What do Wine Shop Owners do....

[quijote]

....with unsold wine? I figure that they reduce the price of wine in certain instances to sell the supply off, but what happens to wine that doesn't sell and that is in danger of going past its prime? Or wine that simply doesn't sell? Is wine ever thrown out??

I just got to thinking about this because of the practice that many grocery stores have of tossing out old food, filling behind-the-store dumpsters to the brim.

[Kcwhippet]

The only time that's happened in our shop was when the owner gave a bottle of 1996 Chenin Blanc from Sutter Home back to the distributor a few months ago. Other than that sort of thing, it's never happened.

[Innkeeper]

I've often wondered the same thing, particularly in larger operations. I have found some great bargains in "bin end" sales, but have also found some that were very well picked over with nothing left in the barrel but overage whites, and the like.