This red blend has aromas of plum, blackberry, mocha and smoky oak followed by rich flavors of black fruit and cassis, with a hint of fresh herbs. Approachable tannins and a round, full body lead to a structured, but soft, lingering finish. Pair with grilled steaks or other hearty dishes.
Vineyard and Winemaking Notes
Growing Region
Monterey County is known for its long growing season, a result of the cool coastal air from Monterey Bay that is pulled down the Salinas Valley each day. This maritime influence has a cooling effect, which allows the grapes to ripen more slowly and evenly. Extra hang-time leads to complex wines that exhibit heightened aromatics, intense fruit flavors and full varietal expression.
Vineyard
This Red Blend comes from sustainably certified estate vineyards that are meticulously farmed throughout the year. The varietals are grown in the southernmost reaches of Monterey County, where warm, sunny days are followed by very chilly nights. This significant temperature differential creates intensity and complexity in the wine.
Winemaking
Upon arrival to the winery, the grapes were destemmed, crushed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the wine was gently pressed then aged on American and French oak for 10 months. Minimal intervention and careful handling in the cellar ensure that this red blend is fruit-driven and showcases the integrity of all varietals.
Specifications
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3.5% Syrah, 0.5% Petite Sirah
Winery: Scheid Family Wines
Location: Monterey County, Salinas Valley, CA
Al Scheid first saw untapped potential in Monterey County in 1972 when the wine region was in its infancy. What started as a grape growing operation that sold 100% of its production to other wineries today has evolved into a grapes-to-glass family business that crafts authentic and elegant wines. Our Scheid Family Wines portfolio now includes five unique and distinctive labels: Scheid Vineyards, District 7, Metz Road, VDR and Stokesâ Ghost.
With 12 estate vineyards comprised of 4,000 acres located along a 70-mile spread of the Salinas Valley, the array of microclimates and soils give us an incredible selection to work with each vintage. While our wealth of vineyard resources is exceptional, it is our employees that are at the heart of everything we do. Much of our workforce has been with us for over 25 years, with several of our vineyard managers employed for over 40 years.
The Scheid family â Al, Scott, Heidi and long-time COO Kurt Gollnick â along with our dream team of employees, are passionate about crafting the best wine possible and honoring our commitment to be good stewards of the land and supporters of our local community. We are proud to produce authentic products that sit on your dinner table and invite conversation, connection and warmth.
Christmas in July: Casemates Cellars QPR Select Red Wine Blend âHoliday Editionâ
6 bottles for $49.99 $8.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $89.99 $7.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
@DanFielding@wordek
Too funny. No way Iâd put odds on this happening.
Iâm all sipped out from the BS to try to do a Rat this morning, but hopefully we both can pen some ascii for this evening. Hopefully there will sanctioned events as well.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Christmas in July: Casemates Cellars QPR Select Red Wine Blend âHoliday Editionâ - $10 = 9.99%
I got the first QPR wine and thought it was decent but not worth it. Any rats on this one to tell us how itâs different?
Also, what happened to the truly excellent wines that WD used to be able to source for the woot cellars label? We could always use some of those!
I really enjoyed the many unique and varied W*** Cellars offers. How many more times is Casemates going to drag out this tired old QPR? Asking for a friend.
@chipgreen The problem was the QPR (as in the ratio) wasnât that good, it seem thatâs the main consensus here: the R = Q/P. P was good but Q just wasnât high enough. Perhaps what we have learned is that there is a lower limit of the Q wherein the equation isnât applicable anymore, i.e. below a certain Q it doesnât matter how low the P, and therefore the R gets.
That said, this wasnât really a âbadâ wine, just not, I think, something many want another case of. In the Pacific NW I can get some decent sub-$10 everyday reds (and whites) from places like Columbia Crest, Maryhill, Ch St Michelle. I donât find most cheap California offerings to be of the same quality; could be regional pricing or just taste preference.
@chipgreen if I recall correctly winemakers made wine specifically for Woot Cellars. Scheid reminds me of Precept wines and I bet this blend was already created and a Casemates label was simply slapped on. I may be wrong but have a strong hunch.
