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WineRelease.com informs wine enthusiasts about upcoming North American wine release dates.
WineRelease.com's June 2015 Subscriber Study Results
264 WineRelease.com subscribers participated in our survey.
Many of our questions, including those around wine buying, wine critics, WineRelease and wine closures were also asked in 2009 and 2012.
We repeat these to note differences in responses over time.
Questions about wine release information that wineries supply about their wines were asked this year to help wineries understand what information is valued by our audience.
Below are the results. (Not all responses add up to 100% as some respondents skipped questions and/or numbers are rounded up or down).
Also note that included are verbatim comments from the survey, listed in alphabetical order.
The only comments that were deleted were "see above" or those which included personal information.
Wine Buying Questions
Verbatim comments
PRICES ARE TOO HIGH
Scores by noted wine critic will influence my Wine selections (for potential investment purposes). If my taste are in line with the critic, that will affect my personal buying/ consumption purchases.
Downsizing
$1,500-$3,000 per month
We find most prefer the $14.99 - $16.99 range, with sub-$25 being hottest. Above $30 is dying/dead.
I am the process of retiring so my income level will be reduced. Some high end wines will be sacrificed at this point.
We've reached the tipping point - we were buying more than we were drinking. Trying to cut back buying a bit now
Mostly because my cellar is overflowing...
Have more than enough. Bought ageable wines years ago and am satisfied with them.
What's a budget?
Less bottles but more expensive per bottle.
Have more disposable income
Built my first wine cellar in 1982. Maintaining level, but will buy less over time.
I've been drinking more Craft beer.
Moving in two years. Reducing cellar size.
Verbatim comments
Average in collection is $42 per bottle
Basically stick to wines 'we' enjoy, medium price range, however, do 'splurge' from time to time and buy more expensive wines for special occasions.
Actually buying more expensive wine for less $, which takes looking.
tax burden jumped!!!
wineries charging more!!
Still buying too much
Bordeaux and Burgundy purchases are out of reach.
I see the prices of the wines that I like going up, so I've switched brands.
Verbatim comments
I'm on several high-end lists, but this is my response for the past month.
I purchased my Colgin and Promontory plus 3 cases of everyday wine...big variation in price.
FYI, month is not a good measure! I purchase on release for most of the wines that I buy so I can go months without buying.
My occasional purchase above $10 would rearely exceed $15.
Retail? Direct from Vinyards? Restaurant?
I buy wine in shipments, so it's hard to answer the question. A shipment of three bottles could be 200.00, with one bottle being 32 on the lower end, and one being 96 plus on the higher end, with the third bottle in the middle. Generally speaking, most bottles are anywhere from 30 to 100.
The average is closer to $60 outside of Bordeaux en primeur purchases
I'll spend up to $60-80 if I'm buying wine for someone else. If its just for me, I'll spend ALOT less ($8-15 per bottle).
Last VISA included a 3-pack of Scarecrow and a few cases of 2-buck Chuck. That's $39 but flawed to me.
Prefer better wines ready to drink. Looking for wines ready to drink...
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Verbatim comments
Wine shop owner
wife and I drink 1 1/2 bottles daily
But I buy single bottles, not cases.
Probably closer to 25-30. I buy reorders, anniversary cases, etc.
Im a wineimporter ;-)
Verbatim comments
Auction purchases can greatly skew monthly averages
annual trip to Napa/Sonoma - too many goodies to resist!
That's what I told my wife anyway
Usually buy over winter and spring for spring releases and fall releases
Verbatim comments
I have a large wine refrigerator for collecting
Roughly 80 cases.
Many large formats so equivalized to 750ml.
2300 bottles
WineRelease Questions
Verbatim comments
More lately, as the number of wineries proliferate
I typically first hear about new wineries from friends or a couple wine boards that I follow.
I really haven't paid that much attention to new or unknowns on the release list. I focus on release dates of known and mailing list wineries.
Buy direct from Sonoma and napa wineries
great resource for different wineries!
Do not recall
I only glance at the email to look for names I know
Just joined the list last month, still parsing all of the wineries.
