Ch. 15 - Retailing

       
      The retailing of fine wines like Dom Perginon tend to be exclusive and strategic in where they are sold. Unlike other easily recognizable alcohols that are sold in grocery and liquor stores, the average consumer looking to purchase a bottle of Dom Perignon may have to do slightly more research in order to find a retailer of the coveted bottle. I went to the independent retailer Sea Grape Wine Shop in the West Village on my quest to seek out a bottle of Dom Perignon. While they did have many fine wines and champagnes, Dom Perignon was not something that they kept in the store. With the exception of the high production volume champagne Veuve Clicquot, all of the champagnes and wines that Sea Grape carries in store are from small production vineyards. Although the exact number of bottles produced in a single vintage is unknown, it is estimated that each vintage generally boasts a couple of million bottles, making Dom Perignon a high production champagne. Because each bottle of Dom Perignon runs at about $200 per bottle, Sea Grape chose the more reasonably priced Veuve Clicquot, priced at around $60 per bottle, as their high production champagne of choice.
        It goes without saying that alcohol of any kind can only be retailed at places where alcohol can be legally sold. Additionally, Dom Perignon can only be sold to those who are of legal age to drink. Generally this means that a consumer is likely to find bottles of Dom Perignon at high-end restaurants and night clubs, places that are typically frequented by the Dom Perignon consumer. The average wine or liquor store is not likely to carry Dom Perignon simply because the price of a case is very high and the volume sold is generally low. A small specialty wine shop like Sea Grape could potentially hold onto a case of Dom Perignon for years before they have sold the entire volume. However, fine dining restaurants and night clubs generally sell more bottles of Dom Perignon than specialty wine shops, and at a higher price. Restaurants typically mark up wines and champagnes at two and a half to three times the wholesale cost, and night clubs can charge thousands of dollars for bottle service with Dom Perignon. Fine dining and night club settings are ideal for selling fine wines like Dom Perignon because a large part of the champagnes appeal is the status and prestige that it exudes when purchased for entertaining others.
       Because Dom Perignon can be difficult to find at your local wine retailer, those looking to purchase a bottle of the fine champagne have other options available. Because Dom Perignon is a vintage cuvee, once a vintage year is over, that exact wine cannot be manufactured or recreated again. Because of this, the auction market has opened up opportunities for wine enthusiasts and collectors to buy and trade the vintages of their choice. Online auction websites like Amazon and eBay are available for those who are looking to purchase bottles and even provide options to buy Dom Perignon coupled with Godiva chocolates or flowers for special occasions. For serious wine collectors, auction houses like Chisties and Sothebys have set records for auctioning off prestigious vintages of Dom Perignon. In 2004 Chisties sold three bottles of Dom Perignon vintage 1921 for nearly $25,000! Bottles of this caliber have truly become collectors items for champagne and wine enthusiasts.