I would not mind paying $15 for a true Woot Cellars-type offering where a trusted winemaker was involved.
@chipgreen@losthighwayz I actually would place precept several levels above Schied as far as general quality goes.
2 very different businesses though.
Precept is a large conglomerate Thatâs PNW based that owns multiple wineries through acquisition. I think quality hasnât suffered too much.
Schied is a bit more of mystery.
I think they produce some decent Central Valley wines under their own estate label but produce a lot of other stuff under Various other labels that are from bulk juice (my guess). I think broken earth is similar in this way. Iâve been to Schieds Carmel by sea tasting room and didnât like much.
My money would easily go to precept over Schied FWIW.
The only reason I donât regret this purchase is because of how cheap it was. The wine itself wasnât enjoyable, for my palate at least. Some of the reviewers from last time mentioned sour cherries, and thatâs exactly the way Iâd describe it.
Itâs been a while since I finished it off, but I donât remember much in the way of tannins. Nor do I remember notes of vanilla, or anything like that. It became a bit better after a day, but having it sit in an opened bottle too long turned it into basically vinegar (even though I use a vacuum sealer).
But hey, itâs $7.50 a bottle, which is cheaper than anything I can find in a local shop that doesnât look like itâs been made in someoneâs bathtub, or have a âwarning: may cause blindnessâ sticker plastered on it. This is the kind of wine you drink out of a brown paper bag in a public park with a friend, and then laugh at the label together, before chasing it down with a swig from a fifth of whiskey.
On the familiar producers conversation going on here for the woot cellars wines (RIP), most of the best of those were produced in a very long term down Economy where there was talent out there available to work with WD to make. Something really pretty special from excess juice that needed to move.
This is not that situation. Schied is a reputable Central Valley bulk grower/producer but they are not Peter, Ty or pedroncelli and others that graced us with really solid interesting wines and an excellent price point. The labels are also not as appealing to those used to the humor of the old labels. Iâm guessing the economics are just not there for WD to try and repeat the formula from woot cellars.
@CorTot@KNmeh7 Repeat after me: the stock market is not the economyâŠ
But Cory is totally right, those were produced in the days of a wine/grape glut combined with a down economy. We are certainly in a down economy right now, and Iâve heard no end of commentary about the grape glut in NorCal for the last 2 or 3 harvests. Look at the stuff being put out under the Garagiste âPiersâ label, the Lastbottle âSleeperâ label, and such. I also saw a post from Larry @ Tercero describing how heâs thinking about the volumes of grapes to purchase this year given the likelihood that he canât sell to restaurants for quite a while yet.
So I suspect there are deals to be had (and weâve seen a bunch here already) on regularly labelled wine. I suspect there may be other Mediocre Wine Company offerings in the works, especially given the possibilities around available grapes.
@klezman@KNmeh7 my point was we are only 5 months in. The Great Recession went on for years. And I agree with the way these things go you may not start seeing real interesting things until late this year and next.
You are correct the stock market is not the overall economy, however it does reflect the sentiment that this is a short term down turn.
@CorTot@klezman@KNmeh7 Donât know if this fits in with the conversation (and in fairness sounds like this offer today has been around for awhile) Cameron Hughes is selling out his current stuff faster than you can say negociant. Seems pretty interesting to me. Of course the jury is still out, not much of that has been tasted yet.
@CorTot@klezman@KNmeh7@rjquillin Iâm talking about the current de Negoce project.
Iâm not even sure how involved he is in the Lot Series since the takeover by Vintage
I have some of this. Caselegged from family in PA. I do not agree it has any QPR.
In fact, all these responses of âitâs okay for the priceâ must have never been to a trader joes. That is what you describe the chuck as.
The Q is quality. If it is just an average wine, then it is really hard to get a QPR unless it was a few cents.
I feel $10 is about where QPR starts on casemates (although some Anne Amie whites have proven this wrong.) You can have a $30 wine with an amazing QPR.
You, however, cannot have a good QPR if everyone says the wine is âalright.â
@KNmeh7 We each get to set the parameters for our QP ratio
I donât agree that an average quality wine only has good QPR if itâs priced at a few cents. But thatâs the thing about wine - always ymmv.
