Price Check Results For 9/21/12

Periodically we take a look at the competition
to ensure we’re staying true to our goal of
having the best prices in town.

When it comes to the other wine shops here in
North County, it’s really no contest, so I’m
not going to bother listing those comparisons.

As for Bevmo, their nickel sale is a great
promotion, but after checking them out on
9/20/12, it was clear that the vast majority
of what they offer on that sale is their
own private label brands. This of course is
excess juice they buy inexpensively, then
have labeled with their own proprietary names.
We obviously don’t carry those wines, so a
comparison there is difficult.

But when it comes to regular prices of wines
we do have in common with them, we beat Bevmo
pretty significantly.

The most detailed comparison we do is with
Costco. They of course don’t have anywhere
near our selection, but they do have a very
nice mix of good wines. And they have the
reputation of maintaining fantastic prices
across the board. In fact, a number of our
customers say that when they buy wine by
the case, they most frequently do so at Costco.

Here then, is our comparison, based on a price
check I conducted at the San Marcos Costco on
September 20th, 2012. We have 24 wines in common
with them, with 17 of them being identical, and
the other 7 being the same wine, but a different
vintage. Of the 24, our price is equal or better
21 times. Our price will be listed first, then theirs.

Montes Alpha Cabernet 2008, $16.95, Costco $16.99
Hedges Red Mountain 2009, $19.95, Costco $17.99
Col Solare 2006, $39.97, Costco $48.99
J Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009, $19.97, Costco $26.79
J Vineyards Pinot Gris 2011, $10.97, Costco $11.59
Tobin James Ballistic Zinfandel 2009, $12.95, Costco $12.99
Tobin James Radiance Chardonnay 2010, $11.55, Costco $11.59
Two Hands Bella’s Garden Shiraz 2009, $49.95, Costco $39.99
Layer Cake Shiraz 2010, $11.95, Costco $12.39
Luca Double Select Syrah 2010, $18.97, Costco $18.99
Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne, $39.97, Costco $42.99
Luca Malbec 2009, $24.95, Costco $24.99
Stella Rosa, $8.97, Costco $8.99
Groth Sauvignon Blanc 2011, $13.95, Costco $14.49
Mondavi Fume Blanc 2008, $9.55, Costco $9.59
Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay 2010, $26.97, Costco $26.99
Cupcake Red Velvet 2011, $7.95, Costco $7.99

Here are the wines that show a vintage difference:

Meiomi Pinot Noir 2011, $19.97, Costco 2009 $17.89
Zaca Mesa Syrah 2007, $17.97, Costco 2008 $17.99
Conundrum 2011, $16.97, Costco 2009 $17.89
Chateau St. Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay 2008, $11.97, Costco 2009 $12.99
Raymond Chardonnay 2009, $11.95, Costco 2010 $12.89
Landmark Overlook Chardonnay 2009, $19.97, Costco 2010 $20.89
Pillar Box Red 1.5 liter 2008, $8.97, Costco 2009 $8.99

There it is. North County Wine Company equals or beats
Costco on price, on 21 out of 24 wines.

Of course, we have well over 600 other wines that
they don’t carry, but that’s another story.