Shopping Around - WineBid? WineCommune? Commerce Corner?

[MatthewB]

Unfortunately my parents waited to have me second so I was in diapers in the good ol' days of <$100 FGs, so I am now playing catch-up and trying to experiment with different producers from different vintages. Any preferred places to get <$150 pre-1995 Bordeaux? Winebid? Wine Commune? Commerce Corner?

I am willing to risk a bottle or two versus paying for perfect provenance (i.e. not buying from Christie's). Arguable approach but I can't justify the BP for four bottles here and three bottles there. Am I wrong on this approach?

Thanks!
Matt

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Winebid's been good to me. All wines in very good shape. Pick your spots on price.

[Gerry M.]

Winebid is the most popular and easiest way to find something specifc you are looking for and the fees are reasonable.

Wine Commune is hit or miss. It CAN be a good place to pick up things at a great price IF you pay attention to the sellers history and read their feedback from other buyers. It is definately a caveat emptor proposition. I've scored some tremendous deals over the last few years but you have to pay attention to some sketchy characters who peddle stuff there. I've bought at least a couple of hundred bottles from them but the funny thing is I've only gotten stiffed once and it was someone from Boston, where I live. Screwed in my own backyard!

The commerce corner section on the Wine Bezerkers is the only such site I've personally bought from and have had no issues and you can find some pretty fair pricing. Given that you're looking for Bordeaux expect to pay around 10% below low Wine Searcher pricing. Again, you have to be cautious about who you deal with. Pay attention to how many posts they have and how well known they are beyond just the commerce corner section. There is also a feedback section that can give you addtional info on a lot of the sellers. Frequently you will run into the seller who has only 2-3 posts and those are all on commerce corner. As good as the deal may appear you have to take a pass since the risk is just not worth it.

Just one last word of caution, with the exception of Winebid, when you are buying via these alternatives the risk of shipping rests on you. Unless you are buying from a seller that holds permits from either UPS or FedEx then insurance will do you no good. Both FedEx and UPS have policys requiring a permit to ship alcohol. It has never been an issue or a problem for me but I have read horror stories form others about either lost, damaged or confiscated wine deliveries and you're left with little recourse.

Goodluck!

[MatthewB]

Good feedback guys...I've watched WineBid for a while and made occasional purchases. For older BDX that get shipped, do you let them sit for a month, 3 months, 6 months? I've seen Gilman recommend 6+ months. Any experiences here?

[Gerry M.]

It's probably wise to let them sit for at least a month. I just popped a 85' BV GDL and a 87' Laurel Glen cabs that I received recently for a specific tasting just shortly after I received them. While both were sound bottles they just didn't show much personality in contrast to their competition.