I'm done buying wine for a year. Who is with me?

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Wed Dec 04, 2019 5:03 pm

Quite interesting challenge guys, but now the real question : what is your penalty if you fail? This is important because if failing is just a predictable fun thing, and failing has no real penalty, or impact, why register in the challenge?

Nic

P.S. and it is tough to check if you live up to the challenge. You can buy wine and nobody here willever know if you don't write about it!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Dec 04, 2019 5:22 pm

Indeed, we are obviously on the honor system here.

Self-reporting is essential but in the end, if you cheat, you are only cheating yourself.

There is no "punishment" for failure, other than the personal disappointment of failure itself.

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:32 pm

What about a Champagne exemption. I’ve got enough still wine but I seem to keep running out of Champagne.

I will also need a two mixed case exemption for mature wines I stumble upon.

Chris Bublitz

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Dec 04, 2019 7:37 pm

Peggy just laughed when I told her I wouldn't buy any more than 12 bottles next year. I said I was serious. Then she asked if that meant they'd each cost 4 figures or more.

Jim, are your exemptions specific to the person that requests them or are they BWE-wide? I would like to request three:

1) wine bought at a restaurant for on-premises consumption (does not apply to bottles brought home)

2) wine bought to fill a need for a specific dinner or tasting event

3) wine bought as a gift for or on behalf of someone else (e.g. due to cost or availability)

amusermix · Post by **amusermix** » Wed Dec 04, 2019 10:04 pm

impressive haul. well done.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Dec 04, 2019 10:13 pm

David: Yes, those are certainly three very reasonable exemption requests and are hereby granted.
Exemptions are specific to the individuals requesting unless otherwise generally noted.
I definitely think there should be a general exemption for purchases related to BWE events.

Chris: Your champagne exemption is happily granted. Again, in the spirit of the legislative intent, that is, to encourage success in the scaling back of wine purchases in 2020, I hereby grant your request for exemption.

I think I’m going to have to issue some written decisions to create at least some general precedent and stare decisis.

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Wed Dec 04, 2019 11:34 pm

DavidG wrote:Peggy just laughed when I told her I wouldn't buy any more than 12 bottles next year. I said I was serious. Then she asked if that meant they'd each cost 4 figures or more.

Jim, are your exemptions specific to the person that requests them or are they BWE-wide? I would like to request three:

1) wine bought at a restaurant for on-premises consumption (does not apply to bottles brought home)

2) wine bought to fill a need for a specific dinner or tasting event

3) wine bought as a gift for or on behalf of someone else (e.g. due to cost or availability)

I am here for you, Dave. Whenever you feel an uncontrollable urge to buy wine, I am happy to set up a specific dinner for you to share it with me, or I can just accept any purchased wine as a gift.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:02 am

Hmm. Perhaps I could join in if I get the exemptions you have granted others AND a special Oregon exemption for me. I have to build a wine collection at our lake house and fill a wine fridge I put in stefanJr's house. Three cases in addition to Champagne for our Texas home is probably more than I need in 2020. Except maybe for Lucie I need a La Lagune exemption. The Champagne and La Lagune exemptions are really for her. The Oregon exemption would have to include some wines that go to Texas as sometimes I have to buy wine at auctions for Oregon and some lots have more bottles of a single wine than I want in Oregon. Also, I belong to two wine clubs (St Innocent and Domaine Drouhin) and I do not want to suspend membership in them.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:12 am

Well.. hmmm.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 1:29 am

I'm in. I will buy wine in 2020 and win the challenge anyway!

Can i have an exemption for wine i buy for cooking, for cleaning my car (those oily oaky aussie chardonnay) or for my friend's pets?

I like it. Like the Olympics, or the BWE WOTY: looks serious, but why be serious when everyone want to have fun today.

Nic

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:27 am

Ok, I’ve thought about this some more, and I am definitely in.

I summarize the base exemptions:
-one mixed case purchased cumulatively over the calendar year
-wine bought at restaurants, for gifts, or for immediate consumption (i.e. not to add to the cellar) at a BWE or similar event are exempted.*

I do request one specific exemption — birth-year wines for me and the guys in my local wine group. These wines are hard to find and pop up on auctions randomly, so I’d like to exemptions for 1971, 1973, and 1980. Realistically this would only be 6-12 more bottles in a year anyway.

*In my instance, this is generally a very small number as I very rarely buy wine at restaurants, my wine gifts come from my cellar, and I bring all my wine with me to events.

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 4:12 am

I increased my collection by about 30% in 2019. Was a good run. Intend to take it easy in 2020 but not be a monk. I have close to enough.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 5:17 pm

marcs wrote:
DavidG wrote:Peggy just laughed when I told her I wouldn't buy any more than 12 bottles next year. I said I was serious. Then she asked if that meant they'd each cost 4 figures or more.

