MarkDaSpark wrote:Will be interesting to see the How Good is this Deal once Cheron has the time to do it.

Yeah, this vintage isn't available on the winery website anymore. So I'm using the current (2008) vintage pricing of $100/bottle.

Which means this is officially a library wine, and thus generally costs more for retail anyway. But you get what you get.

If the winery rep can confirm what they would sell this bottle for direct from the winery, I will update the spreadsheet accordingly.

...spreadsheet forthcoming...

Wild aromas of black raspberry, game, smoke and gravel.

Is that code for 'this smells like dirt'?

sukeiasa wrote:edit: as long as we have submitted the rattage form one time, just purchasing will make us rat eligible right?

Correct, you do not have to resubmit the form.

drameden wrote:yes, some places do sell for $100/btl but there is one who sells for $69/btl and another at $79/btl (plus shipping). So woot is the lowest price but not by a substantial margin. Buy this wine if you like it but not because it is some great bargain.

Check shipping costs from other sites - that's usually what makes the difference.

How wine.woot does it for $5 or $7 is way beyond many of us.

javajnkie wrote:Wild aromas of black raspberry, game, smoke and gravel.

Is that code for 'this smells like dirt'?

I like the smell of dirt Fresh turned dirt in the springtime, all ready for planting. otterific scent.

How good is this deal?

As discussed, this is a pretty good deal. Again, this vintage is not currently for sale from the winery, and so I have used the pricing for the current 2008 release. That's the best I can do for you.

Click the link above for full discount details, links, etc.

It would be nice if Tennessee was included in the states to buy this wine.

A great wine, but this price point is just slightly below the norm.

It's available for $69 at a few places and $79 here in NYC. In fact there's a place in Florida that will ship free if you buy a case at the $69 point - and you can mix the case.

So $72 is not the normal Woot deal.

Had this wine at a restaurant once, not sure if it was this particular vintage, but the price was by far the most memorable thing about it.

The black tie icon means that it comes with a kitten. If your kitten is a tuxedo cat, you also get a magnetic wine improver.

McMalbec wrote:Hey Woot Magnates, I would like my SEPTEMBER Birthday Code for this offering.

Yeah, I didn't get mine either!

richs44 wrote:A great wine, but this price point is just slightly below the norm.

It's available for $69 at a few places and $79 here in NYC. In fact there's a place in Florida that will ship free if you buy a case at the $69 point.

So $72 is not the normal Woot deal.

There are some deals on woot where the main draw is the fact that it IS available and CAN be shipped to certain states. Obviously, if you can get it locally for the same price, by all means, do so, and if you can have it shipped to you for the same or lesser price from other places, then go for it. But there are states (like my pathetic state of Michigan) that do not allow shipment of wine from retailers. Thus, we are limited to winery-direct methods, and thankfully for us, that makes woot deals pretty much always the better deal.

And of course, you're not exactly comparing apples to apples when you say something like "But a whole case ships free from this place". Are you really planning on buying a whole case? Would you create a second account on woot to be able to buy 3, gift 3, then buy another 3 and gift another 3? When comparing prices, you have to look specifically at the one-to-one relationship. Sure, somewhere may ship a whole case free, but what do they charge to ship just one, two, or three bottles?

jplamb wrote:Yeah, I didn't get mine either!

Email bdaycoupon@woot.com and gently prod them that it's your woot birthday and you want your party. You should get a response back before this sells out so you can get your coupon

My birthday was in August and I never got mine either.

richs44 wrote:My birthday was in August and I never got mine either.

The woot birthday code thread somewhere around here states that you have to poke at bdaycoupon@woot.com to get your code. And it's only good during your birthday month. So, sadly for you, you'll have to wait til next year now, but at least now you know, come August 1st, go poke

cheron98 wrote:There are some deals on woot where the main draw is the fact that it IS available and CAN be shipped to certain states. Obviously, if you can get it locally for the same price, by all means, do so, and if you can have it shipped to you for the same or lesser price from other places, then go for it. But there are states (like my pathetic state of Michigan) that do not allow shipment of wine from retailers. Thus, we are limited to winery-direct methods, and thankfully for us, that makes woot deals pretty much always the better deal.

And of course, you're not exactly comparing apples to apples when you say something like "But a whole case ships free from this place". Are you really planning on buying a whole case? Would you create a second account on woot to be able to buy 3, gift 3, then buy another 3 and gift another 3? When comparing prices, you have to look specifically at the one-to-one relationship. Sure, somewhere may ship a whole case free, but what do they charge to ship just one, two, or three bottles?

