The rain is falling again in Los Angeles, washing bad memories off the sidewalks of life.
And it’s a weather pattern that always reminds me of Wally’s famed parking lot sale, since wet is typically the forecast during this once a year weekend.
Back in my carefree days, circa 1999 BC (before children) I lived at the beach, breathed cleaner air, and actually had money to buy wine. I always enjoyed Wally’s because the small store made me feel like I wasn’t selecting from every wine ever produced (see: The Wine House – which I’m also a fan of).
But now that I live in the “country” and shop for wine that gets cellared for 3-4 days, wine shops, as I’m mentioned previously, are not on my buying radar. Each year though, Wally’s has a big tent sale in their parking lot, and from everything I’ve heard, bargains abound in the “you’ve got to be kidding me” range.
I’ve heard of top flight Bordeaux’s going for $25.00 and California Cabs priced so low they’re practically giving them all away. So this year, when a friend invited me to join him under the big top, I said yes, stack of dollar bills in hand so thick you’d have thunk I just hit a slot machine at a strip club in Vegas.
I’m not sure how crowded they usually get on a Friday afternoon but the amount of wine housed outside was impressive, even if the crowds were a bit sparse. I pulled out a wet shopping cart and headed to the aisles like a contestant on “Supermarket Sweep”, envisioning myself running through and loading up my cart while others grabbed and clawed at my hands, hoping to get that last bottle of 2000 Harlan for $47.00.
Okay so maybe people we’re a bit guilty of hyperbole when it comes to the deals to be had at the Wally’s sale. Or maybe those people had enough money to feel that getting a 2005 Mouton Rothschild for $579.00 was a steal, marked down from $1,000.00. And I suppose if you just look at it from a math perspective that is a really good deal. But a bargain?
I walked the aisles, tempted by the many quality wines on the floor but only pulled the trigger four times, three really, if you disclude the $8.99 (was $12.99!) bottle of 2007 Montepulciano called Quattro Mani (four Hands) that is made by “four celebrity Italian winemakers”, none of whom are listed, that was a good buy for me – and a very nice wine – but not the kind of juice I was looking for.
My big purchase was two bottles of 1996 Chateau Rieussec for $54.00. A good price on a good wine that normally sells at Wally’s for $75.00 but I did find online for cheaper, though with shipping probably would have been about the same.
But the pricing in general as with all things are whatever a customer will pay you for something they want. If you had had your eye on that 2005 Bordeaux but felt $1K was better spent paying the gas and electric bills, maybe that 50% discount was enough to make you reach for the plastic and support our teetering economy. All it did for me was beg the question of exactly what Wally’s profit was even at that reduced price.
For those of you who had the displeasure to shop for a car, we’ve all been told, “I’m only making $500.00 on this ($40,000 car). Really? Really? Color me incredulous. My guess is that Wally’s still made a tidy profit on those bottles at almost $600.00, which then begs the follow up question, where is the wine buying world headed.
We’ve all heard that auction prices are down, if non-existent, and save for the folks who are still pocketing big paychecks (fill in the richest person you personally know here), most of us are happily spending $10.00 and feeling okay about it.
There were plenty of people filling their shopping carts with high priced items though. Here’s hoping that some of them invite me over when they pop those prizes…
