We are just back from two weeks in Spain where we sampled some nice wines, many that were new to us, some that were old friends. The price structure, even given the lamentable relationship of the dollar to the euro, hardly makes PA look good. I will confine myself to reporting that the Marques de Caceres red crianza, which goes for $15 here, is available for $7 and that we found the rose of that vineyard which costs $13 in PA for, hold your breath, $2.50. Someone is filling his pockets. We heard that the governor elect intends to take the state out of the liquor business. May he succeed in doing so!
Two of the wines we drank are available here:
Beronia crianza 2007. This is a pleasant red Rioja with with a soft dark berry flavor and a slightly smoky finish. We paid $10. What is available here is the unaged version, for $10.99.
Antano reserva 2005. This is a very nice red Rioja that is a finely blended mix of dark berry and chocolate, also with a smoky finish. We paid $12 and, believe it or not, the PA price is $11.99. I recommend it,
About Me
- Paul P Bernard
- I recently moved to PA, having lived for many years first in CO, then in IL. Like any wine lover with limited financial means is bound to be, I was appalled by what I found. The state controlled liquor authority in PA is a sinister joke. As with all bureaucracies with no bottom line, one finds uninformed, indifferent, and often surly personnel, and a seemingly endemic disability to bring the cash registers into accord with the advertised specials. If one then complains about being overcharged one is subjected to long delays and made to feel the whole thing is one's own fault. But, not enough, to heap injury upon insult, the price structure is ludicrous. The claim is that the mass purchasing power of a state agency passes on savings to the consumer, particularly with the "Chairman's Specials". Anyone can test the veracity of this claim by crossing over into NJ, where every single bottle on special in PA is routinely on offer for a quarter to a third less. In spite of these evident handicaps, I decided to see if it is possible to purchase a decent bottle in PA for under $10 ($12 for special occasions). It hasn't been easy, and this blog will be an ongoing report on my efforts.
Arnulf and Michaela, sommelier onboard MV Constellation
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