Wine, Woffle and Witterings

Exchange rates and loyalty play an integral role in the pricing of good wines.

As I pen this publication's words of wine wisdom I am filled with a degree of optimism...optimism built around wine quality, prices and imagination.

Ever mindful of the current economic situation, it is a rare occasion for both my trade and retail prices to witness price reduction... yes, reductions!   To start with there can be no surprises that for this spring budget we saw no increase in the excise duty, let's call that the Pre Election Factor.  There is also no secret that of late the financial exchange rates have been kind to us.

As a wine importer myself, we are always ( he's says through gritted teeth ) eager to pass on such advantages to you our customers.  There is as always one key factor, which has a major influence on the pricing, and that is the Vintage of wine.  The vintage not only effects the price, but it is so crucial in determining the quality, size of yield, the life expectancy of a wine ....these uncontrollable issues will all indeed control the potential price.  Whilst the latter has of late been mixed, many of our suppliers are eager to reduce their prices to gain a greater share of a very competitive market – a strategy to ensure a degree of loyalty with suppliers.  As a modest sized wine merchant with 27 years behind us we have great relationships with our suppliers and  these loyal relationships result in tangible benefits with quality and price, which our customers hopefully enjoy and appreciate.

So, where and what are all these savings. Well in short any wine bought in from inside Europe for a start . The euro now delivers some fifteen percent price advantage over last year;  and then there is Chile and Argentina, still so important to any wine business. Indeed, the demand of South American wines continues to grow, again propped up by beneficial currency rates. Perhaps an area of wine pricing that inevitably continues to struggle is that of the older fine wines - wines that have already incurred expenses.  Wines that have perhaps been languishing in bonded warehouses, wines that might have already changed hands several times.

In short buy with care...yet remember,  wine  is for pleasure whatever the price.

Charles Steevenson. Charles Steevenson Wines... Tavistock.