We sell a lot of one particular Cabernet, enough that we call it our ‘House’ Cab. We’ve sold this one wine for approximately 6 years. The quality is good, and also blessedly consistent. The distributor usually has it in stock. And the price has remained remarkably stable. But several months ago, it did take a small price increase. Whereupon a quasi-regular customer came in and asked, ‘Why?’ And eventually, not liking my explanation for the increase, ‘I don’t want to pay that much. Can I get it for the old price?’ Well.
Wine-like almost all consumer goods- has seen price increases, because the wineries are paying more for items like gas, vineyard labor, bottles, labels, etc. And the families who own the wineries need to make a living off their product, as do the owners and employees of importers, distributors, and-eventually- stores and restaurants. So yes, we do have to occasionally adjust prices.
That being said, I understand that price increases can pinch, but I have two suggestions to relieve the sting. One is simple: try wines from other grapes and other regions. It defies logic, but imported wines are frequently much better values than domestic bottles. And Cabernet-perhaps because it is so widely known- is rarely a bargain. Try something Spanish. Or Portuguese. From the Rhone. Southern Italy. Your mouth AND your wallet may thank you.
The second suggestion requires a little more effort: try staying home. Yes, wine, beer, and spirits prices have risen at retail. But restaurants have seen much steeper spikes. According to an NBC News report (5-15-2024), alcohol prices at restaurants have risen by approximately 5% in the past year. Retail prices for the same period rose approximately .5%, a significant difference. Overall food pricing saw a similar dichotomy, with restaurant checks increasing by an average of 4.1% in the past year, while grocery prices rose approximately 1.1%. Entertaining at home fell off precipitously during the pandemic, and hasn’t returned to anything like pre-Covid numbers. But maybe it’s time to re-learn how to entertain in our own homes.
Think about it. You, your friends and/or family, food you like, beverages you like, and nobody over-stretching their budget. You host one week, someone else hosts the next, and so on. As a bonus, nobody has to download the menu onto their phone. And everyone can hear the conversation. Closing time is whenever you want it to be.
If only we could hire someone to do the dishes.
Enjoy the week, hopefully with good food, good friends, and good wine, too.