Very true - but this particular place will ship a mixed case, so there's no need to spend $840. I would order two or three and then find some stuff in the $15-20 range to fill out the case.

I was going to pick up a bottle of this... then was reading the ship-to states, for no reason, really, I've ordered a few times before... and realized Conne4cticut is no longer on the list of state that wine can ship to? When did that happen?

richs44 wrote:Very true - but this particular place will ship a mixed case, so there's no need to spend $840. I would order two or three and then find some stuff in the $15-20 range to fill out the case.

So now you're talking about adding fillers of about $200 that you may or may not want. Or you could just buy as many bottles as you want here and pay only $7 shipping, no need for any random wine you didn't really want to buy.

Dead_cow wrote:I was going to pick up a bottle of this... then was reading the ship-to states, for no reason, really, I've ordered a few times before... and realized Conne4cticut is no longer on the list of state that wine can ship to? When did that happen?

It's winery specific, not woot specific.

DeadlyAura wrote:Merely by purchasing this bottle, you will become one of the select few who have had the opportunity say you have tried this fine wine. Because the winery is a small, family-owned business, they bottle very limited quantities of the wine, which is a direct result of its quality.

And that's exactly what the producer is banking on--small production and the appeal of having something collectible. I'm not sure, though, if W00T is quite the right venue for people who want to just "say [they] have tried this fine wine."

As for small and family owned, a lot of small, family producers make very good wines at a much more attractive price point. I understand why the price point here is where it is: expensive fruit from a great vineyard, lots of new oak, reputation due to regular critical praise. But small production and high quality alone are not sufficient justification for $65 or $100 price points, IMO. At this level, the wine really needs to represent something that excites the customer, be it a unique delicious flavor profile, a special terroir expression, or a certain house style.

What would you say makes this wine or producer stand out from hundreds (thousands?) of other limited production wines?

cheron98 wrote:The woot birthday code thread somewhere around here states that you have to poke at bdaycoupon@woot.com to get your code. And it's only good during your birthday month. So, sadly for you, you'll have to wait til next year now, but at least now you know, come August 1st, go poke

The birthday code is your Woot Bday and not your actual Bday IIRC, right?

joeliquor wrote:The birthday code is your Woot Bday and not your actual Bday IIRC, right?

Correct. You can find that out by hovering over your username on any post of yours or at the top of the page. The date next to "Joined:" is your woot birthday.

solarfish42 wrote:I've had both the Arietta H-block and Variation One in the last few weeks with friends. Both are stunning elegant wines, and at this price, the Variation One is a steal.

I know they're on the menu at the restaurant where I'm a chef slightly north of 300 dollars (different vintages, so not a direct comparison).

This is an opportunity that should not be passed up.

This is what makes the prevalence of BYOB one of the great things about Chicago dining.

I cringe every time I buy a bottle at a restaurant knowing what approximate wholesale was on the bottle.

And the girl I'm dating in MI wonders why I want her to come here all the time! LOL

unixrab wrote:after being responsible and trying to find an faq or search page that explains the friggin "black tie buy" icon... I still do not know what the crap it means....
so.... (like you wanted)
" Hey, Woot, what does the "black tie buy" icon mean. " /sigh"

The "Black Tie Buy" icon signals a classier, more refined deal. We do it to avoid people shouting "WHY IS THAT WINE SO MANY MONIES TO GET?!" and spoiling the atmosphere.

CaptainWes wrote:That's it? You just get one bottle? For that much? Why?

Yes. Just like that.

gcdyersb wrote:And that's exactly what the producer is banking on--small production and the appeal of having something collectible. I'm not sure, though, if W00T is quite the right venue for people who want to just "say [they] have tried this fine wine."

As for small and family owned, a lot of small, family producers make very good wines at a much more attractive price point. I understand why the price point here is where it is: expensive fruit from a great vineyard, lots of new oak, reputation due to regular critical praise. But small production and high quality alone are not sufficient justification for $65 or $100 price points, IMO. At this level, the wine really needs to represent something that excites the customer, be it a unique delicious flavor profile, a special terroir expression, or a certain house style.

What would you say makes this wine or producer stand out from hundreds (thousands?) of other limited production wines?

Why isn't Woot the right venue, especially with the new deal a day format? There are a lot of refined wine drinkers that purchase wine here. Many small produced wines have a loyal following and/or demand from hype. I think back to the politics of doling out the allocation of Silver Oak the store I worked at got each year.

Sometimes the juice in the bottle doesn't justify the price and sometimes it does, but the history, hype and or limited quantities make some people "want" these wines.

