wine sales

[thewoodman]

I have had some successes, and many bottles poured down the sink when trying these ultra-bargains. Generally, when I've found an unknown name from a good vintage or appelation, they've been pretty good bets. I've had some really nice Napa Cabernet, 1998/99/2000 Cotes du Rhone, Carneros Pinot Noir, etc. in the 2.99-4.99 range. These are often solid wine that are surplus and unloaded by a legitimate winery. In my experince, however, when I find a "bargain" on California appelation, or southesast Australia, etc. it ends up in the sink.

A couple of my best finds to date were 1997 Bayliss and Fortune Napa Cabernet at $3.99 and Topian Carneros Pinot Noir at $3.99, two names I've never seen before or since. Both of these could easily be passed off as $20 wines. When you find a really good one, you need to taste it fast and go back for more quickly. These thingshave a way of disappearing fast. You know it's plonk if the store seems to have a healthy supply for days and weeks on end.

Pardon my rambling, but ultra bargains are one of the great pleasures of my life.