IanH wrote:

> Well I think - with respect - you are being a little disengenuous
> here. The aforementioned 1er cru classé don't sell direct to the
> public, so it would be silly to publish prices. I would be surprised
> if a Grande Marque Champagne did either. However, when I went to taste
> at the Fallers, I was able to buy from the domaine without any
> difficulty - other than the overweaning arrogance of the members of
> the family. So that's one à priori reason to publish a price list.

Good point, Ian. Few regions are as insulated from their customer base
as are the Bordelais.

[...]
> And what is REALLY sad is that many winemakers don't seem to see how
> much more they'd sell if they were open and upfront about their
> prices.

Well, perhaps the situation is a bit like that faced by the wine
importer Kermit Lynch in the US: his retail store carries the _highest_
prices for his own imports. Why? Because, if he sold them for less,
he'd never be able to sell his wines to the distributors who are his
major customer as they'd view him as undercutting their sales. Since I
know that vignerons in France sell their wines for less than they can be
found at retail (a commendable and logical practice, by the by) they
might feel constrained to not advertise that fact and thereby alienate
the major outlet for their wines.

Just a thought,
Mark Lipton

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