Jim, are your exemptions specific to the person that requests them or are they BWE-wide? I would like to request three:

1) wine bought at a restaurant for on-premises consumption (does not apply to bottles brought home)

2) wine bought to fill a need for a specific dinner or tasting event

3) wine bought as a gift for or on behalf of someone else (e.g. due to cost or availability)
I am here for you, Dave. Whenever you feel an uncontrollable urge to buy wine, I am happy to set up a specific dinner for you to share it with me, or I can just accept any purchased wine as a gift.

Brilliant!

Tom In DC · Post by **Tom In DC** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 9:33 pm

So, with the buying wine for someone else indulgence, er, uh, exemption, I just need a co-conspirator, er, uh, partner to buy whatever wines I want and have them shipped to me while I do the same for them.

Cardinal Tom

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Fri Dec 06, 2019 2:13 am

Tom In DC, I'll be your Rudy.

brodway · Post by **brodway** » Fri Dec 06, 2019 3:11 am

Very clever scheme but not original....during Passover it has been customary for folks to trade away their not kosher for Passover items in exchange for a bill of sale which can be redeemed after the festivities are over

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 1:01 am

I'm going to have to go with the three case exemption, not because it is substantially more than the one case exemption, but because most of my wine purchases these days occur in New Hampshire, where it only makes sense to buy Bordeaux wine when they are having their mixed case discouts and gift card offers. Thus, for example, 2016 Chasse spleen and Sociando Mallet have appeared in stock but won't be worth purchasing until they go on sale in 2020 (although already have a case of 2016 Sociando that I already purchased at Zachy's). The legislative intent of the Campaign remains the same whether it is a one, two, or three case exemption.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 1:18 am

So, not done buying Bordeaux yet? Wise choice, you are too young to stop.

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 3:25 pm

Not being a lawyer, David doesn't seem to understand how the law works. Jim *is* done buying Bordeaux, at least for the next year, and at least in excess of any de minimis exemption. However, per the statute definition, buying three cases of Bordeaux falls under the de minimis exemption and is therefore not "buying Bordeaux". After all, three cases is less than a bottle a week over the course of a year.

I suspect the de minimis exemption may need to be amended later in the year.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 3:45 pm

I always learn something new here. Does the de minimis exemption extend to drinking those bottles, so that one is not "drinking Bordeaux" when consuming them?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 4:24 pm

I truly would have been satisfied with a one case exemption.
The problem, as mentioned above, is that I'm buying almost all of my wine in NH these days.
The regular pricing is rarely competitive, so i just like never buy a single bottle or two, or anything less than twelve bottles for that matter, unless it is a separate per bottle sale, like with champagne and thus my recent 2008 Cristal and Dom Perignon purchases.
Almost all wine goes on sale in NH but only if you buy in 12 bottle mix cases or $25 gift card for $150 purchases deals.
Thus, the 2016 Chasse Spleen I've been waiting for to round out my 2016 Bordeaux purchases is currently selling for the uncompetitive price of $39.
When it goes on sale at 15% off it will be more competitive at $33, but only if I buy 12 bottles.
And it will be even more competitive during those one or two months in the year when they combine the 15% sale with the $25 gift card deal.
So, if I limit myself to one case, I'll pretty much be limited to one purchase of wine in 2020, which would not likely be realistic.
Even if I take advantage of the full 36 bottle de minimus exemption that will be a very significant cut back in my wine purchasing.
This is all working out, yes, because of my age, and the commitment to make the 2016 vintage (the last of a seemingly outstanding trio of 2014/15/16) my last vintage of purchasing Bordeaux in quantity, and thus the end of a 25 year era.

brodway · Post by **brodway** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 7:27 pm

2014/2015/2016/2017/2018 a run of phenomenal vintages....there will be plenty of Bordeaux on the market and at auction for some time...i don't see a rush to buy anything unless there is a hole that needs to be filled in the cellar....and agreed with the NH pricing there are compelling values created during the famous 15%+gift card promotion....need to get there this summer and snag a few bottles

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 9:09 pm

2014s are completely sold out in NH, 2015s almost sold out.
I got my 2016s on sale.
I'm glad I stocked up on those vintages so I don't have to be worrying about sourcing them later.
Pretty hard to see how I would get better prices at auction or anywhere else than the prices I got those 2014s.
I'm not interested in 2017 and 2018 because of my age. 2016 was my cutoff point.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:14 pm

Jim, you should add a twist to make this more interesting and, since your subjects appear to be mocking you for this initiative, to give it some teeth: a 25% tariff!

For every case purchased above the exemption limit, 3 bottles must be rendered unto his highness the BD.

