"That Wine is Out of Stock"

[IVYCHEF]

Bob,

I could go off for days about this, too. And you'd think that since I have the "luxury" of working with them and actually knowing a thing or two about wine, they'd cut me some slack. No way. I have nothing against my sales reps personally, they are all pretty nice guys - and I'm sure it isn't their rule - just the suits who run the distributorship. I have my "solution" and have been doing it for the last two years..but I doubt it would do you much good as I use my professional position to strike back.

About 1/4 of my wine list is from auctions, or somewhere else.

For big events, the same applies. They can't sell me what I want over the year, they don't get my business when I need special wines.

Since I have an audience-teach junior college on occasion, cooking classes at local gourmet shops, lead a very basic beginners wine tasting class once a month.
I, and only if asked:

a. won't recommend (or dine at) the restaurants that get these allocated wines

b. will tell people: You can't get wine X in Peoria or surrounding area because...and then tell them to complain at their favorite wine store if so compelled to do so.

c. won't recommend their "little siblings wines" if the "allocated older brother" isn't available to the general public.

d. encourage people to find these wines if they want them at auction, at Sam's or POP's, or somewhere else and provide them with resources to do so.

Is it working? I would like to think that I had some little bity part in now seeing wines like Beringer and Mondavi Reserves, Domaine Drouhin, Woodward Canyon and SOME big name Bordeauxs and Burgundies on the shelves. (Actually, its probably because these wines won't sell at the absurd restaurant prices in beer drinking Peoria.)

Good luck in your fight against the establishment.

Kevin