This is a guess
Verbatim comments
I don't start with WineRelease
Do not recall
Does not apply based on answer to question 7
See answer to question #7.
Don't know
Verbatim comments
I will join a club in anticipation of a strong vintage year to have access to that wine. If there is no benefit to me as a consumer, my club membership is short lived.
quit all
I'm not a huge fan of clubs but have participated in a few. I belong to several mailing lists however and order the desired amount or wines that I wish.
Live in Pennsylvania, wine clubs are limited
I'm in Canada so subscriptions, clubs and such don't apply. There are Canadian wineries that offer subscriptions and stores, clubs that do but i've not signed up lately. In the past, I found the price to value wasn't so great. Buy most of my wine from a trusted store or direct from distributor.
These are mailing list with annual allocations - not wines clubs
Right now 2, we swap out 1 club per year and like to maintain right around 3 clubs.
WineAccess.com is not as much,of a club as it is an opportunity serice..
Wine clubs or mailing lists? I am a member of two wine clubs but a lot of mailing lists (~10-20)!
I am on about 8 lists that do not automatically send wine but give you the option to buy.
I work at PlumpJack winery, I get discounts through out the North Coast and don't need to join any clubs. We were in 7 clubs before I retired and joined the "biz"
I'm on their list, but only regularly buy from about 3 (Dehlinger, Paul Lato, Aubert)
14
Cannot receive wine here in Oklahoma...
Purchase wines direct from wineries and selected retailers.... Never wine club memberships.
I've been a member of Navarro's wine club for about 16 years. Great family, consistently good wines for a good price.
Wine Critic Questions
Verbatim comments
Only on investment bottles. Parker is an ego maniac/blowhard but the market shows highly rated RP wines usually increase in value
to a degree
But only when coorborated by more than one source, and rarely for wines that are brand new to me.
But only on wines I've never heard of or wineries I've never heard of. A higher score (85+) just means to me that the wine is probably well made and represents something close to what the wine varietal should taste like.
Not as much as it used to, but It can push me toward a wine I'm leaning toward buying anyway or against one I'm not sure of.
The real answer is somewhat.
Sometimes
Local sommaliers and wine store personell have more of an influence.
I'm a Laube fan; not a fan of Galloni
Sometimes
only when in extreme doubt. I have many sources to confirm quality other than critics.
I trust my local wine shop owner
Not every critic.
Parker because I actually like his taste, WS for their broad coverage, and K&L Winery.
I only consider critic's scores for wineries with which I am not familiar.
But only in the most vague sense (i.e. "That wine is pretty highly rated by [respected reviewer]; might be worth a bottle or two.")
I usually rely on my knowledge of the wines, or my wine shop owners recommendations.
But not very much.
Sometimes, not all the time.
they can be a re-affirmation but aren't the main reason
I rely on only one qualified evaluator and excellent writer: Dan Berger, who carefully does not give numerical scores. I do read several publications which score wines, but for the evaluations, not as a score-led buying guide.
Stephen Tanzer.
Only for general comments. Scores aren't so imortant to me as I like certain styles o fwine that might now be big critic favorites.
Based on an absence of any other information the critics reports provide _some_ guidance.
But more and more, I am using CellarTracker as my primary source of information, with critic's as a secondary source.
To some extent. Certain critics more so than others. Parker definitely.
Sometimes.
Not all are created equal though
But only as directional input. And only those that I find have similar tastes.
Only as a reference point
It gives me an idea if it is something I should try, for the unknown wines
15% of the time
Pay more attention to own knowledge and experience, friends, interaction with wineries
Sometimes but not a point junkie. I prefer some wines that certain rive were keep in the high 80 range
There is so much wine to choose from, you need help in narrowing down the choices. I find a wine critic who's tastes run parallel to mine and often follow their advice on what wines are good.
Verbatim comments
Used to be a lot higher
I would say equally or more so I use Cellartracker and Delectible apps especially with known palates I follow.
Should include cellartracker
Missing PinotFile
Wine Enthusiast has never sampled a wine they weren't enthusiastic about. Their 90 points is everyone else's 87.
