Dumb statements by wine shop staff

As a corollary to the Worst Excuse thread, what is the worst statement you have heard from wine shop staff?

I recall walking into a wine store looking for some wine (don't recall what specifically). We spied a bottle of German TBA on the shelf and jokingly said to the salesman "$199.95 for a bottle of wine? Is that the right price?". We were new to wine at that time but still knew what a TBA wine was. We had no thoughts of buying the bottle at all. "No German wine is that expensive", said the salesman, "It must be $19.95". We very quickly handed him a $20 note, got the bottle and just about ran out of the shop. We then took it to the last night of a wine course we were on at the time to share with the tutor and class attendees. The wine was sublime!

Worst was in a wine shop in Brussels, from an owner seemingly proud to champion his credentials as a wine show judge. I asked him how long a particular white burgundy could be cellared for. He replied that in ideal cellar conditions 8-10 years would be fine, but (with a somewhat superior tone) he added that if stored at 16-18C or higher, it might last a handful of months at most.

The temperature in his wine shop? Well in excess of 20C.

It was actually a pourer in a tasting room. She poured a Pinot Gris for us and we thought it was fine but nothing special. "Now would you like to tast our Pinot Grigio?" We said it was the same grape. She said, "No it isn't."

It was actually a pourer in a tasting room. She poured a Pinot Gris for us and we thought it was fine but nothing special. "Now would you like to tast our Pinot Grigio?" We said it was the same grape. She said, "No it isn't."

So if a Pinot Gris is made in a Pinot Grigio style, does that mean it is dumbed down perhaps to make it taste like a Olde Worlde style Italian wine?

[David M. Bueker]

At a Yakima Valley winery that I hope is either better staffed or no longer in existence: "This is our Riesling aged in new oak. It's made just like the Rieslings from Germany!"

A local importer transcribed the name Penfold Grange into hebrew, spelling it so it came out phonetically as Grenache.

My all time favorite came from a distributor's rep pouring at a charity event. After getting a pour of a badly corked Gaja Barbaresco, I told her that it was corked and she replied "that's just the character of the Nebbiolo grape that you're mistaking for cork taint" Fortunately, one of her superiors knew me and opened a new bottle for me before I went totally Medieval on her. Ignorance compounded with condescension I find particularly hard to take.

Mark Lipton

We very quickly handed him a $20 note, got the bottle and just about ran out of the shop.

So the wine merchant took a ~$100 loss? Wow--way to go!

A bit off-topic, but a similar story to Neil's.

About 10 or 12 years ago, I was in an out-of-state merchant who I had frequented regularly. I called the manager earlier to see if they had any "must haves" and the manager said he'd be there and we could chat then. When I arrived at the store, i learned that he was not available, but the obviously new clerk said he had set aside a few bottles that I might be interested in. One was a 1998 Ogier Belle Helene CdP . When I asked the price, she replied with a figure that I knew to be at least $100 below standard retail. I didn't buy it, but did call the manager the next day to let him know that some additional training might be needed for this employee before setting her loose in the fine wine department. He thanked me profusely!

Later that week, the UPS truck delivered that bottle of Belle Helene to my door as an additional thank you.

Worst was in a wine shop in Brussels, from an owner seemingly proud to champion his credentials as a wine show judge. I asked him how long a particular white burgundy could be cellared for. He replied that in ideal cellar conditions 8-10 years would be fine, but (with a somewhat superior tone) he added that if stored at 16-18C or higher, it might last a handful of months at most.

The temperature in his wine shop? Well in excess of 20C.

Badly over-heated wine shops, both summer and winter, are a common problem everywhere, though air conditioning installations are making slow inroads. Even so the temperature would have to be higher than ideal because of staff working conditions.

By and large here in Belgium, the staff in specialist wine shops drink wine themselves and know their stock and consequently I have heard remarkably few unhelpful remarks. Indeed, Ian, I wouldn't classify this gentleman's remark as dumb, only as ironically misplaced given the temperature of his own shop.

A bit off-topic, but a similar story to Neil's.

About 10 or 12 years ago, I was in an out-of-state merchant who I had frequented regularly. I called the manager earlier to see if they had any "must haves" and the manager said he'd be there and we could chat then. When I arrived at the store, i learned that he was not available, but the obviously new clerk said he had set aside a few bottles that I might be interested in. One was a 1998 Ogier Belle Helene CdP . When I asked the price, she replied with a figure that I knew to be at least $100 below standard retail. I didn't buy it, but did call the manager the next day to let him know that some additional training might be needed for this employee before setting her loose in the fine wine department. He thanked me profusely!

Later that week, the UPS truck delivered that bottle of Belle Helene to my door as an additional thank you.

Virtue rewarded .

Worst was in a wine shop in Brussels, from an owner seemingly proud to champion his credentials as a wine show judge. I asked him how long a particular white burgundy could be cellared for. He replied that in ideal cellar conditions 8-10 years would be fine, but (with a somewhat superior tone) he added that if stored at 16-18C or higher, it might last a handful of months at most.

The temperature in his wine shop? Well in excess of 20C.

Badly over-heated wine shops, both summer and winter, are a common problem everywhere, though air conditioning installations are making slow inroads. Even so the temperature would have to be higher than ideal because of staff working conditions.

By and large here in Belgium, the staff in specialist wine shops drink wine themselves and know their stock and consequently I have heard remarkably few unhelpful remarks. Indeed, Ian, I wouldn't classify this gentleman's remark as dumb, only as ironically misplaced given the temperature of his own shop.

Indeed Tim -