The Auswine Forum

The recent arrival of a winery newsletter prompted this question to you all. You are a member of a wineries mailing list (lets say medium to long term). Every year your favourite bottle from them is going up, which is inevitable. When do you decide to call it a day? I'm talking about both overall price per bottle and the amount that it goes up per year. I'd also be interested to hear peoples opinions in regards to what they feel are acceptable increases.

Thanks

Jamie

Jamie,

I know how you feel. For me there are a few factors - result of yes answers shown.

1. Did they put the price up for a lesser vintage? - skip and wait for next year.

2. Can I think of 2-3 other wines I'd rather buy at that price or less? Skip, maybe forever if the same answer next year.

3. Is it a top vintage and is the rise less than say 10%? - probably buy.

Not Rockford's I hope!

radioactiveman,

this is a complex question, and a damn good one

i'm not sure if its the winery you are talking about radioactiveman, but the clonakilla mailer arrived today, with the shiraz viognier at $59/pb

there are two reasons why i will still buy this wine at this price, despite the fact it has risen steadilty:

1) It is still damn good value for an absolutely superb drop and it is a good wine by all accounts; and
2) Tim kirk deserves commercial success because he is a top bloke with a great attitude to customers and a real passion for making top wine

as you can see, my 'love' of the winery AND a cold logical assessment of $ vs quality, play a part in calculating whether to buy a wine. i am willing to pay more for a wine if i like the winemaker's attitude and their story, and i believe they deserve it because they are a good bloke/chick. if i don't like them and feel no emotional connection, i will make a much colder and logical assessment of whether to buy the wine at a given price

JWR

DAMN, it's $56 for the clonakilla shiraz viognier this year not $59, sorry guys

JamieBahrain wrote:Not Rockford's I hope!

No, not them. Their newsletter comes out in October (mine early November as I've only been a member a few years). Rockford, from memory, only increase their price a few dollars a year, which is more than acceptable.

Jamie

In my case there's no 'black and white' answer. One factor that I do consider though, is the secondary market. If current release prices climb above auction prices, I will probably stop buying the current releases in favour of 'picking and choosing' vintages from auction. Like Brian, I will also look at substituting with something else. There's plenty on offer out there at the moment.

We baulked at Clonakilla S-V as well. Bought Ralph Fowler instead.