I rely more on cellartracker than anything
In spectator, if the review is by James Laube I have LOW or NO confidence. Others is neutral to medium.
Haven't heard of most of them
I like Vinous' approach. I like Wine Spectator's commitment to blind tastings. Robert Parker seems to be the only critic routinely giving 100 pt scores. The frequency with which he does that compared to the others has, in my mind, hurt his credibility.
High confidence in PinotFile for Pinot Noir
Verbatim comments
CALIF GRAPEVINE
I will purchase selected copies of Wine Spectator. I enjoy big, full bodied with good extraction and Napa Cabs along with Cabs from Paso Robles suit my taste.
tanzer is now vinous, sadly. Tanzer was great. Galloni let me down every time; he basically just gives high scores to the people he likes.
used to no longer
None
also PinotFile (online, free)
None
None on a regular basis. Haven't the time.
ws.com erobertparker.com
I receive your fine publication as well as the K&L newsletter. The remainder I check out online.
I read a lot of publications that are less consumer and more industry-related.
Free subscription otherwise I would not read.
Use to get Wine Spectator.
none
California Grapevine Purely domestic wine report
PinotFIle
None
Mone
2 0r 3 magazines are enough
Wine Release Information
Verbatim comments
Depends on the grape, some more important than others
Especially for Pinot noir grapes
Honestly, I look for "Certified Organic" or "Demeter Certified" or "biodynamic" over other vineyard practices.
The more I learn about wine, the more interested I am in yields and how the vines are farmed.
I have zeroed into a number of brands and add relatively few in a year, so this info is relatively unimportant.
Vineyard clonal diversity very important to CA and other Chardonnay, somewhat important for Pinot Noir from anywhere
Verbatim comments
Wine release dates are important in so far as they affect my distributos' access to particular wines.
I write a wine column and for my readers it is essential that wines are available in Georgia-case count is essential.
Most important thing to understand is what the winemaker is trying to achieve. Everything else is supportive.
This question is not valid as there should be more than 3 possible answers in order to get a better feeling about consumers opinions
Brix, pH and alcohol level are all clues to help avoid the dreaded long hangtime, overripe pruney wines
Verbatim comments
I wouldn't want information unless I asked for it and if I did it would be via email
Wine Closure Questions
Verbatim comments
But usually at the worst time! Always have backups in BYO situations.
I've only come across 2 known cases of corked wine so my experience is relatively low given the wine I've consumed.
Seems much less prevalent than the past.
I run into TCA on occasion, but not very often. I exchange corked bottles at the store or the winery.
Since natural cork processing improvements have been implemented by the larger manufacturers, I have seen a decline in contamination claims from my customers.
very sensitive to TCA. still a problem with many good wineries.
I've had one experience in many bottles. I'm sure there are more tainted bottles out there, it just hasn't been my personal experience.
I detect in roughly one out of every 8 or 9 bottles.
I believe that consumers are actually more concerned about what is it in wine that gives them headaches. I have seem this reaction increasing in recent years.
Affected vs what I can detect. I am insensitive to it. Under 1%. But I have detected it twice. I believe the lab can detect it in 5%+
TCA rates seem quite low now, was much worse 5-10 years ago.
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Verbatim comments
Some new screw cap products are controlling oxygen transfer that might make them more acceptable for bottle aging of reds.
Assuming age = more than 5 years
I trust winemakers to make great wine, so I certainly trust them to use reasonable closures based on that wine.
From what I have read, glass stoppers prevent ageing.
Half PlumpJacks productiom is screw cap, would like to see resultsgof this question
Sometimes screw caps are fine. Depends on the wine. If the winemaker thinks it works, and I respect the winemaker, I'm fine with it. Preference is still for natural cork on a more expensive bottle.
Starting to come around to the idea of box wine. However, it's hard to get those past images of bad wine in the box from the old days.
Diam
I have experienced very few natural cork failures or TCA. If soft, I use CO2 pressure to push out the cork.
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Verbatim comments
Less than 5 years
Crown cap is great too.
Re: glass stopper - I've never ever seen this.
