And the winner is.............

[Thomas]

Rag is a term that comes from the days when paper really was rag (and some good paper still is). It wasn't a negative reference back then. In fact, if WS is printed on rag, then it is printed on top quality stuff, but I doubt it.

Wine Collector you are the kind of customer I seek. I intend to offer wines that are not necessarily available all around NY City. That is why I am looking for the obscure from wine regions across the U.S. and beyond. As someone alluded to, "so much wine, so little time...).

But I admit: one reason I am in the retail trade is to reduce my annual wine bill from retail to wholseale cost. I expect to save thirty percent, or to buy thirty percent more--whichever comes first.

I understand that it is difficult for passionate wine consumers to believe that there really are people out there who would waste a retailer's time--believe me guys, there are many. Roberto and I simply do not want to be in that business--that is all. I am, however, a little less strident than Roberto. I won't throw the bums out; they will leave on their own accord as soon as I tell them what I think.

As for WS and all other gurus and such: perhaps they perform a service but it is not the kind of service to which I subscribe. This country remains at the bottom of wine consumption among the top industrialized nations, and gurus do nothing to help change that statistic. The general public considers wine untouchable, and at $200 a bottle it is--hell, at $50 a bottle it is for most people.

Question just occured to me: by what standard is a wine rated among the top one-hundred or the top ten, and why is that standard used?

I am rambling--must be all that cheap Graves I had at the wine bar.