We all know how insane the pricing of the 2009  en primeur Bordeaux has become, with first growths commanding over $1000 per bottle to be delivered sometime late in 2011 or 2012.  As we were traveling through France from Paris to Burgundy, Rhone and points south, I used the opportunity to ask both consumers and wine industry professionals alike of their opinion about the pricing.  After all, it is possible that we here in the United States, view this differently than wine lovers in France.  The responses were interesting.

On the whole, wine consumers seemed to be indifferent to the issue.  Most people sip on a glass of affordable everyday local wine either at home or at a local bistro.  There are so many very affordable “village” wines for daily drinking that never make it out of the country (no exporter), that it really makes no difference what Bordeaux does.  As well, remember that Bordeaux is on the southwest side of France, quite some distance from Paris, Burgundy and Rhone so consumers there are pretty divorced from the hype.

Wine retailers and industry professionals had a slightly different slant to all of this.  While all agreed that to pay a grand for a bottle of wine is nuts, if the hype helps their wine store, their restaurant, or their winery, well then that’s ok.  It’s the old story of a leader “lifting all boats.”  I really hadn’t given this side of the discussion too much thought until I heard this over and over again.  And it does make some sense.

While it’s likely that only the very well off collectors will shell out $12k for the rights to take control of a case of first growth, the publicity that great wines continue to be made can only help the industry.  As most of the planet is comprised of free market or semi-free market societies, the supply:demand curve will dictate pricing.  If much of the globe continues to experience economic weakness for an extended time, these prices are apt to come down at some point in the future.
 
There’s an additional “potential” benefit that I hope is realized:  that those wine consumers who focus upon high quality wine will dig down to uncover the plethora of more affordable Bordeaux.  This will not only offer some great discoveries for you, but assist in supporting the smaller producers, scores of whom are struggling to survive in a fragile world economy.  Two outstanding smaller ones are Chateau Puygueraud and Pipeau, priced in the $30’s and with some aging potential.  Who knows, while making the Bordeaux discovery of a lifetime, you might play some very small part in allowing a tiny village vintner, many thousands of miles away, to feed his or her family and continue to do what he loves………make wine.

Tags: Bordeaux, en primeur, futures