VinConnect

[alan_weinberg]

VC isn’t the only outfit that offers something similar in regards to provenance, and that other business prices their wines also with a significant markup over other retailers.

Some people’s priority isn’t to save money on wine

curious how their provenance is better than WHWC and other top retailers.

[M_Meer]

I’m assuming cellar-direct and no grey-market or bottles from other distributors.

Personally, I don’t think you or I are going to be their bread and butter. We’re experienced enough and are happy to do the leg work.

[Ken_Strauss]

I was introduced to VinConnect through the Grand Reserve Card. Initially excited to buy direct from some of my favorite wineries.
Now somewhat disappointed at the prices.
Oh well.

[alan_weinberg]

very good VinConnect pricing on 2019 L Michel. There are not many offers yet but this one looks real good.

[Jayson_Cohen]

The VinConnect Fontodi offer deadline is today. VinConnect pricing is $20 a bottle more expensive than the offer I got today from Flatiron for Sorbo and Flaccionello. Never mind I stopped buying Sorbo when it went above ~$65 per btl a few years back, and I haven’t bought Flaccionello in a long time. The magnum gap is even more. Only 3L pricing is effectively the same.

I’m still not getting the direct pricing strategy by some of the growers if that’s really what’s driving the gap. It’s not like these are rare wines or hard to get. Or I’ve never had a problem getting them.

[David_K2]

The VinConnect Fontodi offer deadline is today. VinConnect pricing is $20 a bottle more expensive than the offer I got today from Flatiron for Sorbo and Flaccionello. Never mind I stopped buying Sorbo when it went above ~$65 per btl a few years back, and I haven’t bought Flaccionello in a long time. The magnum gap is even more. Only 3L pricing is effectively the same.

I’m still not getting the direct pricing strategy by some of the growers if that’s really what’s driving the gap. It’s not like these are rare wines or hard to get. Or I’ve never had a problem getting them.

All I can think of is it’s targeted towards those posters who come on here from time to time saying they only buy from Napa, want to try Europe, and ask, “are there any lists? How do I get on them?”

[Jason_L]

I’ve bought from VinConnect but it has been a while. I like reading their offers and appreciate that the wineries do a little bit of the lifting when it comes to the marketing. As I understand it, they are pretty much just a retailer whose model is to go through white-market wholesale - and do so with the blessing of “winery direct” language from the importers/brand managers.

So you won’t be getting best pricing because it will go through import/wholesale and retail tier markups as opposed to grey-market. The tradeoff is that perhaps you get access you wouldn’t otherwise. As far as their provenance edge, I can’t say that they outdo grey-marketers who have taken care of temperature control but I may have missed something.

In any event, having access to the product (by keeping the importer and producer happy and involved) and running the business in a professional way is probably more likely to bode well for their long-term success than having rock-bottom prices. Good luck to them!