Working in wine has been a lot of fun. In terms of buying and selling the stuff directly from winemakers to private individuals I don’t think it gets much better. You get to natter to both sides of the story all day, and try and keep both sides of the coin happy. What do I really have to do? Other than open some bottles and get people tasting? Well…I have to work out how to get it to where it needs to be, and that is a lot harder than it sounds!
How hard can it be? I mean really, how hard? You pack wine into a box, you lay them carefully on a palette, the palette is gently lifted onto a truck, and the truck is driven nice and responsibly down the motorway, and to where it needs to be. Doesn’t sound like an unreasonable request does it? You’d be surprised!
Yesterday I had a fella from DPD turn up with a box of Armagnac samples for me. This isn’t £20 a bottle Armagnac, this is premium gear is this! I wasn’t in, so the missus took delivery. I got a phone call seconds later, “Mike, it’s dripping!” Oh shit! What have they done with this? Writing fragile on the box? You might as well write it in Greek letters for all the good it does you!
This might sound like a rant, and…well…it is, but not without cause. A lot of people who are used to the idea of Amazon Prime free delivery services and all that don’t quite appreciate that these transport companies absolutely nail us on charges transporting wine. If I’m paying best part of £500 a palette then I expect the bugger to turn up gift wrapped with a little bloody bow on it, you know what I’m saying?
Hey ho, the struggle goes on!
Cheers
