PISSING ALL OVER SUPERSTITION (IF YOU COULD MUG FREDDY KRUEGER WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A SCRATCH)

So the moves are happening again, I guess to time them just right before we get into all that SOND mess (September-October-November-December). Fosters Wine Group has unofficially begun consolidating its distribution nationwide, and for Kentucky, by migrating all its products underneath the SWS umbrella. Whether that translates to a 6^th division, is anyone’s guess right now? Stupider things have been perpetrated to be sure. And surprisingly, we were told that Fontana Candida and Bolla were purchased by Banfi, the pantheon of competitive pricing here in the Commonwealth of KY. I haven’t carried Banfi for almost my entire tenure here at the store due to the fact that Ohio beats us on pricing (a big no-no here in the Wild Wild West of the wine biz), so they get no quarter here on our shelves.

I’ve been talking to some of my other distributors, always trying to convince them to pick up this winery or that importer because the brands are 1) available and widely distributed across the river, 2) the reviewers have shown them serious love in recent weeks/months, 3) too many customers ask for the brands, and/or 4) I’ve had them personally and loved ‘em. A lot of times, I get misinterpreted and these wines end up in some unwanted exclusive situation. Nothing I approach distributors about is intended to be an exclusive. Exclusives are for dinosaurs. Private labels are one thing, but when you have a particular brand that has national distribution, is available everywhere in one market, but unavailable except to one decrepit old sales arrangement that is phenomenally out-of-date in another, is just ridiculous. God forbid said brand gets reviewed. All hell breaks loose then.

I understand the business semantics of it all. I’ve discussed this before. An importer/broker/winery can unload a large quantity of product all at once, it is a blessing for cash flow, but ultimately, it does a colossal disservice to the people these companies are trying so hard to reach – the consumers. Screw the wholesalers and even the retailers. When you make wine, you intend it to be drunk by wine consumers, not languish to die on some wholesaler’s loading dock, or on some retailer’s shelf. Wine is a perishable item that does have an expiration date, albeit a mysterious one.

This business is wrought with conundrums (and I ain’t talking about the white wine blend from Caymus). Whether you are trying to make molehills out of the mountainous landscape that is wine law, or understanding how some state’s think wine vending machines are the best way to serve their wine loving constituencies, the sheer convoluted-ness of this business is mindboggling (much like this post).

At least I can say that there are some great Washington state wineries on the way, like Reverie and Bergevin Lane. And my fingers are crossed for Louis/Dressner too.

Just wanted to vent a little bit this Friday the 13^th. They don’t call me the “whine-o” for nothing.