@klezman To each their own. But, if you are into math, if your âQâ is average, there is no other way you can get the ratio into what we usually consider âgood QPRâ unless you reduce the price to something far lower than 7.50.
@klezman@KNmeh7 Well I donât agree a wine is good qpr or okay or better because you bought it for $5. 2011 Noceto sangio comes to mind. And I donât mean you per say
@klezman@KNmeh7@ScottW58 Heck, you can spend $50 $100 $200 or more on a bottle of wine and still have a good QPR. QPR doesnât necessarily mean inexpensive.
I know that! Christ almighty. So much for putting in my two cents.
QPR is Quality Price Ratio.
Q / P equals the R.
I, steadfastly hold, that this is a Q of minimal quality. Therefore, it needs to be pennies on the dollar to make it a good QPR.
I will never offer my opinion again unless I am a labrat. Why is it so hard for everyone else to grasp if your Q is crap, the P has to be pennies. Am I taking crazy pills?
@kaolis@KNmeh7@ScottW58 I totally agree with you, even if my earlier comment might have come off otherwise.
My only point was that everybody has their own view of Q, their own view of how âexpensiveâ a given P is, and their perception of that ratio.
I havenât had this particular wine, so I have no opinion on the Q. $7.50/bottle is a solidly cheap Q, even here in California where there are plenty of $6-8 bottles of mass produced plonk. So for me to feel like the QPR was decent, it would have to âperformâ like a $10 bottle. For the QPR to be as excellent as advertised, it would have to be as âgoodâ as a $20 or so bottle. I agree that it likely is not that âgoodâ, at least in my view based on the notes weâve seen so far. (Editorial quotes to reinforce that those are all matters of opinion, not fact.)
@KNmeh7 Totally agree on the TJâs wines. With the Charles Shaw (aka two buck chuck) wines there is an excellent QPR. The organic label wines are also nice. Under the TJ label they also have some excellent values. For those of you not fortunate to have a Trader Joeâs in your vicinity I feel for you. I have been shopping TJâs for some 50 yrs. They use to have wines under their label that were just relabeled wines from good wineries. Their description wouldnât say what winery it was from but once you pulled the cork you could see the name imprinted on it.
I havenât had this wine, but Iâve had some very nice $7.50 wines from the old site in the past. Rockus Bockus and Pavi dolcetto come to mind. The Pavi was actually cheaper!
I think where this falls apart is that on this site, one can find higher âQâ wines sporting a name brand for a similar price. Here you have a passable unbranded bulk wine and while it ainât bad, itâs really not offering much discount. At $5 howeverâŠ
Wow - you guys and gals can be pretty rough around here!
First off, Scheid is a top notch organization with many of their vineyards in Monterey County, not the Central Valley. Yep, they are big operation but QPR is up there IMHO. A winery I used to work with used to get Monterey County pinot from there and it was definitely worth it quality wise.
Second, and as some have said, QPR is truly in the eyes of the beholder. Some discuss Cameron Hughes - he has been a negotiating for decades and his relationships with wineries allows him to do things most others simply cannot due. And his current stuff sounds interesting but a) you must buy it in case lots AND b) you are purchasing them on futures, before they are bottled.
Last but not least, the staff here does an awesome job finding great QPR wines and offering them to you - oftentimes at prices well below the regular customers of said wineries can purchase for. Great for you - price challenging for wineries, especially small ones like mine. I hope to be able to do more deals here,and Iâm certain I will, but please take into account the wineryâs situation as well.
@tercerowines@Winedavid49 I agree with you. I chose to take a massive pay cut to live where I live. I so appreciate this site as I could not afford these lovely wines normally. Plus the winemakers interactions are amazing. I hope you continue to offer your wine here as it is amazing. I have bought this current offer twice and it has long since been consumed.
@tercerowines Agreed, Larry. Iâve had wines from Scheid that Iâve both enjoyed and less so. I visited their tasting room in Monterey once upon a time, too, and walked out with a couple bottles.
