It's good to be different...

[Botafogo]

Steve, how long could you hold your tongue in the following situation:

A guy comes in saying that FIVE different friends have told him we are the ONLY place to buy Champagne for his wedding. We go through his needs and budget for twenty minutes and recommend a Premier Cru Brut from a grower in Vertus at $17.99 before our 10% off Anniversary sale discount or a VERY prestigious Prosecco Cartizze at about the same price. WHILE he is standing here, a guy comes in raving about the Vertus Brut, telling how it was the wine of the evening at a fizz tasting at the Hollywood Bowl against some pricey competition.


The guy says, "I have to call my expert" and calls a guy who works for Newsweek in the foreign desk in NYC. He makes a big deal in the store about it and ten people are listening to him yelling into his cell phone. So, when he reads the "expert" the label of the Champagne (Vertus Premier Cru Brut AOC" and the grower's name) the "expert" asks him to ask me if it is "real Champagne"?!?!?!?!? The guy asks him about the Prosecco, reading the label which includes the word "spumante" and the guy tells him "all spumantes are sickly sweet"!?!?!?

I tell the guy (who is a lawyer) that he is doing the equivalent of asking Justice Rhenquist for a legal definition (not an opinion) and then calling the court reporter from the local news in front of him to verify it and that it is flat out offensive AND that the guy is seriously deficient in information.

His fiance agrees, and mentions three more of HER friends who told them to listen to us because we don't sell mass market crap and beat the shit out of our suppliers for pricing. I pity that girl.....

Roberto