Pet annoyance with all the waiting list wineries.

Con grano salis rant on:

Why is it that every single tryna-be-exclusive waiting list/members list winery never have their wines on their website? It’s always “join our mailing list” and zero info about their cuvees (except some gobbledygook about terroir, of course - that’s always there), and certainly no pictures of them. No, I want to see what plonk you’re making to know IF I want to join your little overpriced cabal, not first join and then find out. That’s not how it works, flashy guy.

It would be harder to find examples of waiting list wineries that d_o_ show the wines, than not. It’s rampant in this category.

Rant off.

Frustrated by this too but I understand that there’s a few things that drive it and the motivations for each winery are probably different. I always think of it as trying to create a cone of silence around the relationship with the customer.

If you have to ask . . .

It’s definitely a turn off for me, but I’ve never really been much of a joiner so maybe I’m not their target audience.

Couldn’t agree more. Even worst when it’s a relatively new venture that’s doing it.

Just say NO! There is so much good/great wine out there that requires none of that nonsense.

RT

. . . it’s too expensive for you.

Since many of their customers are happy to shell out big bucks sight unseen, even for startup wineries, based on the name of the winemaker or whatever, why should they bother providing information?

I suppose it depends on the winery’s target market. Maybe some mystery is good for marketing, but couldn’t imagine that is the case. Guessing it’s more about return vs. spend.

There are some sites that have tons of content, but I would never buy from them.

On the other hand, there are some with minimal content, where I always buy, e.g., Greer.

Adam, I think you need to step back and think about this. BUT NOT UNTIL MY BD ORDER IS CONFIRMED!

I can understand wanting info about the wines, but pictures? Really?

Also, why not just sign-up for the list and wait to see if you get more information after that? Is it just about (perhaps unnecessarily) giving out your email?

Adam can spot residual sugar in a photo.

Phew, I thought this was going to be a rant on winery pets.

My favorite thing about my visit to MacRostie in Healdsburg was thumbing through their coffee table ready glossy book showcasing the dogs of various wineries.

Agreed. Once I get a half case of your Riesling, you can experiment all you want, but please no shenanigans before BD.

They have to generate interest, mystery, excitement somehow. This is especially hard when the primary sales model - in person tasting and tipsy decision making - is nearly turned off completely.

FWIW I agree that I want more info rather than less.

And now the dirty little secret (ssshhhhhh) of these list-selling wineries. Just about zero are full/sold out. I’d bet there are fewer than 20 that wouldn’t offer you an allocation the first year you sign up - or even if you just email and ask any old time. COVID has not been kind to small list/visit based wineries.

Sour grapes.

I buy with my eyes, Brian.

RT is spot on. I don’t chase the high end Napa cabs anymore where you see this sometimes. Way too much great wine out there you can try first or buy without having to get on a waitlist and shell out 3 digit’s for wine. There is also plenty of great Napa Cab that is highly available.

Other than Thomas I can’t think of any of the top name Oregon pinots that I can’t buy from the winery or find retail pretty easy. I bought a bunch last year and Oregon will get most of the budget this year since I went deep on 2016 Barolo last year. I also like that I can backfill some older vintages. Check out Belle Pente. They have several library vintages available on their website.

Saxum is the exception. They list complete blend descriptions and recent professional reviews.

Realm and Maybach have quite a bit of info, including pictures
Cayuse has all of their wines listed with reviews going back through the years.