I would be happy to administer this program for you in return for a nominal 1 bottle per case fee. [/dastardly mustache twirling]

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:30 pm

Which subject is mocking the initiative, David?
I'm seeing nothing but enthusiastic participation.
I just received a dozen bottles of Italian Chianti cellar savers that will help take me well into the new year.
Awaiting delivery of the blanquito-inspired Champanges and I will be good to go for 2020.
I'm even updating my cellartracker inventory.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:34 pm

Aww, just teasing, but look here:
http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/ ... 759#p77445

I’m picking up a mixed case of 2017 white Burgs at MacArthurs tomorrow.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:39 pm

The buying freeze is purely benevolent and voluntary, I'm just here trying to bring the best out of people, as usual.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:55 pm

Duly noted,

Your Humble Subject.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Fri Dec 13, 2019 1:35 am

I claim that I will buy wine in 2020, without exemption. Bordeaux may not represent the majority of purchases for a change, and most of what I buy will not be for cellaring either.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Fri Dec 13, 2019 3:17 am

I like Chris am not going to play this game as I will undoubtedly fail, but if the import tariffs on wine persist, perhaps I have got a chance of survival through the first month or so of the year

dstgolf · Post by **dstgolf** » Sat Dec 14, 2019 10:36 am

Jim,

From my experience your proposal reminds me of friends/acquaintances through life that feel obliged to let everyone around them know they would never cheat on their spouse. Guess what? If they were trying to convince you/someone about this they likely were/are cheating big time and it was their way of publicly confessing to lower their guilt level. I see the parallels here someHOW!!??

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Sat Dec 14, 2019 4:36 pm

I encourage good intentions, all kind of, but wine being my hobby, i would have a tough time not buying and still read what is going on on BWE, or stoping in winestore just to have a look, or when a specific wine you like appear near you and you know it won't be for long before it will sold out...

As wine is one of your pleasure in life, instead you should do a challenge to use more public transportation instead, or when you buy a bottle, give the same amount to charity in 2020...

Good luck to all the BWEers that will register to that challenge.

Nic

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Sat Dec 14, 2019 6:53 pm

Nic, resisting wine board enablement is my biggest remaining challenge. I’ve conquered the mailing list habit and have no problem deleting all the retailer emails without reading them. But a compelling note or great deal posted by someone I know still has me scurrying off to Wine Searcher. I’ve had to delete stuff from my shopping cart more than a few times.

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Sat Dec 14, 2019 11:34 pm

DavidG wrote:Nic, resisting wine board enablement is my biggest remaining challenge. I’ve conquered the mailing list habit and have no problem deleting all the retailer emails without reading them. But a compelling note or great deal posted by someone I know still has me scurrying off to Wine Searcher. I’ve had to delete stuff from my shopping cart more than a few times.

Did you buy any 2001 Sociando Cuve Jean Gautreau!?

I’m the same way, I see a great note from guys like you, and I search. I’ve been good about deleting emailers this past month. I was overwhelmed by how many cases I got in this shipping season. Over 200 bottles just in the last month, last case comes in next week. I need to refocus on select backfills and then new releases of my faves. But even my faves, I wonder if I have too many. Like Levet. That’s an awesome, iconic wine, but also very distinct and not for the masses. So I am normally drinking it alone, and at $75 now, that’s a little silly for regular drinking, which is about where I’m at, sitting on over 100 bottles dating back to 2004.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:18 am

Robert, the 01 Sociando JG was gone before I got to it. You’re responsible for the Levet, Magdelaine, and a couple other things in my cellar. Oh, the 89 Picasses...

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Sun Dec 15, 2019 6:40 am

After repeatedly mocking this initiative, I'm thinking I may get in on it. Since, like Jim, my rate of wine consumption is not high, I pretty much have all the wine I need for the next 15-20 years. Radical measures are needed.

I think the one exception I will make is that there are a few bottles I want to pick up in post-New Years sales...so I am considering a buying moratorium that will start on January 15th instead of right at the new year....

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun Dec 15, 2019 4:36 pm

This discussion reminds me of my father explaining my mother's famous two day diet. It starts Sunday night and ends Monday morning.

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:35 pm

stefan wrote:This discussion reminds of my father explaining my mother's famous two day diet. It starts Sunday night and ends Monday morning.

Hysterical

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:50 pm

stefan wrote:This discussion reminds of my father explaining my mother's famous two day diet. It starts Sunday night and ends Monday morning.

Surprising to me that you would be this dismissive of your mother. What she had was a full year diet with a special Monday to Saturday exemption. Probably it was particularly important for her to eat food on those days, and/or local stores tended to have sales on those days. If you read this thread you will see how sensible that is.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Sun Dec 15, 2019 6:20 pm