Two Readers Recent Wine Experiences  (4 July)

No Wonder They are in Financial Poo

This classic story speaks volumes about one particular winery (although it could be used as an example at many others) and shows one of the reasons  why wineries don't succeed.

"Good morning Ric, I hope this finds you bursting with bigotry.

A short tale on a subject I know is dear to your heart. Last Friday the Bride and I decided to pop down to Margaret River for lunch and some tasting at a few wineries we haven't visited for a while. First stop Evans & Tate - midday. Drive in, car park empty. Are they open? Catch sight of someone inside, so in we go. No other customers and two women behind the counter. One middle aged, the other 20 ish blonde (which is relevant).
 

We exchange pleasantries and the blonde pours some '04 E&T Margaret RiverCab Merlot. We swirl, smell and the conversation goes like this:

Me: I'm afraid this wine is off
Blonde: It's probably oxidised
Me: Why do you say that?
Blonde: The bottle's been opened for a day and a half
Me: Why would you knowingly serve an oxidised wine to a potential customer?
Blonde: Silence

We left.
The car park was still empty

Went round the corner to Woodlands and bought a case there. Must be a moral in this somewhere

Yours in bigotry

Jeff Pitts Bunbury WA

The Staff Know-It-All

This next little beauty comes from John Foster.

"I'll share one recent experience we encountered on one of our local paddleboats about a month ago.

Our group had an afternoon cruise with a BBQ lunch. As my wife and I had been driven to the boarding site by our friends this day, I wanted to buy a bottle of red to share with them over lunch.

The young lady assisting asked me to come and select the wine as she said that she knew nothing about wine. She led me to a wine cooler that said 5.2 degrees on the front. After feeling how cold the bottles were, I asked if there were any reds not in the coolers. She went to look. Five minutes later the lady in charge of the catering services came to our table and asked who was wanting the red wine. When I said it was me, she respectfully, but very sternly, told me that all the red wines were in the wine coolers and stored at the exact temperature that all red wine should be stored at, and there was no need for me to ask for a wine that was not stored in a cooler!!!!!!!!! (Our top Temp that day was 17 degrees)

I did want to make a point, but the stare from the better half meant that it was time for me to accept one of the chilled bottles in silence.

When I drank the last remnants from the bottle, I realised that it wasn't a bad drop.
 

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