Outrageous

[vinman]

Have been charged $75, and now $82 Fed Ex for a single case of wine shipped from the west coast to Minnesota this week! Now for you Eastern gentlemen, where wines are readily available and frequent, not too worry. On the shipping coast, simply walk in to your favorite shop, and "walla", you've got the stuff. But for us...in the heartland, it's like too tannic! I've written 'til the cows come home. Help!

[Innkeeper]

Have never been charged more than $26 for shipping from the Left Coast to Maine. Usually it's around $16 - $18. That's ground transport. Are you using overnight or one of those "store it, and ship it" outfits?

[vinman]

Innkeeper,
Obviously upset! Your shipping costs in no way reflect mine, which are almost exclusively Fed Ex second day air (required) during cold weather months... but Innkeeper, it ain't that cold! Now, there were some wonderful posts regarding the EIEIO Pinot from farmer Jay...yet when I ordered a case it was simply $75!!! for wine that needed time to settle down, and vigorous decanting. Sometimes think we need more than a forum, maybe some K------Ok!

[Innkeeper]

All my stuff come by U.P.S. land. We are about thirty five miles from their center. The wine sometimes arrives cold, but if it has not been frozen, it gets over it. IMHO cold does not affect wine as badly as heat. Bucko won't ship any wine in the summer for this reason.

[Bucko]

Ah so true! UC Davis (or someone who went or taught there - can't remember) did a study of wines that were heated to various temperatures, and wines that were frozen. In GENERAL terms, wines that were heated tasted worse than the control wines; wines that were frozen had almost imperceptible taste changes from the frozen wines. I NEVER worry about shipping wines during the winter, spring or fall, only during the heat of summer, FWIW.

[winedope]

should we be suspicious of groups that do ship in summer? are there any precautions we should take? can we save anything that arive very warm-ie cool it immediately? ive never had wine shipped in warm weather beofre. thanks guys : )

[Bucko]

Absolutely! Good merchants will NOT ship in the heat of summer unless it goes by overnight FEDEX (which I have done, but it cost a pretty penny).

Even short term high heat can rob a wine of subtle nuances. Be VERY suspicious of bottles that show cork elevation or seepage. They are ruined IMHO.

[winedope]

thanks, Bucko