Are wine prices better at the winery than at retail stores at home?

Posted by George M. Taber » 02 Oct 2009, 13:35
It depends. Sometime yes, and sometimes no. Generally Napa Valley prices are no better than at home, and are often higher. The explanation the wineries give is that they can't undercut their retailers. The real answer is that they like to make the nice profit of selling direct to you rather than to a wholesaler or retailer. Often in Europe, though, the prices are much less than you would pay at home. Often you can get very good deals, although not always. But then you have to worry about the problem of shipping the wine home.