiraz for $6/bottle. Bought 10 cases a few years back. Friday night party wine! However i never turn down the opportunity to drink something out of my range when the should the occasion arise :-) .


- Kcwhippet - 03-20-2012

Rock Rabbit??? They try to make a syrah like an Australian shiraz and a Sauv Blanc like a Marlborough, NZ wine. Really??? Rock Rabbit is a Central Coast CA winery. Why don't they make wines that're terroir driven? They have great vineyards producing great grapes in the Central Coast!!! Why do they have to try and make them like they came from an entirely different hemisphere??? Reminds me of Bucko dissing Loring's PN's because they don't taste like Burgundies - sort of.