Getting back into the swing of things. How've you been? I've been well. Whatcha been drink in' on? I've been drinking 90+...
90+ Cellars is the brainchild of one Kevin Mehra. Let's talk genius for a moment. The economy, believe it or not, sucks. Even the country club set isn't buying what they used to. Restaurants don't stock up on Cult wines like they did in the early 2000's. So what to do with all that high end, highly rated wine?
Kevin comes along and offers them cash up front to have a portion of their juice bottled under his label. This is better than a knock-off purse because it's the same purse, just with a different label. To understand how this is possible, one must first look at how wineries out West operate.
A store/restaurant buys from a distributor. The distributor buys from the winery. By law, the store or restaurant has 30 days to pay the distributor. There are no laws, however, regarding when the distributor pays the winery. Traditionally, a distributor will pay when they're ready to order again -- perfectly OK if you're Robert Mondavi, you've got an order coming every couple of weeks. But what if you're the small operation? That could be a year before you get paid. As a result, most wineries are working off high interest loans. Kevin's cash helps them pay off principal, pay their employees, put gas in the tractor, etc. So while it looks like they're losing money up front, for most of them it ends up a wash in the long run.
The wines 90+ sources must, by rule, have a pedigree of high ratings -- one 90 point score by fluke doesn't count. These are real wines, with real ratings.
I've been resourceful enough to figure out some of the source wines, which I'm not at liberty to share, after having to redact a few Twitter posts. Let me assure you, the savings here are IMMENSE. A $100+ Meritage for $25? How about a $30 Malbec for $12? Chardonnay fan? $25 for $15. Me? I like Pinot Noir -- $45 for $16.
Basically, take a Ferrari, I've always wanted a Ferrari, pluck that horse logo off, replace it with a Ford sticker and sell it for twenty grand. How can you go wrong?
This stuff rules. But let's delve deeper into why this rules...
You're the Consumer
1. Great wine. Ridiculous value.
2. Supporting a young guy with a brilliant idea.
3. The wines are super-limited. You won't always find the same stuff -- no wine rut, ya gotta drink something different each time.
4. Friday night wine at Tuesday night prices.
5. Nobody knows about this stuff, so you'll always be ahead of the Joneses.
You're the retailer
1. They actually factor in a profit to their pricing. -- Not only do you the consumer make out like a bandit, they've allowed your local retailer to make a buck, too. All those big name brands don't let the local guy make any money, they figure they're doing the retailer a favor by selling them wine. 90+ gets that the retailer needs to pay his/her rent, too.
2. All you gotta do is point a customer to 90+ once. They'll keep coming back, and you can focus on something else. You've trained your customer to have good taste.
Need more reasons?
Most wine brands are clinging to the past -- looking to wealthy, old white-guys for their sales. They haven't figured out the Gen. X/Y consumer -- these kids are the future -- better jobs, better taste, higher income, tech-savvy. 90+ embraces this demographic, eschewing traditional wine tastings for events like Second Glass' Wine Riot. They even allowed attendees of a recent Wine Riot pick their next wine...
Photo "lifted" from The Passionate Foodie
Familiar with the Phantom Gourmet? They even did a wine with him.
Here's the best part...
90+ isn't some corporate scumbag wheeling and dealing. They actually turn to their retailers and restaurateurs occasionally to decide whether or not they should buy a wine. They go into the trade to see if their wine is any good.
Even better? They self-distribute, cutting out a middle man that would drive the price up.
Drink it. It's good.
