Since I left Minneapolis several years ago, Ihave not been able to go to
a wine store the size of Surdyk's where row after row of various wines
are on display to both amaze and baffle the consumer. That has changed
now that jacksonville has received Total Wine.

I think of myself as at least a little knowledgeable but am mystified at
how one is to cope with the selction. Of course they want to sell a lot
of profit and I am sure that there are some "stars" in the portfolio.
and the helpful clerks who do know their merhandize, didn't have time or
inclination to test their real knowledge ofwine, are certainly ready to
push "the 2003 was rated a 90 (by whom?) the ratings aren't out yet on
the 04's but they should be the same" the same? year to year variation
is what makes this crazy obsession of ours fun and frustratingand this
guy is advising that past results are predictors of future results, he
better not go in to the brokerage business!

So long rant short what do others think of these mega stores?

--
Joseph Coulter
Cruises and Vacations
http://www.josephcoulter.com/

Joseph Coulter wrote:
> Since I left Minneapolis several years ago, Ihave not been able to go to
> a wine store the size of Surdyk's where row after row of various wines
> are on display to both amaze and baffle the consumer. That has changed
> now that jacksonville has received Total Wine.
>
> I think of myself as at least a little knowledgeable but am mystified at
> how one is to cope with the selction. Of course they want to sell a lot
> of profit and I am sure that there are some "stars" in the portfolio.
> and the helpful clerks who do know their merhandize, didn't have time or
> inclination to test their real knowledge ofwine, are certainly ready to
> push "the 2003 was rated a 90 (by whom?) the ratings aren't out yet on
> the 04's but they should be the same" the same? year to year variation
> is what makes this crazy obsession of ours fun and frustratingand this
> guy is advising that past results are predictors of future results, he
> better not go in to the brokerage business!
>
> So long rant short what do others think of these mega stores?
>

Joseph,
One of my more familiar haunts is Sam's in Chicago, another mega
store. They are a bit different, as their staff are by and large quite
knowledgeable (though not always sharing my tastes), but their shelf
talkers are every bit as unreliable as Total Wines'. I was there
yesterday, as a matter of fact, killing time while waiting for the
Chinese consulate to process my visa request, and decided to buy some
'04 dry German Rieslings, an area I'm not terribly familiar with. What
I did was to focus on some names I knew (Prum, Dönnhoff, Muller-Catoir,
Hexamer, etc.) and to look at the back labels of those I didn't know. I
chose an unfamiliar wine that was a Terry Thiese selection and chose an
unfamiliar Beaujolais because it was a Kermit Lynch import.

(BTW, we opened that KL Bojo last night:

2004 Ch. Thivin Cote de Brouilly
n: bright, light red fruit
p: bright fruit, light body, good acidity, fruity mid-palate and a
balanced finish with just a slight hint of Gamay bitterness

Served chilled with a "picnic" dinner. Very cheery and satisfying.)

I usually find that, when dealing with unfamiliar imported wine, I trust
the importer and/or broker more than any other information.

Mark Lipton

Florida must be a tough place to find reliable supplies of good wine at low
cost. Everyone I know in Florida (present company excepted!) either drinks
cheap White Zin, or Budweiser. ;-)

Many of these places truly work like warehouses. and I am concerned for the
temperature variations (storage conditions) of the wine. So I ask -
carefully, to probe if they even really understand the issue. IMHO, some
places are really all about moving large quantities to a market that intends
to drink the product right away. Ergo, there isn't as much care for storage
conditions as I would prefer. Others, especially those that specialize in
wine, seem to take more care. Again, it seems you can usually tell by asking
some probative questions - if they don;t even really understand why you're
asking, it's a good sign there may be something to be concerned about.

The other thing I have found when I buy from Beverages & More here in
California, is to know what I want before I go. They have a good online
store, so I review it - looking for deals, good wines, etc. And then I price
compare with other large wine merchants in Nor Cal. That way I avoid
confusing myself at the store.

As for the resident wine expert ratings - thus far, haven;t found any that I
can trust. Have you?





"Joseph Coulter" > wrote in message
. 97.136...
> Since I left Minneapolis several years ago, Ihave not been able to go to
> a wine store the size of Surdyk's where row after row of various wines
> are on display to both amaze and baffle the consumer. That has changed
> now that jacksonville has received Total Wine.
>
> I think of myself as at least a little knowledgeable but am mystified at
> how one is to cope with the selction. Of course they want to sell a lot
> of profit and I am sure that there are some "stars" in the portfolio.
> and the helpful clerks who do know their merhandize, didn't have time or
> inclination to test their real knowledge ofwine, are certainly ready to
> push "the 2003 was rated a 90 (by whom?) the ratings aren't out yet on
> the 04's but they should be the same" the same? year to year variation
> is what makes this crazy obsession of ours fun and frustratingand this
> guy is advising that past results are predictors of future results, he
> better not go in to the brokerage business!
>
> So long rant short what do others think of these mega stores?
>
> --
> Joseph Coulter
> Cruises and Vacations
> http://www.josephcoulter.com/
>

Mark Lipton > wrote in
:
I chose an unfamiliar wine that was a Terry Thiese
> selection and chose an unfamiliar Beaujolais because it was a Kermit
> Lynch import.
>
> (BTW, we opened that KL Bojo last night:
>
> 2004 Ch. Thivin Cote de Brouilly
> n: bright, light red fruit
> p: bright fruit, light body, good acidity, fruity mid-palate and a
> balanced finish with just a slight hint of Gamay bitterness
>
> Served chilled with a "picnic" dinner. Very cheery and satisfying.)
>
> I usually find that, when dealing with unfamiliar imported wine, I
> trust the importer and/or broker more than any other information.
>
> Mark Lipton
>

The Kermit Lynch suggestion is not new to me, KL is one of the go to
labels for me as well.

