Chill, Chip. If you ignore the bears instead of poking them, maybe they will go elsewhere. And if not, so what?
I work in a wineshop, and we have some expensive stuff on the shelves . . . where most of it has been for a loooong time, and where it may likely stay for an even longer time. Even if you discount the fact that the vast majority of people cannot afford $100-$500 for a single bottle of wine, most of those who may have the financial resources do not see the point of it. Why should they spend that much when they may not be able to distinguish the difference anyway?
It is relatively easy to find a good bottle of wine in excess of the $30 price point Chip proposed. But it is just as easy to find good ones under that, and when you do it is more fun, more gratifying, and more fiscally responsible. Me, I'm much more pleased when I find a drinkable bottle for $10 than I would be were it twice . . . or 10 times . . . that price.
This post is full of my
regarding the overall issue, and totally lacking in any specific suggestions. But then, who wants to rely on the taste of a guy who buys bundled cigars?
