Jenise
Posts: 1324
Joined: 3/20/2013 From: The Pacific Northest Westest Status: offline
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I haven't asked too many times, but I have had bottles graciously replaced by Arcadian, Talley, and Cote Rotie here in Washington regardless of point of purchase. For that they get my undying respect and loyalty. Chateau St. Jean didn't return phone calls about a bottle of Cinq Cepage that was full of dead wasps. Last time I asked a winery for replacement was Bevan. The wine was not purchased at the winery but was purchased 300 miles away and going back to the retailer wasn't an option. For my trouble, I got a rude, skeptical third degree from one of the partners, to which I responded with copies of the glowing reviews I'd given their wines here and elsewhere to prove I wasn't a one-off customer, and was ultimately refused. Only bottles purchased as part of their club would be replaced. I could NOT believe it. I will never buy Bevan wines again. But this one tops them all: about ten years ago I bought four bottles of Isenhower Syrah for a wine tasting I was hosting. Insanely, the odds gotta be billions to one of this happening, but three of the four were badly corked. I bought them locally and could return them for a full refund, no problem, but concerned about THAT many bottles being indicative of a problem, I called the winery to let the owner know. His name might have been Bret. Upon hearing this news he reacted with hostility and denial ("it's not possible!") and demanded that I send the affected bottles to him for examination (I suspect that as a woman I wasn't taken seriously as someone qualified to identify this flaw.) I agreed to do that. My cost for sending the bottles: $33. What did he send back? Three more Isenhower Syrahs, useless to me now since the tasting was over, and no consideration for the shipping cost or my trouble. I still do these tastings, which have grown to needing 6-10 bottles/ea wine. Have I ever served another Isenhower? NOPE!! And do I ever pass up a chance to tell this story? Nope to that too! Which is a long answer to your question, Annerk, but yes: obviously I do think wineries should replace flawed bottles.
< Message edited by Jenise -- 12/31/2017 1:09:23 AM >
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