--
Joseph Coulter
Cruises and Vacations
http://www.josephcoulter.com/

Joseph Coulter wrote:
> Since I left Minneapolis several years ago, Ihave not been able to go to
> a wine store the size of Surdyk's where row after row of various wines
> are on display to both amaze and baffle the consumer. That has changed
> now that jacksonville has received Total Wine.
>
> I think of myself as at least a little knowledgeable but am mystified at
> how one is to cope with the selction. Of course they want to sell a lot
> of profit and I am sure that there are some "stars" in the portfolio.
> and the helpful clerks who do know their merhandize, didn't have time or
> inclination to test their real knowledge ofwine, are certainly ready to
> push "the 2003 was rated a 90 (by whom?) the ratings aren't out yet on
> the 04's but they should be the same" the same? year to year variation
> is what makes this crazy obsession of ours fun and frustratingand this
> guy is advising that past results are predictors of future results, he
> better not go in to the brokerage business!
>
> So long rant short what do others think of these mega stores?
>
> --
> Joseph Coulter
> Cruises and Vacations
> http://www.josephcoulter.com/

I would be glad to have such a store available in PA. But I'm not
holding my breath.

Dan-O

"Ric" > wrote in
. com:

> Florida must be a tough place to find reliable supplies of good wine
> at low cost. Everyone I know in Florida (present company excepted!)
> either drinks cheap White Zin, or Budweiser. ;-)
>
I know those guys, they are my neighbors

> Again, it seems you can usually tell by asking some probative
> questions - if they don;t even really understand why you're asking,
> it's a good sign there may be something to be concerned about.
>
I was mostly listening to the spiels to others last night, another thing
I do, see what they are touting and "why"
>
> As for the resident wine expert ratings - thus far, haven;t found any
> that I can trust. Have you?

Why, isn't "This one got a 95!" from somebody descriptive enough for
you? ;-) I normally say I drink wine not numbers. It has gotten me some
good wine in the right places like a little wine store in Tournon,
France but tends to get a "smart ass" look in the US.

--
Joseph Coulter
Cruises and Vacations
http://www.josephcoulter.com/

A lot of the big box chains have set goals on how quickly a sales is made
after an inquiry which emphasizes the clerk is not an educator but a person
with the meter running.
"Joseph Coulter" > wrote in message
. 97.136...
> Since I left Minneapolis several years ago, Ihave not been able to go to
> a wine store the size of Surdyk's where row after row of various wines
> are on display to both amaze and baffle the consumer. That has changed
> now that jacksonville has received Total Wine.
>
> I think of myself as at least a little knowledgeable but am mystified at
> how one is to cope with the selction. Of course they want to sell a lot
> of profit and I am sure that there are some "stars" in the portfolio.
> and the helpful clerks who do know their merhandize, didn't have time or
> inclination to test their real knowledge ofwine, are certainly ready to
> push "the 2003 was rated a 90 (by whom?) the ratings aren't out yet on
> the 04's but they should be the same" the same? year to year variation
> is what makes this crazy obsession of ours fun and frustratingand this
> guy is advising that past results are predictors of future results, he
> better not go in to the brokerage business!
>
> So long rant short what do others think of these mega stores?
>
> --
> Joseph Coulter
> Cruises and Vacations
> http://www.josephcoulter.com/
>

