by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
Perhaps you’ve heard the tale of the six bankers who dropped $62,700 on five bottles of wine celebrating a big deal at a swanky London restaurant. The question this scenario poses: who buys this stuff?
Even the most up-scale restaurants in town don’t have wine costing thousands of dollars, but if you’re looking to spend some bucks on the good stuff, you can find it in Jacksonville.
What once wasn’t much of a wine (or, for that matter, a restaurant) town has boomed with the private clubs — The River Club on the Northbank, the University Club on the Southbank — joined by high-price steak chains such as Ruth’s Chris and Morton’s, the long-established Chart House and The Wine Cellar, ritzy places like Matthew’s and the hotels, which have increased their ambiance. Bravo! in the Adam’s Mark, for instance, is regarded as among the city’s best.
A sampling of different downtown high-end eateries was surveyed to find out what kind of wine they offer, how the inventory is selected and the most expensive bottle a customer can purchase.
Andrew Smith, director of restaurants at the Omni, doesn’t maintain a plethora of pricey wines on the premises. The hotel does offer some high-end Cabernets, but few exceed $200. He explains why the business decided not to stock more premium wines.
“In this market, they don’t move as often as a $40 bottle,” he said. “Most people that come in are out for a casual night. The majority buy the $40 bottle. We try not to keep too many high-end wines on hand so we can keep our beverage sales up. There are just too many good wines that are priced from $15 to $45.”
Ben Arab, service director at the University Club, is in the process of expanding their selections. Currently, the club offers about 70 choices with a variety of different grapes.
“We cover the basics and alternatives as well,” said Arab. “We do the standard Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfadel and Chardonnay plus a listing for Pinot Noir and Merlot. Then we break it up into alternative reds and whites.”
Consumers of the more expensive picks are typically people celebrating a momentous occasion or “cork dorks,” those who really know wine.
Many of their offerings are domestic but Australian and European wines are served as well. A $175 bottle of champagne ranks as the most expensive bottle sold at the establishment as of late. Coming in second are red Meritage (blend) wines which can run up as high as $160. More premium wines and European vintages will be offered in the future.
“Our wine list is a work in progress,” said Arab.
“We are working with our vendors to fill it out. We try to go with the more conservative, traditional fare yet provide what not everyone can get.”
Wine tastings and suggestions from members give management an idea of what diners want.
Bob Merendino, manager of Riverside Liquors & Village Wine Shop, provides a retail prospective.
Merendino is a professional sommelier, basically a wine steward that is certified by the Court of Sommeliers through attending a two day course and passing an exam.
“People that drink wine daily aren’t going to drink a $100 bottle but there are always occasions for those very expensive wines,” he said.
“People really do buy them. Sometimes they’re a gift for a client, boss or an anniversary. Some just collect them.”
As far as what’s on the shelf, his store runs the gamut from rare vintages totaling over a $100 to a plethora of reasonably priced staples such as a $6.99 Cabernet.
The most costly bottle he has had a customer purchase in his 35 years in the industry was a $849 bottle of Romanee-Conti, a fine French Burgundy.
According to Merendino, the price differential is a simple matter of economics.
“Quality and rarity of the item drives up the price,” he explained.
“There is an estate in France that is only five acres and everybody wants it [their product] so the price is through the roof. Professional tasters and judges consider it to be the Rolls Royce of Red Burgundy. Prestigious restaurants in New York and hotels in London want it but few cases go out.”
Matthew’s Restaurant tops this short list of outrageously priced wines.
“We open wine from all the major growing regions at $20-1,100 a bottle,” revealed Scott Roberts, wine captain/sommelier at Matthew’s.
Believe it or not, Roberts maintains there is a good demand for the thousand dollar plus selections.
Their wine list showcases over 400 different items with a captain’s list averaging from $100-400.
“We sell probably six bottles a night for $100 or more,” he said. “I’m pretty sure we have the biggest list in Jacksonville. We try to keep up with the trends and introduce people to new wines.”
Big selling names like Silver Oak, Caymus, Special Select, Harlin Estates and high-end Burgundies grace their list.
Grabbing control of the supply end of the market is Matthew’s strategy to procuring the labels customers crave.
“With our clientele, the highly allocated [limited production] ones are the hottest,” said Roberts.
“We try to monopolize the market so we’re the only ones that have certain brands. We try to gather wines you don’t see in other restaurants.”
Locals and corporations are their biggest patrons.
Lastly, a review of wine retailers in the downtown area would not be complete without a note from The Wine Cellar.
Gary Gebert, assistant manager at the Wine Cellar, further unravels the mystery behind ludicrously priced wine. He uses a 1982 Chateau Petrus as an example.
“That was the wine to have,” he said.
“I sold one 15 years ago for $850. That bottle of wine right now probably goes for $2,500 —maybe even more. That was a spectacular year for French Red Bordeaux. Chateau Petrus was superb — smooth, silky, robust with all the fruits and chocolate behind it coupled with a well-rounded finish.”
For that amount you could buy a used car — perhaps a bit of a junky used car but a used car, nevertheless. What possesses people to spend that kind of money on a perishable commodity?
“People that do a lot of traveling have a better grasp on good wines but there’s no rhyme or reason to who buys a certain wine,” remarked Gebert.
“People who buy know what they want, understand and appreciate quality and understand the label. There are people who like to show off but they also show appreciation.”
Vineyards justify the cost in terms of their employees, irrigation bills and supplies such as fertilizer.
Charlie Sawyer, one local wine connoisseur, decided to be on the other end of the table. A Jacksonville native, Sawyer was the founder of Sawyer Gas.
“He had a passion for wine and bought a small parcel of land in Napa Valley [Calif.,]” recalled Gebert.
“Now he has a rating in The Wine Spectator — what most people who care about wine refer to. It is a good source of information for those wanting to learn or make price comparisons. His wine is up in the top 25. That says a lot because this is a very competitive business.”
Sawyer, who lives at Deerwood and serves on the Jacksonville Transportation Aiuthority board, likes to show his work and he’ll host the Chamber’s Leadership Trip participants in October when they travel to nearby San Francisco. Sawyer is a former Chamber chairman.
Knowledge, marketing, vintage and availability are what Gebert believes is most important in this business.
“When I’m trying to pick out a wine for someone who isn’t so familiar with the parameters, I give them an option of three or four tastes,” he said.
“Most restaurants won’t gouge you but don’t expect to pay the same price [as at a store]. We don’t have a scary wine list. None of our wines exceed $800. Those wines are hard to replace; a year or two later the price is almost double. Right now, Meritage wines are the big thing. That’s the trend for the red wines. In white wines, people are steering from Chardonnays and looking at Pinot Gris — a light, crisp, dry white wine.”