The wisdom of Gary V

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Probably important to preface it with the article title! “11 Things You Should Never Say in a Wine Shop”

And there couldn’t have been a better first do-not-do:

“Is this wine smooth?” “Smooth” is not, and never will be, a real tasting note. It is, however, a type of criminal.

Some good chukles! Thanks, Roberto.

Gary once told me that a ridiculous amount of the wine that they sold at WL, like 90 %, was due to shelf talkers.

Point Break comment, in and of itself, justifies a visit to Wine Library, even if I am deaf to the shelf talkers.

I only buy speakers that go to 11

Here’s a good one for you- People take the shelf talkers off the shelf, and pocket them. Not making this up.

Let me know when you come, we can talk wine, and why remaking Point Break is such a bad idea…the movie was perfect the way it was.

Awesome.

Why? What am I missing here, other than perhaps New Jersey is populated by kleptomaniacs?

Stolen shelf talkers…what better way to prove to your friends that they’re wrong if they don’t like your wine?

RT

I love this one:

“Is this only on display because you’re trying to get rid of it?”
I don’t even… we’re trying to get rid of everything. That’s what stores do.

Once in a while, I suggest a wine for someone, describe why I like it and think they will like it, only to be asked if I suggested it just because we’re trying to get rid of it. The other similar question is “have you actually had this wine?”.

A coincidence of Swayzean proportions: Roadhouse is one of those movies that is universally panned, but remains one of my true cinematic guilty pleasures.

I’ll show myself out the door.

How sad. In normal states those with that condition are steered toward politics.

We get a kick out of it. I recall when this discussion first came up, as we knew that we had put them out, and then days later it was gone. About 3 weeks went by, and then I saw a guy fill a cart, and each time, plucked the card off the shelf for each wine he bought. I don’t think he knew I was watching, but even if he did, I’m not sure he cared!

We all have guilty pleasure movies. It’s normal.

I just go into WL and move the shelf talkers around to other wines, hence the 96 point Gallo Hearty Burgundy.

No need, who hasn’t spanked it to Kelly Lynch?

Perhaps the better question is “are you recommending this dogs**t wine to me solely because the owner bought 20 cases on closeout from some distributor and he told all the salespeople that they HAD to push it?”

Bruce

I’ve always been a V fan, but I have to say I just dropped him down a notch since he is recommending Apothic red as one of “15 Absolute Best Wines under $15”.

I spanked it to Kermit Lynch once, does that count?

I like Gary but saying that Parker is retired is a bit of BS. Wine Library has what, a thousand “critics” whose points get used to sell wine?

And if someone wants a wine because the label is pretty, the take-away is that the person wants the wine. After all, getting rid of wine is what stores do, right? So I’d stock more pretty label wine for the pretty label customers. And Gary is smart enough to do that.

In fact, whatever reason someone had for buying a wine is a good reason. The only thing I would NOT want to hear is somebody telling their kid, “Just go pee on those bottles.”