I was told 95% of wholesalers in Florida descended from firms set up right
after Prohibition---the laws are stacked against small stores & wholesale
houses.
"Ric" > wrote in message
. com...
> Florida must be a tough place to find reliable supplies of good wine at
low
> cost. Everyone I know in Florida (present company excepted!) either drinks
> cheap White Zin, or Budweiser. ;-)
>
> Many of these places truly work like warehouses. and I am concerned for
the
> temperature variations (storage conditions) of the wine. So I ask -
> carefully, to probe if they even really understand the issue. IMHO, some
> places are really all about moving large quantities to a market that
intends
> to drink the product right away. Ergo, there isn't as much care for
storage
> conditions as I would prefer. Others, especially those that specialize in
> wine, seem to take more care. Again, it seems you can usually tell by
asking
> some probative questions - if they don;t even really understand why you're
> asking, it's a good sign there may be something to be concerned about.
>
> The other thing I have found when I buy from Beverages & More here in
> California, is to know what I want before I go. They have a good online
> store, so I review it - looking for deals, good wines, etc. And then I
price
> compare with other large wine merchants in Nor Cal. That way I avoid
> confusing myself at the store.
>
> As for the resident wine expert ratings - thus far, haven;t found any that
I
> can trust. Have you?
>
>
>
>
>
> "Joseph Coulter" > wrote in message
> . 97.136...
> > Since I left Minneapolis several years ago, Ihave not been able to go to
> > a wine store the size of Surdyk's where row after row of various wines
> > are on display to both amaze and baffle the consumer. That has changed
> > now that jacksonville has received Total Wine.
> >
> > I think of myself as at least a little knowledgeable but am mystified at
> > how one is to cope with the selction. Of course they want to sell a lot
> > of profit and I am sure that there are some "stars" in the portfolio.
> > and the helpful clerks who do know their merhandize, didn't have time or
> > inclination to test their real knowledge ofwine, are certainly ready to
> > push "the 2003 was rated a 90 (by whom?) the ratings aren't out yet on
> > the 04's but they should be the same" the same? year to year variation
> > is what makes this crazy obsession of ours fun and frustratingand this
> > guy is advising that past results are predictors of future results, he
> > better not go in to the brokerage business!
> >
> > So long rant short what do others think of these mega stores?
> >
> > --
> > Joseph Coulter
> > Cruises and Vacations
> > http://www.josephcoulter.com/
> >
>
>

"Joe \"Beppe\"Rosenberg" > wrote in
:

> I was told 95% of wholesalers in Florida descended from firms set up
> right after Prohibition---the laws are stacked against small stores &
> wholesale houses.
That is true for the distribution (as oppossed to retail of most liquor in
the US and surprise surprise if you can't figure out which former
"racketeering" group managed to become "legit" quickly and efficiently,
clue who had the connections for imports and machinery for delivery?


--
Joseph Coulter
Cruises and Vacations
http://www.josephcoulter.com/

I give up - who?

>
>> I was told 95% of wholesalers in Florida descended from firms set up
>> right after Prohibition---the laws are stacked against small stores &
>> wholesale houses.
> That is true for the distribution (as oppossed to retail of most liquor in
> the US and surprise surprise if you can't figure out which former
> "racketeering" group managed to become "legit" quickly and efficiently,
> clue who had the connections for imports and machinery for delivery?
>
>
> --
> Joseph Coulter
> Cruises and Vacations
> http://www.josephcoulter.com/
>

"Ric" > wrote in
.net:

> I give up - who?
>

The bootleggers. Criminal to model citizens in the stroke of a pen.
>>
>>> I was told 95% of wholesalers in Florida descended from firms set up
>>> right after Prohibition---the laws are stacked against small stores
>>> & wholesale houses.
>> That is true for the distribution (as oppossed to retail of most
>> liquor in the US and surprise surprise if you can't figure out which
>> former "racketeering" group managed to become "legit" quickly and
>> efficiently, clue who had the connections for imports and machinery
>> for delivery?
>>
>>
>> --
>> Joseph Coulter
>> Cruises and Vacations
>> http://www.josephcoulter.com/
>>
>
>



--
Joseph Coulter
Cruises and Vacations
http://www.josephcoulter.com/

awww .... I thought you were poking fun at Joe Kennedy. ;-)



>
> The bootleggers. Criminal to model citizens in the stroke of a pen.
>>>

>

"Ric" > wrote in news:Fr_og.161763$F_3.42915
@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net:

> awww .... I thought you were poking fun at Joe Kennedy. ;-)
>
If the boot fits . . .

>>
>> The bootleggers. Criminal to model citizens in the stroke of a pen.
>>>>
>
>>
>
>
>



--
Joseph Coulter
Cruises and Vacations
http://www.josephcoulter.com/

Joseph Coulter wrote:
> "Ric" > wrote in news:Fr_og.161763$F_3.42915
> @newssvr29.news.prodigy.net:
>
>
>>awww .... I thought you were poking fun at Joe Kennedy. ;-)
>>
>
> If the boot fits . . .

Leg it??? :P

Mark Lipton

Casa Nostra, Mafia, the Outfit. the Mob are some of the names used. Former
bootleggers, con men and pimps used the liquor industry to launder their
money and gain respectability. A lot pf the mob entrepreneurs loved the
ponies and would mingle with J Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson at the track or
golf course(La Costa). J Edgar was much to busy ferreting out reds &
pinkos---The great crime fighter passed on lynching and the deeds of his
Stork Club friends, usually introduced to the G-Man by someone in the oil
bidness.
That's the short version.
"Ric" > wrote in message
.net...
> I give up - who?
>
> >
> >> I was told 95% of wholesalers in Florida descended from firms set up
> >> right after Prohibition---the laws are stacked against small stores &
> >> wholesale houses.
> > That is true for the distribution (as oppossed to retail of most liquor
in
> > the US and surprise surprise if you can't figure out which former
> > "racketeering" group managed to become "legit" quickly and efficiently,
> > clue who had the connections for imports and machinery for delivery?
> >
> >
> > --
> > Joseph Coulter
> > Cruises and Vacations
> > http://www.josephcoulter.com/
> >
>
>