Update: Wine availability, and why it makes so many people angry

Once again, the WC tries to parse this availability thing and restore calm to the wine drinking universe

The following is mostly a true story. The names were changed to protect the guilty (though I doubt they would even notice):

Big-time wine writer (not me): “So, you have a question about wine availability?”

Reader: “Yes, and I am furious. You never list any wine shops in my city. What’s wrong with you?”

Wine writer: “Well, there could be a lot of reasons for that. What city do you live in?”

Reader: “I live in City A. Are you being paid not to list any shops in my city?”

Wine writer: “Of course not. No one in City A carried the most recent wine. But there are shops listed in City B. That’s right next to City A, isn’t it?”

Reader: “Why should I have to drive there? This is all your fault.”

Ain’t wine availability grand?

I’ve been grappling with this subject since I did my first wine story in the 1990s. It almost wrecked a friendship with one editor, who refused to believe that every store didn’t carry every wine – because that’s how it worked for everything else. And I did lose a wine writing gig because another editor never understood that, and just assumed I was lazy.

So if I had trouble explaining the concept to editors, the above-detailed story should come as no surprise. I’m a wine drinker. I go to a wine shop. So where the hell is the damned wine?

Would that it were that easy.

The most important thing to understand about wine availability? Just because a wine is in one shop in one city in one state doesn’t mean it will be anywhere else in the world. There are a variety of reasons for that – three-tier, the whims of shop owners, how much of each wine is made each year, and the politics and foolishness that are inherent in wine. But regardless of the reason, it’s about the only absolute in wine availability.

My job as a wine writer is to find and write about wines that are – all together now – generally available. Otherwise, what’s the point? Many of my colleagues write about wine that almost no one can buy. This might make them feel special, but they’re doing a disservice to their readers.

And – all together now – generally available means that a decent independent wine shop in a medium-sized city should be able to find the wine. I won’t write about a wine unless I get the sense that’s the case.

Because, as much as I would like to, I can’t guarantee the wine will be in a shop in City A. No one can. Given the flaws in the system, be glad if you can drive to City B to buy it.

More about wine availability:
• The dilemma of wine availability, why you’re so angry about it, and why it just won’t go away
• Ask the WC 14: The wine availability edition
• Eric Asimov and wine availability