I remember visiting Plumpjack for the first time after hearing about how great their wine was for a few years. Walking into that tasting room, it was clear how modern marketing can create demand. That room was full of Yellowtail drinkers thinking they were drinking the best thing ever created from grapes. I left w/o purchasing anything, so that should indicate what I thought of the product.

joeliquor wrote:Why isn't Woot the right venue, especially with the new deal a day format? There are a lot of refined wine drinkers that purchase wine here. Many small produced wines have a loyal following and/or demand from hype. I think back to the politics of doling out the allocation of Silver Oak the store I worked at got each year.

I know there are sophisticated wine drinkers here, but the ethos is a bit different than most fine wine communities. Most fine wine collectors want what they can't have. Or especially what others can't have. Hence a small subset of closed mailing lists that collectors obsess over. W00T is more about wines that one can have, typically at a nice discount.

I'd be fairly certain this falls into the fine wine category given the vineyard source and producer reputation. But I'm not sure "this is expensive, only special people get to have this" is ideally matched to W00T. If you want to push the Veblen good angle, a closed mailing list with small allocations and/or a pretentious tasting room charging $15-$35 per flight are much better ways to do this.

Here's my thing: I come to Woot for really good deals. We get a great deal with winery discussion, and the winery showcases its wine to a very educated base that will hopefully speak well of it and buy more. (Titus Lot 1 and Corison come to mind.) While I could call this deal slightly better than "competitive," I think, if you buy it, you buy it to try a new winery and an unusual blend, not because it's a smokin' Woot deal.

jkdaaa wrote:What with the amount of wine he(?) buys, I'd guess Mill is pretty lit too.

I think he's trying to get the #1 First Wooter spot back from MaskedMarvel .....

cheron98 wrote:Correct. You can find that out by hovering over your username on any post of yours or at the top of the page. The date next to "Joined:" is your woot birthday.

I recently inquired about this from Woot service, since my Woot bday was in August. Here's the reply I got:

"According to our records, your first wine.woot purchase was made on 9/29/08. That means your next birthday coupon will be assigned 9/29/10."

This is not how I understood it to work, but will wait patiently until the 29th and see what happens.

cheron98 wrote:Correct. You can find that out by hovering over your username on any post of yours or at the top of the page. The date next to "Joined:" is your woot birthday.

I had no idea... Thanks for the heads up! My birthday is coming up in October apparently.

gcdyersb wrote:I know there are sophisticated wine drinkers here, but the ethos is a bit different than most fine wine communities. Most fine wine collectors want what they can't have. Or especially what others can't have. Hence a small subset of closed mailing lists that collectors obsess over. W00T is more about wines that one can have, typically at a nice discount.

I'd be fairly certain this falls into the fine wine category given the vineyard source and producer reputation. But I'm not sure "this is expensive, only special people get to have this" is ideally matched to W00T. If you want to push the Veblen good angle, a closed mailing list with small allocations and/or a pretentious tasting room charging $15-$35 per flight are much better ways to do this.

Pre-crappy economy this worked great. We have been seeing producers with higher inventory than in prior years. Need to replenish those mailing lists somehow...

With the deal-a-day format I have no problem with a Black Tie offering on one of those days.

gcdyersb wrote:I know there are sophisticated wine drinkers here, but the ethos is a bit different than most fine wine communities. Most fine wine collectors want what they can't have. Or especially what others can't have. Hence a small subset of closed mailing lists that collectors obsess over. W00T is more about wines that one can have, typically at a nice discount.

I'd be fairly certain this falls into the fine wine category given the vineyard source and producer reputation. But I'm not sure "this is expensive, only special people get to have this" is ideally matched to W00T. If you want to push the Veblen good angle, a closed mailing list with small allocations and/or a pretentious tasting room charging $15-$35 per flight are much better ways to do this.

I VERY RESPECTFULLY disagree, one of the things I love about Woot is the variety and a chance to try something new. Please don't deny me a chance to try a wine just because its expensive especially now that it will only be up for 24 hrs, we can't just have 8 bit vinters and TLC up every week, I am not knocking them I have not tried either they might be great! but I like having a choice of 8 to 100 dollar bottles of wine. I have had great 15 dollar bottles from Woot as well as wonderful 50 dollar bottles.

Keep it coming!

Cheers

tytiger58 wrote:I VERY RESPECTFULLY disagree, one of the things I love about Woot is the variety and a chance to try something new. Please don't deny me a chance to try a wine just because its expensive especially now that it will only be up for 24 hrs, we can't just have 8 bit vinters and TLC up every week, I am not knocking them I have not tried either they might be great! but I like having a choice of 8 to 100 dollar bottles of wine. I have had great 15 dollar bottles from Woot as well as wonderful 50 dollar bottles.

