What is your best wine deals ever?

[Tom V]

A dead heat amongst the bottles of 1981 Penfolds Grange, 1989 Beaucastel, and 1989 Lynch Bages in my cellar. Interestingly, on all of them I paid 12 1/2% of their reasonable current value when I purchased them in prehistoric times.

[Jim Grow]

Hey Tom V. you reminded me of my purchase of 1/2 case of the 1989 Beaucastel from McArthurs way back when for $25/bottle. Fill was poor but the good ones, 5 out of 6, were great. I understand they are still going strong now.

[Rahsaan]

I don't know if it really qualifies as a 'deal' since it was the 'normal' local price at the time, but in the summer of 2002 I was living in Tours and bought a lot of 1989, 1990, and mid-1980s Foucault Poyeaux and Foreau for 10-15 euros each. There were other wines that were great fun but those were the ones that still stir up memories. (I went back in the summer of 2003 and bought all I could carry to Paris, but haven't been back since)

[Tom V]

Hey Tom V. you reminded me of my purchase of 1/2 case of the 1989 Beaucastel from McArthurs way back when for $25/bottle. Fill was poor but the good ones, 5 out of 6, were great. I understand they are still going strong now.

I broke into my case a couple of years ago after reading a lot about problems with the '89 Beaucastel Jim, about half the bottles had less than ideal fills. Bad corks I think, anyway I started from the bottom heading up and fortunately the few that I've uncorked have been excellent in spite of the fills. They are definitely going strong, and I'm hoping that when I get to the more perfect specimens they'll be even better!

Purchased mine at Cork & Bottle in Manhattan for $19.99 a bottle pre arrival, dem was da days!

...and before someone reminds me that, "hey, after all, that was 24 years ago", according to the U.S. inflation calculator, an item that cost $1.00 in 1989 would cost $1.85 today, which means, lets see, I can probably expect to be able to pick up some of the very latest Beaucastel vintage for about...$37.00! I'm outa here, gotta go call Cork & Bottle!

[Sam Platt]

When I was traveling to South Texas frequently (8 years ago) I found a liquor store offering all German Rieslings at the same price - $14.99! I picked up a bunch of '99, '00 and '01 JJ Prum GH and WS Spatlese on those trips.

Last spring my wife and I were in a wine shop in Venice Florida. As we were browsing we noticed a padlocked cubby hole with six foot ceilings. When I asked what was back there the attendant replied, 'A bunch of old wine. - Okay, can we take a look?!' After a half hour hunt for the key, during which I had to encourage him to keep looking, the gate was opened to reveal cases of stuff from the '80's and '90's. Lots of Northern Rhones and a mixture of other stuff. We immediately spied some Royale Tokaji Co. 6 put for $45. I could kick myself for not grabbing some of the dirt cheap Pegau and Vieux Telegraphe that they had back there but I was worried about hauling it home. Hello UPS... duh.

[Brian Gilp]

There was a grocery that would have a shopping cart full of wine that was 3 bottles for $5 but usually there was nothing drinkable in it even at that price for this recent college grad. But still I checked it everytime I went into the store. One day I notice that there are a number of bottles of 1983 Paul Jaboulet Aîné "Thalabert" Crozes-Hermitage and grab six but left at least a case behind, probably closer to two. This was the early 1990's and I had not yet got to the Rhone in my wine education and did not really know what this wine was and expected it to be showing its age but figured that I was only out $10 if it was dead and if not I would run back for the rest. Went home, popped the bottle, drank one glass and got back in the car. Got to store and the remaining bottles were gone.

[Jon Peterson]

Hey Tom V. you reminded me of my purchase of 1/2 case of the 1989 Beaucastel from McArthurs way back when for $25/bottle. Fill was poor but the good ones, 5 out of 6, were great. I understand they are still going strong now.

When I don't buy wine where I work, I go to McArthurs - about a 40 minute drive for me. You understand correctly, they are still going strong. They are one of three great wine shops in DC.

[Jim Grow]

Hey Jon. I was refering to the 1989 Beaucastel as probably still going strong. I am sure that McArthurs is. I tried to buy more of the 1989 Beau from them a year or so after I got my 1/2 case but they would not sell any although they had many cases upstairs yet to be returned to the estate due to low fill/leakers. I was disappointed as the leakers were just as good as the high fills.