Port and Marketing: "Best Vintage ever"

[LGTrotter]

Oh I know that from the disclaimer. But I was just thinking that presumably that thought process works as much for Shippers as merchants?

[g-man]

Oh I know that from the disclaimer. But I was just thinking that presumably that thought process works as much for Shippers as merchants?

heeh i do distro part time. the full time job pays more and allows me to keep larger inventories

[LGTrotter]

Now you are being coy. I don't suppose that you send the shippers that fat a wedge all at once, so there must be a mutual interest in getting it sold.

Futhermore I seem to remember that you started life as a port lover only. So let us know; wear one hat then the other. What do you think? 2011; oversold or just right, you could even let us know that you can't answer it at present. I am all agog!

[g-man]

Now you are being coy. I don't suppose that you send the shippers that fat a wedge all at once, so there must be a mutual interest in getting it sold.

Futhermore I seem to remember that you started life as a port lover only. So let us know; wear one hat then the other. What do you think? 2011; oversold or just right, you could even let us know that you can't answer it at present. I am all agog!

the major houses you hear about have their own distributors so I actually have to buy close to retail much like everyone else.

The smaller houses like quinta de cavuto, quinta de gomariz (up north with vinho verde) or Quevedo, with no representation in the US, the answer is yes, I send them a fat check and take full risk of anything not being sold.

My early life as a port lover helps explain the situation. If I don't sell it, I'm perfectly happy drinking it. If i do sell any, it supplements my cost of buying alot of bottles.

Here are my purchase # by vintage when i started buying on release.

2003 - 48
2007 - 6
2009 - 24
2011 - 108 (not including Quevedo which would blow this number out alot)

Been fortunate enough to taste the above vintages on release and I personally find: 2003 and 2011 as favorites so far

[LGTrotter]

Thanks, would you say your experience is unusual or are most US distributors working on the same kind of model?

[DRT]

I send them a fat check and take full risk of anything not being sold.

Wow! The numbers you have quoted suggest you are sitting on circa 900 bottles of 2011. That is a lot of drinking in 30 years from now if Plan B comes into effect

[g-man]

I send them a fat check and take full risk of anything not being sold.

Wow! The numbers you have quoted suggest you are sitting on circa 900 bottles of 2011. That is a lot of drinking in 30 years from now if Plan B comes into effect

it's actually closer to 400 btls of which 8% are 6L btls.

but yes, I've got enough stock that I'm very happy spotting some bottles for our 2051 tasting

[g-man]

Thanks, would you say your experience is unusual or are most US distributors working on the same kind of model?

very unusual, I go cold calling at most once a week.

I do deliveries once every two weeks.

I attend the occasional trade tasting and go around tasting events maybe once a month.

If someone were to make this a career, they'd have to 50x the numbers i'm doing.

[LGTrotter]

Punchy posts chock full of solid facts. Top marks!

In a sense this sounds rather like the traditional english pattern of buy twice as much as you need, sell half and reinvest in younger vintages. Glad to hear it is still being done on such a grand scale.

Close to retail sounds a bit tough though, are you hoping that once you build a relationship with the producers and grow the market this will ease, or are these margins likely to stay the same? Please tell me to mind my own business if this is more information than you can reasonably give.

[DRT]

it's actually closer to 400 btls of which 8% are 6L btls.

So the equivalent of 592 standard bottles, or a pipe and four cases in old money. At that cost I assume you have also paid the import tax? (my 900 bottle calculation assumed UK prices excluding duty and tax)

I do hope this works for you, but fear you have a mountain to climb.

[g-man]

No import tax.

I have an importer that takes all that and i just cover the shipping to me.

This business is really trying to discount my wine costs more than anything else. Margins are always the same in this business.