I think the main thing here (for most) isnât Scheid. Itâs the expectation that the Woot Cellars reputation for amazing wine at ridiculous prices (e.g. a Ty Caton blend for $10/bottle when his own-labeled stuff was $35-40) would carry over to the Casemates/Meh label. Some of us are disappointed that although the price is even lower than for the Woot Cellars wines, the perceived quality on the two âQPRâ wines was fairly low. Basically, WineDavid spoiled us and weâre pining for the old days!
@klezman Donât we all pine for the old days? Give me some mid 80âs Napa or Sonoma cabs and Iâm a much happier person than having modern cabs for the most part for example. My guess is that if they decide to continue to offer their own wines, you will see perhaps âbetterâ values if the current economic state of affairs continues as long as some say it will . . .
@klezman@tercerowines I have actually disliked both Scheid purchases on here. No personality imo. So my beef IS with the producer! But there is a market for Scheid based on them continuing to show up. Just not my style. Iâd rather spend $10 at GSO on a wine from a trusted producer that had to be moved. Plus i can buy one or two bottles as opposed to 12!
@tercerowines to be fair quality of grapes and/or vineyard reputation does not always translate to a great wine. I am sure youâll agree that the winemaker has a lot to do with the final product. In this case, Scheid may have great fruit that is sourced by others. However, I found their wine meh in my limited experience with ones produced by Scheid .
@tercerowines does this mean youâre going to get into the casemates holiday QPR business? In all seriousness, Iâm a cheapskate and would love to buy more of your wines at casemates prices!
@KitMarlot I would love to be able to sell more wine to Casemates and become more involved - the economics of it are pretty challenging and to get to that QPR price point, I would end up having to become a ânegociantâ and would have to source finished wines to blend to my liking. Not what I currently do - but as a wise person once told me, never say never . . .
Opened my last bottle yesterday after seeing the offer. I enjoyed it thoroughly. In for a case. Not sure why the peeps are harshing on the charms⊠donate them, turn them into earrings, wrap them up for the holiday dice game or use them.
Cheers!
@cynthylee Thatâs the way the âwine gameâ goes - if someone does not like it they tend to really bag on it. At the end of the day, different strokes for different folks - the ânegativityâ creates an environment where some are scared to go in, and thatâs a shame (to me at least) . . .
I got my case yesterday, opened it up today to see what fun wine charms I received and maybe there was too much hatinâ on them. No charms for me. Alas, cheers to all anyway!
Highly drinkable especially for friends who arenât wine savvy. Ha- the hubs and I enjoyed this as well, good weeknight drinker. On the lighter side of red but held up to spaghetti. Didnât get any wine charms but Iâm not sad about that.
I ordered this wine which is smooth and easy to drink, nothing spectacular, but good enough. The absolute oddest thing is that yesterday we receive another shipment which had 16, yes 16, separate BOXES of wine charms. Itâs like Iâm the only person who ordered this and they needed to clean out their closet space. All you people who said you didnât get them, guess where they went?
@AllenO@InFrom@Winedavid49 It looks like I may be the big winner. Received 15 last week and had a tag on the front door when I got home yesterday. Hmmm wasnât waiting for a shipment, so maybe a fun surprise needing a signature? I redirected to the local UPS hub and zipped over at lunchtime to find out. I received a box with another 10 boxes of charms. Not sure why that needed an adult signature, but there you go! Cheers!
Hahaha I just had a box of 18 packages of these arrive, wasnât even expecting any deliveries. I donât even have enough stemmed wine glasses to support one set of these!
Ahhhh , I just got a box with 16 boxes of charms. Its like christmas in July, erm, August. The months are kind of blending into each other this year anyway. I thought, oh no, someone isnât going to get a charm, I got all of them
This will be the fun part later in the holiday season when I hopefully get to share some wines and along some charms. Depending on how this year goes by then.
I also very much enjoyed the wine. We drank 2 so far and I am glad I went with it, even if there were some strong opinions about this one.
Just had mine delivered! Awesome little gifts to give, I suppose! Thanks you all; always know how to add little (or not so little) surprises to bring smiles to our faces
I just opened an unexpected package to find 16 boxes of charms. I am not sure what exactly their purpose is or what to do with them. However, I am considering re-piercing my left earlobe after 30-odd years. (And by â30-odd yearsâ I also mean 30 very strange years).
