wine sales

[Bonita]

There was a wine display at the supermarket for $2.99 bottles of merlot, cab and chardonney regular price $8.99. At that price I took a bottle of each figuring it's not much of a gamble. Why would supermarkets offer such sales? The label didn't offer much information except "Robin Brook". I looked at the back for that colorful discription most wines have, but there wasn't any except for Bottled and vinted by Robin Brook vineyards California. Is anyone familiar with this.

[Innkeeper]

Have not heard of or can find anything about them. Not surprising. Due to the wine glut in California and other regions, bulk wine is being bottled up vineyards large and small including the conglomerates with strange labels on them, and then practically given away. See my postings on Crow Canyon on the cabernet thread. Come to think of it Robin Brook and Crow Canyon sound like they come out of the same factory, don't they? What will they come up with next, Ravens Wood? Whoops, that's already been done!

[wondersofwine]

Cardinal Crest has been done too (by Biltmore estate).

[Thomas]

There was a marketing study many years ago that pointed out to wine producers that consumers go for labels with birds on them and bird names...no kidding.

Re, "Vinted and Bottled By" on an American wine label: the term simply refers to a shell wine producing license--the stuff is bulk produced; in fact, the same wine might show up under many different labels, at many different prices too.

[Bonita]

Thank for your replies. I guess it's luck of the draw. But for $2.99 what the heck, I'll take my chances. Haven't tried them yet. Hope I'm pleasently surprised.

[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.

[Bonita]

I'll start with the Merlot tonight. I'll let you know how it was. If it's a winner I'll stock up before they run out. If it's a loser I'm out a couple of bucks. The worst effort is the one not made right?