Comments on: Does it matter? http://www.grapesmart.net/2010/03/01/does-it-matter/ Because wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:25:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jessyca Frederick http://www.grapesmart.net/2010/03/01/does-it-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-401 Jessyca Frederick Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:40:17 +0000 http://www.grapesmart.net/?p=991#comment-401 Thank you, Julie. These are excellent points. You've touched on a subject that I'm also passionate about... discount shopping! While I agree that unscrupulous businesses shouldn't be attempting to fool people into buying fraudulent merchandise, there is a responsibility on the part of the consumer to know what they're buying (Buyer Beware). Essentially, if you don't know what you're buying, why are you buying it? In clothing, you can tell the quality of a fabric, how it's put together, etc. just by looking at it... but most people don't do this. Likewise, with wine, you can read the label or do some online research to find out what it is you're actually buying (assuming the wine producer isn't shady). But most people don't do this either. There's too much risk to a legitimate business to be selling cheap wine from Australia in a bottle that says "California." And if 75% of what's in that bottle is California and the rest is from Australia but they don't tell me? Meh. I only care if I like what's in the bottle or I don't. When you're shopping on the bottom shelf, it's not logical to be too picky about the source of your wine. Thank you, Julie. These are excellent points. You’ve touched on a subject that I’m also passionate about… discount shopping!

While I agree that unscrupulous businesses shouldn’t be attempting to fool people into buying fraudulent merchandise, there is a responsibility on the part of the consumer to know what they’re buying (Buyer Beware). Essentially, if you don’t know what you’re buying, why are you buying it?

In clothing, you can tell the quality of a fabric, how it’s put together, etc. just by looking at it… but most people don’t do this. Likewise, with wine, you can read the label or do some online research to find out what it is you’re actually buying (assuming the wine producer isn’t shady). But most people don’t do this either.

There’s too much risk to a legitimate business to be selling cheap wine from Australia in a bottle that says “California.” And if 75% of what’s in that bottle is California and the rest is from Australia but they don’t tell me? Meh. I only care if I like what’s in the bottle or I don’t. When you’re shopping on the bottom shelf, it’s not logical to be too picky about the source of your wine.

]]> By: Julie Brosterman http://www.grapesmart.net/2010/03/01/does-it-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-400 Julie Brosterman Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:55:03 +0000 http://www.grapesmart.net/?p=991#comment-400 Here's my take on the situation. I love a great barbain in anything (including wine). I grew up learning to shop at Loehmann's when you had to run around the store looking for codes on tags that would tell you if there were pants that matched the jacket from the same designer and in the same dye lot - in those days they cut out the labels and you had to be a super sleuth to find them. Then Loehmann's decided to go the route of other outlet stores and buy clothing made specifically by designers for the lower priced market place. They sold for the same discounted prices but there was no longer authenticity in what you were buying. They weren't selling designer duds at a discount but cheap merchandise to an audience that was just shopping based on price. I make the same comparison here. The un-assuming wine purchaser looking for a deal will assume that they are getting a great bargain from a known producer of higher priced wines. Instead they are getting the bargain basement substitute. Ugh. Somewhere there needs to be some truth in advertising on the label, etc. to let people know that the wine clost $5 bucks not because it's been 'marked down' from $10 but because it cost the winery 50 cents. Sorry for any typos btw, this box is really hard to type into as you don't get to see the whole line. Best, Julie Brosterman @womenwine Join our Women & Wine facebook fan page Here’s my take on the situation. I love a great barbain in anything (including wine). I grew up learning to shop at Loehmann’s when you had to run around the store looking for codes on tags that would tell you if there were pants that matched the jacket from the same designer and in the same dye lot – in those days they cut out the labels and you had to be a super sleuth to find them.

Then Loehmann’s decided to go the route of other outlet stores and buy clothing made specifically by designers for the lower priced market place. They sold for the same discounted prices but there was no longer authenticity in what you were buying. They weren’t selling designer duds at a discount but cheap merchandise to an audience that was just shopping based on price. I make the same comparison here. The un-assuming wine purchaser looking for a deal will assume that they are getting a great bargain from a known producer of higher priced wines. Instead they are getting the bargain basement substitute. Ugh.

Somewhere there needs to be some truth in advertising on the label, etc. to let people know that the wine clost $5 bucks not because it’s been ‘marked down’ from $10 but because it cost the winery 50 cents.

Sorry for any typos btw, this box is really hard to type into as you don’t get to see the whole line.

Best,
Julie Brosterman
@womenwine
Join our Women & Wine facebook fan page

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