Wines for the 1%?

C

Christian Miller (CMM)

Christian Miller
OR maybe the 0.1%. I just got Kermit Lynch's latest mailing. Does any one else get the impression that their prices have taken a major jump in the past 2 years? We have $28 Corsican rose' (one of the cheapest of the KL wines from that isle); $24 Lambrusco; and a $31 Macon that is promoted as unpretentious country wine.

At the end we get a more reasonably priced sampler offer, accompanied by a little paean to those anonymous pichets in modest cafes that supposedly contain delicious Chinon or Sancerre. (No they don't, if you're lucky they contain granpa's Coteaux de Quercy or Auvergne, if you're unlucky it's commodified euro-plonk).

The wines may well be worth the fare from the point of view of quality or character; at these prices, I wonder how many people are going to find out. In any case, the dissonance between the humble positioning and the prices is rather grating.
 
Kermit's retail pricing is usually on the high end. In CA, Baudry, Foillard, Breton are his terrirtory and all those wines are less elsewhere. I do love the photography in the mailer.
 
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
The wines may well be worth the fare from the point of view of quality or character; at these prices, I wonder how many people are going to find out. In any case, the dissonance between the humble positioning and the prices is rather grating.
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The KLWM on the label is supposed to communicate the first point and as you can see, it imprinted on you.
They aren't just nicely curated selections, they're magnificent exceptions.

The tone of their marketing has always touted the notion of the pure rural old world humble origins of the wines while at the same time pushing the retail price, especially of a "star" producer as far into new pricing territory as possible. The older wine sales model of, see what you can get, and if necessary discount later.
That sampler I bet is made up of slow sellers.

In which percentile the Petit bourgeoisie of Berkeley are I don't know but they are the target.
 
originally posted by Ned Hoey:
In which percentile the Petit bourgeoisie of Berkeley are I don't know but they are the target.
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I never saw many lower middle-class folks in the KLWM shop and never considered them a prime target of the advertising.

But then again dress-codes in CA are so informal, one has to look closely to make a discernment.
 
The tone of their marketing has always touted the notion of the pure rural old world humble origins of the wines while at the same time pushing the retail price, especially of a "star" producer as far into new pricing territory as possible.
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As a long term Berkeley resident and ITB, I'm familiar with the concept. I haven't quantified it, but my distinct impression is that recent years have moved the average pricing up far more than the high end market generally. Fewer Coutales and Salvards and more Leccias and Entes, so to speak.

In which percentile the Petit bourgeoisie of Berkeley are I don't know but they are the target.
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Why are they petit? Is it all those vegetables they eat?
 
Just think of it at as supporting Kermit's attempt at keeping print media alive. The postage alone must be killing him.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Ned Hoey:
In which percentile the Petit bourgeoisie of Berkeley are I don't know but they are the target.
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I never saw many lower middle-class folks in the KLWM shop and never considered them a prime target of the advertising.

But then again dress-codes in CA are so informal, one has to look closely to make a discernment.
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Which is a bit ironic considering in France many of these wines have been what the lower middle-class folks drink. The vinous version of slumming? Ennobling Proletariat wines while doing some redistribution.
 
originally posted by Ned Hoey:
Which is a bit ironic considering in France many of these wines have been what the lower middle-class folks drink. The vinous version of slumming? Ennobling Proletariat wines while doing some redistribution.
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I don't know how many lower middle-class folks in France drink Baudry, Foillard, and Breton. Maybe lower-priced versions of those appellations, but that's a different story and not what Kermit has been doing.
 
Kermit Lynch is a luxury brand now. I know more than a few college professors and business-folk who 'only buy Kermit Lynch' because they 'know that way it will be good'. When you bring a 'nice bottle' to someone's house 'Kermit Lynch' is a sign that you have spent some money and care about what wines you drink and serve.

This is not to take away from some of the good wines in his portfolio - I have some prized bottles that are Lynch imports myself - but he can command these prices now if the various groups of haute-bourgeoise I interact with are any indication.
 
originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
Kermit Lynch is a luxury brand now. I know more than a few college professors and business-folk who 'only buy Kermit Lynch' because they 'know that way it will be good'. When you bring a 'nice bottle' to someone's house 'Kermit Lynch' is a sign that you have spent some money and care about what wines you drink and serve.

This is not to take away from some of the good wines in his portfolio - I have some prized bottles that are Lynch imports myself - but he can command these prices now if the various groups of haute-bourgeoise I interact with are any indication.
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Now that Chave & ZH are no longer in the book the luxury has been somewhat eroded, c'est vrai?
 
As an infrequent visitor to the Bay Area and an even more infrequent visitor to KLWM, I lack the perspective that you have, Christian. Nonetheless, on my previous 4-5 visits there I have been stunned by the prices of most of the wines for sale there. While I have become inured to the aggressive price "creep" of Chave, Clape, Raveneau, etc. it used to be the case that I could bottom feed fairly reliably in the less popular regions, but no more. However, I did buy de Villaine La Digoine and La Fortune '09s for something under $30 a bottle last year, which I considered a fair if not outstanding price.

As for reasons, I wonder if perhaps their profit margins in recent years haven't been squeezed by their particular pricing strategy. Perhaps this change reflects a conscious decision to seek out producers with greater profit margins (i.e. humble Macons that sell for $30)?

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Gregg G:

Now that Chave & ZH are no longer in the book the luxury has been somewhat eroded, c'est vrai?
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He still has a guy in Meursault with a decent reputation.

Not to mention Clape, Allemand, etc., etc.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
originally posted by Gregg G:

Now that Chave & ZH are no longer in the book the luxury has been somewhat eroded, c'est vrai?
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He still has a guy in Meursault with a decent reputation.

Not to mention Clape, Allemand, etc., etc.
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Is CD ever on the floor? It has to be allocated even at a gazillion $$$$.
 
originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
Kermit Lynch is a luxury brand now. I know more than a few college professors and business-folk who 'only buy Kermit Lynch' because they 'know that way it will be good'. When you bring a 'nice bottle' to someone's house 'Kermit Lynch' is a sign that you have spent some money and care about what wines you drink and serve.

This is not to take away from some of the good wines in his portfolio - I have some prized bottles that are Lynch imports myself - but he can command these prices now if the various groups of haute-bourgeoise I interact with are any indication.
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too true. i look forward to the diffusion brands, the spoilers and the niches. how fucking awesome will that be?

look out for 'Kermit Lynch' (discreet front label) and 'Kermit Lynch' (big bold front label, uh -- who made this again?). plus, of course, there will always be 'Kermit Lynch' (teeny back label), just so the geeks can feel in the know.

ugh.

better still, don't.

fb.
 
KLWM doesn't "owe" me low prices, for a start. However, in the age of the internet, even a dim bulb can see that Foillard's Morgon costs about 19 Euros, retail, in France which, at a generous exchange rate, comes out to about 26 yankee dollars. The price, including sales tax, should you decide to buy a bottle in Berkeley: over $40. (Yikes!) I find that a little too steep, but they'll probably sell all they have so others obviously don't. Yes indeed, prices have rocketed upwards in the past couple of years.
 
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