I really don't drink boxed wines. Screw caps work great on Sauvingnon Blancs, no so much on Chardonnay.
Diam
Again there should be more than 3 answers available.
Verbatim comments
Screw (and crown) caps are recyclable.
I reuse or recycle screw caps.
Bottle variation for storage remains a challenge in a wine cellar.
Breathe and age?
I find when turning my wines, if it has a screw cap I have actually broken the air tightness of the screw cap.
The question ""Wine needs to 'breathe' to age"" is too broad. It should be more focused. Referring to the statement "I like the romance/tradition of removing a cork;"" I can make a pretty entertaining show of opening a bottle with a screw cap."
Verbatim comments
Cork!
Every time I have a wine with cork taint, I am more convinced that corks are horrible closures.
I have gotten over the stigma of screw cap wines are cheap. Thank you Loring and Siduri wines.
screw caps fine for wines not to be aged
People need to get over the perception of screw caps as closures for "cheap" wine. They're not.
I have opened several bottles spoiled by bad corks. Not just TCA, but leaks leading to oxidized wines or vinegar.
Miss Whitehall Lane's glass stopper
i'm okay with screw caps... open-minded.
The question of what closure to use should be determined by the wine maker and what his or her end objective is.
Read "To Cork or Not To Cork"
More tolerant of screw caps
Wine Closure Questions
Verbatim comments
Develop wine bars. Work in winery M&A.
Vintner/owner
Growers and wine collectors
work for a caterer
Wine Columnist and educator
My husband and I are real j"winers" - everyday thing for us. We enjoy a nice glass of wine.
Advertising, PR
Advisor/consultant
Owner wine shop
wine blogger
Sommelier
wine producer
Wine Country Coordinator
Wholesale and retail worker (get a lot of free wine!)
Wine columnist, educator, wine director of charity wine events.
Finance
I did work in the industry in the past for about 25 years
Help people organize their cellars with Cellartracker. www.tastefulcellars.com
Retired grower
Food & Wine Writer
own a retail store & am a consumer.
winery owner
Consumer & writer
wine marketing/PR
Write a wine column
30+ years wine experience: winery, distributor, entrepreneur
wine writer
Wine marketer
Consumer but dabble in the biz
I am a sommelier working at a restaurant with both on and off premise license.
Any overall comments you wish to provide?
Verbatim comments
Keep on doing as good as always!
I like Cabernet Sauvignon's and would like more information or notification on the new or up and coming in the industry.
Thanks for what you do!
I wish that unestablished wineries couldn't charge so much without a track record.
I am a wine collector for 30 yrs, involved in the business as a retail consultant for about 10. My responses are as a collector/consumer.
Thanks Neil! Always appreciate your work!
Neil - Thank you very much for this survey and your monthly newsletter.
I'm not providing an age. Sorry.
I miss the old QPR/ Blue Book, Neil, but your new project is a well executed, and very useful, tool, still. Thanks for all your hard work.
I have never received any info on your publication/site. It is unknown to me.
Enjoy getting your emails about release dates and updated information.
Info from WineRelease is very helpful for me in timing my acquisitions and in planning.
Love receiving the release newsletters. Keep them coming!
love your list - keep up the good work!
I always felt that Bonny Doon's marketing of screw cap enclosures was great - with graphics that matched the labels. I also liked the statement that Plumpjack made when they released their reserve in 2 packs, one with cork and one with screw cap.
Thanks for tracking these topics.
Please advise when & where results are available. Thx!
Thanks for being there and doing what you do!
I would be very interested in a service where we could register our winery favorites with you, then you send us e-mails when you receive information on those wineries. Thanks
Enjoy your Newsletter
My views on closures have changed over the past few years. I am more open to different packaging but I do still like the romance and renewable resource of natural cork.
Many wines are overpriced, especially the ones over $100. Wine image and marketing matters to new drinkers.
Love your web site and information
I like your program. It has alerted me to some opportunities that I would not have identified.
Thanks again to all those who took the time to participate. Responders received access to this survey a week ahead of publication.
Neil
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