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Wine Search

JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So there was a wine that I absolutely loved at Cali Grill last December, and the waiter gave me a copy ofthe wine list so I could purchase it when I got home. I have been searching for it intermittently, in person and online, for nearly a year, and I have been unable to find it in stock anywhere. So today I sent an email to Disney to ask it they could provide the name of their supplier or perhaps sell me a single bottle or two. (It is still on their wine list at Cali Grill.) What do you think the odds are that they will do so?
 
Sweet Melissa

Sweet Melissa

Well-Known Member
They'll probably sell you a bottle or two, but it will be at 300-400% of retail or whatever their markup is. They may not ship it to you, though. Depending on where you live, they may not even be allowed to. You would have to buy it while visiting the restaurant.
 
dreamfinder

dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
Have you tried contacting the winery directly? They are usually more than willing to tell you if they sell it in your state, and to pass along the distributor who is responsible for your area. After all, they don't make any money if you cannot find their product.

I highly doubt WDW will sell it to you unless you are on property. They don't even ship food, never mind booze. Between the various state laws on who can sell what, and the fact that FedEx/UPS don't officially let you ship alcohol unless you have a special permit/license/agreement the odds are somewhat slim.
 
JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
It was the Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Spatlese Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2009 riesling. Every place that is supposed to sell it , either near me in NY or online, has it listed as out of stock, and those that have responded to my inquiries say their distributor cannot get it. :( It is very sweet, which is what I like in a riesling.

NYwdwfan said:
What's the wine? I have an ADR there in February and you have me intrigued!
Click to expand...

Enjoy a glass for me!
 
NeedMoreMickey

NeedMoreMickey

Well-Known Member
Most wine stores in Maryland will special order a case if go in and talk to them and they carry the brand. Did you ask anyone at your local store if they can order it for you?
 
JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
NeedMoreMickey said:
Most wine stores in Maryland will special order a case if go in and talk to them and they carry the brand. Did you ask anyone at your local store if they can order it for you?
Click to expand...

This is a good point. I had asked a store online which previously carried it whether they could order it again, and they told me their distributor could not get it. I will ask a local store though - it is worth a shot. Thanks.
 
ABQ

ABQ

Well-Known Member
JillC LI said:
This is a good point. I had asked a store online which previously carried it whether they could order it again, and they told me their distributor could not get it. I will ask a local store though - it is worth a shot. Thanks.
Click to expand...
It's quite possible at this point that the vintage has sold out from all distribution sources and unless you find it at a retail location you'll be out of luck.
 
Tiggerish

Tiggerish

Resident Redhead
Premium Member
ABQ said:
It's quite possible at this point that the vintage has sold out from all distribution sources and unless you find it at a retail location you'll be out of luck.
Click to expand...

That's what I was just going to say!

@JillC LI , have you tried looking for another vintage from the same winery? Or a nearby one? Mosel-Saar-Ruwer is a region (like Napa or Sonoma) and there are a number of wineries that would have similar growing conditions, and produce similar grapes, and Spatlese is an indication of the ripeness of the grapes--there's Kabinett, picked when they are just ripe and generally make a less sweet wine, and Spatlese which are picked when they are more ripe and make a more full-bodied wine, and Auslese which are often made into dessert wines.

You could try to search for other Spatlese Rieslings from Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and see if you like them.

Like you, my husband likes his white wines sweet. We have some nice Rieslings made right here in NY State, you could try those as well. Also, Washington State makes some excellent Rieslings, especially Pacific Rim Winery, and they have three versions; Dry Riesling, Riesling, and Sweet Riesling. I'm pretty sure they're all too sweet for me, so you'd probably enjoy them. They are available through wine.com, and are fairly common at several wine shops near me, and probably near you, too.

Hope that helps.
 
JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thank you for the information @Tiggerish. I know next to nothing about wine, but I had figured out through trial and error that I generally do enjoy German rieslings from that same region. I was not familiar with the difference between Kabinett and Spatlese, but now that you explain it, I realize that I do generally prefer Spatlese. I appreciate the tip about Pacific Rim. I have found that many of the Washington state rieslings have a dry aftertaste, but I will give their Sweet Riesling a try. Btw, Disney still has not responded to my inquiry (although they did acknowledge receipt).
 
Phonedave

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
JillC LI said:
Thank you for the information @Tiggerish. I know next to nothing about wine, but I had figured out through trial and error that I generally do enjoy German rieslings from that same region. I was not familiar with the difference between Kabinett and Spatlese, but now that you explain it, I realize that I do generally prefer Spatlese. I appreciate the tip about Pacific Rim. I have found that many of the Washington state rieslings have a dry aftertaste, but I will give their Sweet Riesling a try. Btw, Disney still has not responded to my inquiry (although they did acknowledge receipt).
Click to expand...


Semi accurate rule of thumb with Rieslings - the longer the name, the sweeter (and more expensive) the wine. You want to try sweet (and expensive) look for a Trockenbeerenauslese

It is a semi-accurate rule because it indicates the amount of sugar BEFORE fermentation. Depending on the yeast and method, you can have a lot of sugar before and still ferment most of it out - then you get a dry (and very high alcohol) wine.

-dave
 
JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Phonedave said:
Semi accurate rule of thumb with Rieslings - the longer the name, the sweeter (and more expensive) the wine. You want to try sweet (and expensive) look for a Trockenbeerenauslese

It is a semi-accurate rule because it indicates the amount of sugar BEFORE fermentation. Depending on the yeast and method, you can have a lot of sugar before and still ferment most of it out - then you get a dry (and very high alcohol) wine.

-dave
Click to expand...

Boy, I have learned so much since starting is thread. I really do appreciate it. And I will look for that Trockenbeerenauslese!
 
JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
It's been 3 and a half weeks since I sent my rquest to Disney, but I actually received an email last night from the Area Manager of the California Grill sending me the contact information for the distributor from whom he gets the wine I loved! I sent her an email and I await a response. Fingers crossed!
 
JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
An update: Well it took a long time, but I will finally be getting my wine tomorrow!

The Florida distributor whose name Disney gave me said they cannot ship outside of FL. However, the owner put me in touch with Mr. Selbach of Selbach-Oster wines! He told me the name of a NY distributor. I finally was able to reach them, and they said the 2009 vintage was no longer available, but I could try the 2012 which was very similar. One catch - they only sell to retailers, not individuals. So they gave me the name of a retailer not too far from my office who I contacted and asked to order me a single bottle. (It was a little pricey for me, and I didn't want to order too much since I'd never even tasted that vintage. If I like it, though, they will be happy to order more.) Anyway, I just got a call that it has been delivered and I can pick it up on my lunch hour tomorrow. Just in time to enjoy it on my birthday the next day! I hope it's as delicious as the 2009 vintage. Thank you Disney.
 
Tiggerish

Tiggerish

Resident Redhead
Premium Member
Wow, that's a great story, shows that persistence pays off! And Happy Birthday!

(if I did my math right, your birthday is Wednesday, which is November 27, which is my brother's birthday ;) )
 

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