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A wine-loving fool and his money

Wines with gold leaf, wines sent into space, wines aged underwater... there are enough idiots who believe that whatever costs a fortune must be the best

ANDREW J. LINN

Monday, 17 May 2021, 08:16

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Many of us are unhappy with the sleight of hand that some unprincipled winemakers use to extract the highest prices from the consumer. There are wines with gold leaf, wines sent into space, wines aged underwater, etc. Maybe we should blame the media consultants. Imagine a conversation along the following lines:

Winemaker ('WM'): My wines are very good but where tens of thousands of other wines are all competing in the market, what can I do to make mine appear extra special?

Media consultant ('MC'): You must make people think your wine is so exceptional that it is head and shoulders above all the others. This is what we call the Unique Selling Point (USP). It should stand out from the crowd.

WM: I'm listening.

MC: First we say your wine is expensive because only 500 bottles are made annually. I know you make 50,000 but you can sell the rest under another label. How about sending your wine into space? If that's too costly, then mature it in Loch Ness, or get some sherpas to take it up Mount Everest.

WM: Now you're talking. How much will I be able to sell the wine for?

MC: Just name a price that will have wealthy people scrambling for it, say 20,000 euros a bottle. It's done all the time and never fails. Olive oil producers use the same tricks to sell premium brands.

WM: Why should anyone pay outrageous prices?

MC: Because there are enough idiots who believe that whatever costs a fortune must be the best.

WM: Where do I sign?

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