The Auswine Forum

I have a question and I’m not too sure if you can help me.

What do you do when you buy a 200+ bottle of wine from the wine retailer you have purchased wine from for 10 years, and you get a flawed, spoiled wine?

Thanks for you help!

Brian

I would tell the retailer my experience and make it clear that I expect them to replace or refund, and be prepared to send back the rest of the bottle contents.

Wines101 wrote:I have a question and I’m not too sure if you can help me.
What do you do when you buy a 200+ bottle of wine from the wine retailer you have purchased wine from for 10 years, and you get a flawed, spoiled wine? Thanks for you help!

Brian

I would just say the bottle was faulty, and that you still have most of the bottle and the cork (assuming you do and it's under cork), and ask politely what they can do about sorting it out. If they try to resist, you can get more strident in your reply, claim consumer laws etc, but most decent retailers handle these things well in my experience, be nice and I would expect they would be nice back.

What wine was it and what was the fault you think??

10 years certainly makes it more of a challenge than 10 months... even if the flaw is TCA, which would have been there on day 1.

Partly this depends on the laws where you are based, but also it will depend on other factors such as
- the prevailing culture for returning faulty bottles in that country. Australia is more open to this than most I believe. The wineries on the whole appear to take it seriously as well (so much so that resistance to replacing faulty wine from Radenti/Lindy Bull discussed on these pages many many years ago, still sticks in the memory)
- the practicalities of returning a bottle (e.g. a bottle of Barolo you bought from a winery visit, would present a different situation to a widely distributed bottle where the winery is based in the same country and the bottle shop you bought it from is local.
- the relationship you have with the seller. If you're a regular customer, then there will be more trust in you calling it faulty, plus more confidence that treating you fairly will even itself out over time. If it was a one-off purchase, don't be surprised if you encounter more scepticism.

I've returned a grand total on one bottle (secondary fermentation in a bottle bought a few months prior and from a local(ish) wine merchant). Why not more? Much of my purchasing is online, and much gets cellared for a number of years or decades. I ought to have made a point of returning corked bottles as I despise the apathy in the trade / industry, yet here am I being just as apathetic...

Thanks for your help.

It’s greatly appreciated!!

TiggerK wrote:

Wines101 wrote:I have a question and I’m not too sure if you can help me.
What do you do when you buy a 200+ bottle of wine from the wine retailer you have purchased wine from for 10 years, and you get a flawed, spoiled wine? Thanks for you help!

Brian

I would just say the bottle was faulty, and that you still have most of the bottle and the cork (assuming you do and it's under cork), and ask politely what they can do about sorting it out. If they try to resist, you can get more strident in your reply, claim consumer laws etc, but most decent retailers handle these things well in my experience, be nice and I would expect they would be nice back.

What wine was it and what was the fault you think??

A 2008 Pontet Canet.

Ian S wrote:10 years certainly makes it more of a challenge than 10 months... even if the flaw is TCA, which would have been there on day 1.

Partly this depends on the laws where you are based, but also it will depend on other factors such as
- the prevailing culture for returning faulty bottles in that country. Australia is more open to this than most I believe. The wineries on the whole appear to take it seriously as well (so much so that resistance to replacing faulty wine from Radenti/Lindy Bull discussed on these pages many many years ago, still sticks in the memory)
- the practicalities of returning a bottle (e.g. a bottle of Barolo you bought from a winery visit, would present a different situation to a widely distributed bottle where the winery is based in the same country and the bottle shop you bought it from is local.
- the relationship you have with the seller. If you're a regular customer, then there will be more trust in you calling it faulty, plus more confidence that treating you fairly will even itself out over time. If it was a one-off purchase, don't be surprised if you encounter more scepticism.

I've returned a grand total on one bottle (secondary fermentation in a bottle bought a few months prior and from a local(ish) wine merchant). Why not more? Much of my purchasing is online, and much gets cellared for a number of years or decades. I ought to have made a point of returning corked bottles as I despise the apathy in the trade / industry, yet here am I being just as apathetic...

TiggerK wrote:

Wines101 wrote:I have a question and I’m not too sure if yu can help me.
What do you do when you buy a 200+ bottle of wine from the wine retailer you have purchased wine from for 10 years, and you get a flawed, spoiled wine? Thanks for you help!

Brian

I would just say the bottle was faulty, and that you still have most of the bottle and the cork (assuming you do and it's under cork), and ask politely what they can do about sorting it out. If they try to resist, you can get more strident in your reply, claim consumer laws etc, but most decent retailers handle these things well in my experience, be nice and I would expect they would be nice back.

What wine was it and what was the fault you think??

This is good advice, You shod know that you have consumer rights that protect you this situation that you can rely on if the retailer is (initially) unwilling to assist. The key is that the wine was faulty when purchased (e.g TCA) nd not due to poor storage.

Here in Auckland a few years ago I returned a corked Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie to the retailer ten years after purchase without a receipt and was given a replacement bottle no questions asked.

My experience has been that very few people asked for replacements or refunds that good retailers are more than happy to help out. By knowing a wine is faulty means you are way ahead of mist of their customers in terms of wine knowledge!

https://business.gov.au/products-and-service ... nsumer-law

Geez Brodie
Assuming you weren't buying when underage, that makes you well over 120 years old!!

Ian S wrote:Geez Brodie
Assuming you weren't buying when underage, that makes you well over 120 years old!!

FIFY.....

I always tell the retailer when I have a flawed bottle that isn't due to storage (e.g. TCA, oxidation, etc,) but I don't demand anything. However, I expect them to offer some sort of recourse after I've informed them, and in most cases I've been successful in getting a replacement, refund, credit note, or whatnot.

The OP didn't specify how long ago the bottle in question was purchased, but it really doesn't matter. I had one retailer who went out of their way to ignore me upon informing them of a bottle with TCA I had purchased only a month prior... they lost my business. I had another retailer compensate me for several 10 year old bottles which were oxidised... will continue to buy from them.

If the retailer values your business, they will compensate you. If not, take your business elsewhere. There are plenty of great retailers around that will look after you. Vote with your wallet!

If not enough people care and complain, then there will be no motivation for anyone in the industry to address the issues and make things better.