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Old 11-01-2012, 02:54 PM   #1
jazznut
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Montreal, Canada
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Where has the 'Wine World' gone to?

Anyone who has even the slightest passing interest in wines is aware of how inflation, increased production as well as marketing costs, and any number of other factors (speculation, anyone?) have led to higher retail prices. But when it comes to truly renowned wines, it would appear that the sky is the limit these days.

There are any number of examples (anyone priced a top-growth Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsatian, Australian classic or... well, take your pick of just about any super-premium wine?) out there to cement the realization that the wine market for top-flight vinous pleasure has transformed into forbidden territory for anyone with limited means or, more importantly, a modicum of common sense.

To cite but one illustration of this phenomenon, I'll mention a Portuguese Douro that has remained at or near the top echelon of its country's wines for decades - Barca Velha.

I purchased my first vintage (the 1978) of Barca Velha way back in the mid 1980s. Those bottles cost me under CDN$16 each. I remember bemoaning the fact that I had just missed out (by a year or so) on being able to buy the exceptional 1966 vintage for CDN$11.75! No matter. The 1978 wine was still quite incredible.

The most recent vintage I dared to purchase was the 1991. By this time, it had been officially denominated as a Douro D.O.C. wine (rather than being classified as a simple table wine, as had - for ancient regulatory reasons - been the case previously). I ended up spending over CDN$70 per bottle. Obviously, my resistance was beginning to grow almost on a par with the asking price.

Just this week, I received notification that my provincial liquor purveyor had received a shipment of the 2004 vintage. The cost? CDN$290 per bottle!

There are many items (with emphasis on the multiple!) that a wine lover as myself might consider purchasing for such a princely sum. Rest assured, however, that the 2004 Barca Velha (much as I'd love to taste it!) won't make the short list.

I fear the era of any sense of rationality in the marketing of what have come to be known as 'luxury consumer items' is long gone. Pity.

Anyone else have thoughts on this wild and wacky state of affairs?

By the way... Cheers!

(P.S. Right now, I'm sipping on some truly excellent 2009 Château de Nages J-T from the south of France that, at under CDN$20 a pop, actually makes a lot of sense in terms of delivering pleasure.)
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