Decided on Eurocave...and it just arrived.

[raggedy1]

Your way works too of course. I've been fortunate to find an employee at the Wine Club here in SF that doesn't ever push me to buy anything. In fact, she has told me a few times to not buy anything and to just wait for the new releases (which come every week). I also always ask whether they have plenty of stock of the wines I buy in case I like them. On many wines, they can look in their computer to see how many more bottles they are expecting in the future (they don't get their entire allocation all at once). Most good shops can always locate more of a particular wine for you through their wholesalers... Not all salespeople are on commission looking to make a quick buck on us. There are some of course, but there are also those who really love wine and want to share the experience with their customers. The trick of course is to find the right shop and personnel. 8)