3 ms·

I agree with what you’re saying about vodka, and I think as with many products a real range of quality exists, but that all goes out the window when you reach “

I agree with what you’re saying about vodka, and I think as with many products a real range of quality exists, but that all goes out the window when you reach “prestige pricing” points. So yeah, Ketel One is smooth and delicious, and good wine is rarely up for $5 a box. By the same token I’m skeptical that most $50 dollar wines are not on par with $500 wines.

lazerpants 9y ago
In my experience, there are everyday wines ($15-30), very good wines that deserve some thought and a well paired meal ($50-150), and oenophile wines that are really, totally amazing, ($250+), but to enjoy the last category you need to know wines very well, and know exactly what you enjoy in a wine (or you'll be disappointed by buying the wrong one). Plus, most bottles of wine that are $250+ have some age on them, so you're really paying a premium for provenance too. The same wine can sell for double the price if it's still in the crate, has original paperwork, and has a verifiable storage history in appropriate conditions.
- lisper 9y ago
  This is key: more expensive != better. It just means that it happens to be something fairly rare that someone somewhere with more money than sense likes enough to be willing to pay a ridiculous amount for. That person doesn't have to be you.
flyinghamster 9y ago
This also applies to whiskey - and especially to "craft" operations that source their bourbon or (especially) rye from MGP and sell it at premium prices. Templeton even built their own little Potemkin still to try to convince tourists that they made their own whiskey. [0] There's nothing wrong with independent bottlers and blending houses (that has a very long tradition in Scotland, for instance), and MGP does make a good product. Just don't try to BS the customers. For rye, at least, a good tip-off that a rye whiskey is likely to be MGP is if it touts a mash bill of 95% rye. [1] [0] https://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2014/08/ https://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2014/08/ and many other articles there [1] http://www.mgpingredients.com/product-list/Rye-Whiskey.html http://www.mgpingredients.com/product-list/Rye-Whiskey.html

lazerpants 9y ago

In my experience, there are everyday wines ($15-30), very good wines that deserve some thought and a well paired meal ($50-150), and oenophile wines that are really, totally amazing, ($250+), but to enjoy the last category you need to know wines very well, and know exactly what you enjoy in a wine (or you'll be disappointed by buying the wrong one). Plus, most bottles of wine that are $250+ have some age on them, so you're really paying a premium for provenance too. The same wine can sell for double the price if it's still in the crate, has original paperwork, and has a verifiable storage history in appropriate conditions.

lisper 9y ago
This is key: more expensive != better. It just means that it happens to be something fairly rare that someone somewhere with more money than sense likes enough to be willing to pay a ridiculous amount for. That person doesn't have to be you.

flyinghamster 9y ago

This also applies to whiskey - and especially to "craft" operations that source their bourbon or (especially) rye from MGP and sell it at premium prices. Templeton even built their own little Potemkin still to try to convince tourists that they made their own whiskey. [0] There's nothing wrong with independent bottlers and blending houses (that has a very long tradition in Scotland, for instance), and MGP does make a good product. Just don't try to BS the customers. For rye, at least, a good tip-off that a rye whiskey is likely to be MGP is if it touts a mash bill of 95% rye. [1] [0] https://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2014/08/ https://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2014/08/ and many other articles there [1] http://www.mgpingredients.com/product-list/Rye-Whiskey.html http://www.mgpingredients.com/product-list/Rye-Whiskey.html