Wine Lists you are dropping or getting on this year

So far for 16 i know i will be dropping Kosta Browne and Denner, possibly Horsepower

Not currently planning on joining any, unless SQN gets my info mixed up with someone from 15 years ago !!

Anyone else planning changes ?

Keeping…

RM (Panek Cab - how could I ever let you go?)
D&R (Nothing less than a very good wine yet)
Bedrock (select favorites, but generally like to support the heritage wine ideal)

…the rest are game time decisions, but this coach is ready to bench some former starters. At this point in my wine drinking evolution, I think that I’ve paid enough tuition to learn what I like, and very few Cali lists have made the cut. And one board favorite in particular has had enough chances to charm me, promise me that what’s to come will be worth it, but I’m done hoping.

Of course, not counting MI, this seems to be a USA winery only question.

Everything is pretty much a game time decision except Saxum and Rhys (Chards). I still plan on buying more 13 Napa Cabs, but everything is going to depend on pricing. $100 seems to be the “new” $40 and $75 the new $30. Not sure i want to continue to play in that sandbox anymore.

Oh, and I guess Carlisle and Bedrock at the basic entry level wines are a for sure. Great values in Syrah and Zin.

Keeping for sure:
Jaffurs, great QPR Syrahs and Rhone whites
Carlisle, great QPR Zins and Rhones
Bedrock, great QPR everything
EMH, lovely Cabs
Saxum, hedonistic Rhones
Alban, see Saxum

On the fence, will depend:
Nicora, good Rhones, but, I have so many others.
Turley, good, but with Carlisle and Bedrock…

Done:
Epoch

Keeping:
Cayuse, but will drop 2 3 packs keeping just the frog
SQN
Marcassin

Axed:
Schrader
Rochioli
Winebid purchases - can’t stand the new site, therefore, must boycott

One bit of advice if it helps anyone - every time I’ve asked a winery, including ones where I had some kind of automatic club-type shipment - if I could pass on a shipment, they’ve very nicely said no problem.

I’m sure that doesn’t apply to every single one (I’d guess SQN and some others might drop you), but I’d guess it applies to the vast majority.

So if you want to cut back but leave yourself the option to come back in the fall or next year, you might just ask. The worst they can say is no.

On the other hand, maybe you either (a) are certain you don’t want to come back or (b) want to cut off the temptation to spend and to accumulate down the road, and in those cases, just resign.

Planning not to buy from any lists in 2016. Of those I’ve bought from in the last year, year and a half, that’d mean skipping: Rhys, Ceritas, D&R, and even (gulp) Ultramarine. Well, we’ll see. Took all of four days for me to break this year’s resolutions for the first time.

Cayeuse and Cayeuse. got my 6th not this year letter so I quit. I am only on 3 lists at this point.

Similarly, I had a winery reach out to me one time regarding my low purchases and what my intentions were. I politely said that I enjoy their wines, but my budget does not allow me to purchase a lot of it. What I really want to do is be able to buy 2-3 bottles each offer so that I can enjoy some of their wines every year. They understood, and so instead of being allocated 12 bottles of some wine, they dropped the allocation per wine.

On:
Rhys
Schrader
Rivers Marie
Le Prive (Oregon Pinot)
Tobin James
Calera
Sans Liege

Happy where I am. Not thinking of adding or deleting.

Anyone know what’s on the R-M Winter offer?

Regretfully, I’m dropping my one and only list - Rhys.

Love the wines but I have a lot of them and I don’t have any more storage space.

Probably not drop any on my own, but if they drop me no worries here. I just tend to buy a few from each producer I like, allows me the variety I enjoy but not really able to age wines I have little experience with. If I can sometimes will source past vintage on the secondary market before I buy it from a list. I’m not really on any wait lists either that I’m overly concerned with getting on at this point. Since joining WB I’ve been “influenced” to not feel the pressure of lists as much, it’s helped except the times I show up at pickup’s that are offering wines I didn’t buy then I spend even more than originally planned!!

This is a lot of what I need to do - just buy fewer bottles from each of the producers I stay with. It makes more sense for me to add 4-8 bottles from most of these producers in 2016 than to add a case or two.

Of course, you miss out on some incentives (case discounts, free shipping) and your shipping cost per bottle goes up, but most of that isn’t enough to really move the financial needle in respect of what we’re spending on wines.

I’m on LF. I passed last round and I’ll be dropping this round.

I dabble with Turley and will probably continue to do so. I’m going to buy more Bedrock and maybe add Herman Story (love the wines) this year.

Edit: totally forgot about Andremily. Keeping.

Just got on to No Girls.

Keeping Cayuse, Horsepower, and Ceritas.

Dropping anything else I happen to be on without remembering…

Already passed on K-B single vineyard and Schrader. Will pass on Rudius and Horsepower. Added Calluna and hoping to add Arista. Keeping Bedrock, Carlisle, Reynvaan, K-B appellation, Rhys, Williams-Selyem and Aubert. I only buy about six bottles per year from each list.

Pinot and Chardonnay

This is my strategy with all lists, always.


Michael

Bid farewell to schrader.

Hoping to clear the Becklyn waitlist.