|
|
 |
|
| Wine & Spirits |
In Vino Vanitas
Tara Weingarten
12/01/2003
|
The soft economy has vacated a few spots on some waiting lists. Steve Wallace, owner of Wally’s, a Los Angeles fine wine shop, points to Opus One as an example. "In the past, Opus was bulletproof," he notes. "Each year, they’d sell out with 25,000 cases at about $125 per bottle. This year, it seems there’s more of it to go around." Wallace also has noticed more collectors selling off their prized vintages. "We’re seeing about 30 percent of the people on cult lists selling their allocations; this practice is up significantly from a couple of years ago."
While some of the lists might be easier to break, the economy has not pried open any from the top echelon, Wallace points out. "True cult wines have stayed hard to get because they make so little of it," he says. "The top 5 percent of cult wines will always be hard to get."
"If you come up here, I move you to the
front edge of the wait list because you’ve
made an effort to show your interest."
—David Long, owner,
David Arthur
|
This short supply continues to drive pent-up demand in Napa and Sonoma’s boutique winery business. At David Arthur, the sought-after wine Elevation 1147 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the toughest beasts to snare. Owner David Long has closed his list at 1,200 customers and tries to placate the 6,700 souls awaiting elevation. His advice: Make certain to regularly update your contact information. A surprising number of hopefuls are simply knocked off the list because the winery is unable to contact them. "It’s not like a Victoria’s Secret catalog that comes in the mail once a month," Long observes. "You get one shot, and that’s it. If you don’t order, you get bonged. We have to do it that way because so many people are waiting."
Nevertheless, Long claims to have a soft spot for those who visit his winery. "If you come up here, I move you to the front edge of the wait list, because you’ve made an effort to show your interest," he explains. Of course, landing an appointment at the winery is not easy. "It may take a few months to get an appointment for a tour, but it would be worth it," he promises. Generous barrel tastings are always a part of the visit.
If you are one of the lucky few buying David Arthur, do not hold out for a larger allocation any time soon. Everyone receives the same lot: a mixed case of
six 750-ml bottles and the offer for one magnum. Even the magnum is not guaranteed. "I make fewer than 200 cases of Elevation 1147 and only 250 magnums," says Long. "It’s first come, first served. So if you procrastinate on your order, you’ll miss out."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