Keep it coming!

Cheers

Couldn't of said it better myself!

cortot20 wrote:Couldn't of said it better myself!

You could have, but we wouldn't have heard you. ;)

MarkDaSpark wrote:
Something for everyone

Except cheese lovers! Nothing for those loosers

Interesting points being made. Without taking sides, I will say that those who say that woot isn't about being able to say 'i got something you didn't!' are ignoring the Baggie of Cthulhu that pops up during the woot-offs.

I am fine with higher-priced wines (Corison is one of my favorites on this site, and it has been up at this price point as well), and I am fine with lower price points as well. What I would like, though - especially with the higher price points - is significant interaction with the winery and posts by people who have had the wine in the past to let us know a bit more about it before we make the plunge.

tytiger58 wrote:I VERY RESPECTFULLY disagree, one of the things I love about Woot is the variety and a chance to try something new. Please don't deny me a chance to try a wine just because its expensive especially now that it will only be up for 24 hrs, we can't just have 8 bit vinters and TLC up every week, I am not knocking them I have not tried either they might be great!

Believe me, I'm not opposed to the offer in principle. I'm opposed to the mindset in the original post I replied to that it is a special privilege to be allowed to buy a wine like this. That's just a marketing pitch.

I feel that in this climate the onus is on the producer to sell the wine to the educated consumer. Again, I ask what is the "it" factor that differentiates this wine? High price, small production is certainly a property of the wine, but not a justification. It's a buyer's market, so tell me about the wine, not just the luxury good marketing pitch.

gcdyersb wrote:I know there are sophisticated wine drinkers here, but the ethos is a bit different than most fine wine communities. Most fine wine collectors want what they can't have. Or especially what others can't have. Hence a small subset of closed mailing lists that collectors obsess over. W00T is more about wines that one can have, typically at a nice discount.

I'd be fairly certain this falls into the fine wine category given the vineyard source and producer reputation. But I'm not sure "this is expensive, only special people get to have this" is ideally matched to W00T. If you want to push the Veblen good angle, a closed mailing list with small allocations and/or a pretentious tasting room charging $15-$35 per flight are much better ways to do this.

But then this falls right into that. As you drink more wine, eventually you will want to expand your experience. And you do that by trying more expensive wines to see if you enjoy them. Possibly you will and possibly you won't.


While if you only offer wines in the $10 to $30 range, you'll move wine, but eventually you will lose customers. By "spicing up" the offerings with more expensive wines (at a discount), Wine.Woot is keeping things "fresh".



As to pricing ....

One should always shop around and look for the best price. Using Wine Searcher, you can see there's a website in FL at that $69 price and one in NY for $79. But .... shipping is going to kill any bargain you have unless you are close to those states, plus you may have sales tax to pay. Both sites needed you to register, so I couldn't get shipping costs from them, but if you check UPS (which I know the FL site uses) using 2 bottles (7 lbs) you find:

2 Day Air: $48.95 (FL to CA)
Ground (5 day): $15.94 (FL to CA, shipping on a Friday, arriving the next Friday)

So that $69 just became $93.48 (since I don't want that wine sitting in a UPS truck over the weekend and week) per bottle, if not more if they add in Sales Tax.

Now Wine.Woot is currently using Refrigerated Shipping to a regional hub for FedEx (used to be the same for UPS), and then normal 2 day shipping from the hub to us. With the little frozen ketchup packs and Styrofoam packaging. Have yet to see any of my other wine shipments use the frozen packets to keep my wine cool.


So yes, the lowest price on the web is "only" $4 difference straight up. But when you factor in the shipping, as always, that's usually where the biggest savings shows up. So if I order 2 bottles, on Woot it would be approx. $68.50 versus that $93.48 from FL.

And buying locally (if your local wine shop carries the wine), you always add in the Sales Tax (except Alaska?), which increases the "bargain".

egzgg wrote:Except cheese lovers! Nothing for those loosers

Actually, I would expect some of the Thursday offers to include something for us "loosers".

Especially since we've had some spectacular Cheeses in the past (Beehive, Cypress Grove. 3 Sisters, Point Reyes, etc.).

MarkDaSpark wrote:Actually, I would expect some of the Thursday offers to include something for us "loosers".

Especially since we've had some spectacular Cheeses in the past (Beehive, Cypress Grove. 3 Sisters, Point Reyes, etc.).

I am not a usually a big fan of cheese, but cheese and crackers sounds amazing right now!