There’s a silver lining to every cloud, and the sluggish economy has slowed down the sales of higher end wines which means lower prices for wine drinkers…a lot lower.
Some higher end wines cost 30% less today than they did at this time last year. And, some of the harder to find wines, are all of a sudden very available in SA.
“There’s a lot of good quality wine in the market, and it’s changing things quite a bit,” says Joe Baker with Gabriel’s on 1604.
That’s good news for wine buyers because retailers can’t afford to let the inventory sit on their shelves, and wine producers don’t want to sit on old inventory when the next vintage release is right around the corner.
Another reason prices are dropping on wines in San Antonio is competition. New retailers like Twin Liquors and Spec’s who’ve moved into SA, have been effective in spurring price drops at the longtime retailers like HEB and Gabriel’s.
You’ve probably seen the ads where Ralph, ‘the Wine Guy’ at the HEB Plus at Blanco and 1604 says HEB has dropped the prices on hundreds of wines. They have, and they are very competitive.
Says HEB’s Melina Mastrojohn, “We want to be as competitive as we can.” She also reminded me that at HEB when you buy six bottles of wine or champagne you get an ADDITIONAL 10% off.
Some of the deals
- Caymus Special Selections ‘06 was approx. $160, and now it’s about $99.
- Rudd Oakville Estate ‘05 was about $140, and it’s now $88.
- Duckhorn Merlot ‘06 Napa Valley was approximately $60, and it’s now $40.
- Grgich Hills was $65 and it’s now about $42.
- Chalk Hill ’06 Chardonnay was about $48 and is now abou $30.
There are more deals to be found, so shop around.
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