 | Photograph by
Pornchai Mittongtare |
For those already on an allocation list, increasing one’s take can be just as problematic as getting on the list in the first place. At Harlan Estate, seniority seems to be the only viable method. "Our loyal customers are rewarded for their loyalty," says proprietor Bill Harlan. "Those who have been with us the longest will have the best chance of getting a little more wine." The wine is worth the wait, although the increase is not extravagant. Harlan customers receive anywhere from a single 750-ml bottle to a 750-ml six-pack of estate Proprietary Red (at $235 a bottle) and possibly one magnum ($520). Harlan’s oldest customers receive a boxed set of two magnums in addition to their six-pack.
"Rather than deepen people’s allocations, we think it’s better to let more people experience it," says Harlan Director Don Weaver. Toward this end, the winery—which this year will release 1,800 cases—lets in a few more customers each year. "We still have a modest amount of growth at Harlan. As our vineyard matures, we get more wine, and we’re able to bring in a few more people. Patience is the key," explains Weaver.
Patience helps, but connections sometimes work wonders. Harlan himself concedes that wine lovers’ buying histories can propel them from a wait list to a mailing list. "If you’re buying large quantities of Harlan from the proprietor of
a fine wine shop, you should let us know (and be prepared
to reveal proof), because that can influence us," he says. Bribery does not work. "We’ve all been bribed. I remember Ann Colgin telling me that someone had offered her a Mercedes. I wish they had called me," he wisecracks.
Weaver admits to one sur
prising method for procuring a bottle or two. "We all have a soft spot for people trying to hit a birth year or to celebrate a graduate. Funny thing. You’d be surprised how many kids were born in ’94 or ’97," he says, referring to two of California’s loftiest vintages.
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