2017 Casemates Cellars QPR Select NĂ©gociant Red Wine Blend, Central Coast
Tasting Notes
This red blend has aromas of plum, blackberry, mocha and smoky oak followed by rich flavors of black fruit and cassis, with a hint of fresh herbs. Approachable tannins and a round, full body lead to a structured, but soft, lingering finish. Pair with grilled steaks or other hearty dishes.
Vineyard and Winemaking Notes
Growing Region
Monterey County is known for its long growing season, a result of the cool coastal air from Monterey Bay that is pulled down the Salinas Valley each day. This maritime influence has a cooling effect, which allows the grapes to ripen more slowly and evenly. Extra hang-time leads to complex wines that exhibit heightened aromatics, intense fruit flavors and full varietal expression.
Vineyard
This Red Blend comes from sustainably certified estate vineyards that are meticulously farmed throughout the year. The varietals are grown in the southernmost reaches of Monterey County, where warm, sunny days are followed by very chilly nights. This significant temperature differential creates intensity and complexity in the wine.
Winemaking
Upon arrival to the winery, the grapes were destemmed, crushed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the wine was gently pressed then aged on American and French oak for 10 months. Minimal intervention and careful handling in the cellar ensure that this red blend is fruit-driven and showcases the integrity of all varietals.
Specifications
Included In The Box
Case
6-Bottles
Price Comparison
Not Available Online
About The Winery
Winery: Scheid Family Wines
Location: Monterey County, Salinas Valley, CA
Al Scheid first saw untapped potential in Monterey County in 1972 when the wine region was in its infancy. What started as a grape growing operation that sold 100% of its production to other wineries today has evolved into a grapes-to-glass family business that crafts authentic and elegant wines. Our Scheid Family Wines portfolio now includes five unique and distinctive labels: Scheid Vineyards, District 7, Metz Road, VDR and Stokesâ Ghost.
With 12 estate vineyards comprised of 4,000 acres located along a 70-mile spread of the Salinas Valley, the array of microclimates and soils give us an incredible selection to work with each vintage. While our wealth of vineyard resources is exceptional, it is our employees that are at the heart of everything we do. Much of our workforce has been with us for over 25 years, with several of our vineyard managers employed for over 40 years.
The Scheid family â Al, Scott, Heidi and long-time COO Kurt Gollnick â along with our dream team of employees, are passionate about crafting the best wine possible and honoring our commitment to be good stewards of the land and supporters of our local community. We are proud to produce authentic products that sit on your dinner table and invite conversation, connection and warmth.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, August 17th - Wednesday, August 19th
Christmas in July: Casemates Cellars QPR Select Red Wine Blend âHoliday Editionâ
6 bottles for $49.99 $8.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $89.99 $7.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Casemates Cellars QPR Select âHoliday Editionâ
Oh my,
I just opened a bottle of this earlier this eveningâŠ
@rjquillin Unplanned lab rat report please?
@rjquillin So did I!
@DanFielding @wordek
Too funny. No way Iâd put odds on this happening.
Iâm all sipped out from the BS to try to do a Rat this morning, but hopefully we both can pen some ascii for this evening. Hopefully there will sanctioned events as well.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Christmas in July: Casemates Cellars QPR Select Red Wine Blend âHoliday Editionâ - $10 = 9.99%
I got the first QPR wine and thought it was decent but not worth it. Any rats on this one to tell us how itâs different?
Also, what happened to the truly excellent wines that WD used to be able to source for the woot cellars label? We could always use some of those!
@klezman I totally agree with this statement. I also miss black tie offers.
/giphy secretive-jokey-chocolate
@bunnymasseuse Funny since Iâm allergic to chocolate!
Scheid? No thanks.
What happened to Wellibgton, Caton, et al?
@losthighwayz my heart aches for Wellington
@losthighwayz Wellington retired, Ty Caton got really expensive. Pedroncelli still shows up though.
@WebDev511 I was referring to Caton, Peter, and others making Woot Cellars wines back in the day.
I really enjoyed the many unique and varied W*** Cellars offers. How many more times is Casemates going to drag out this tired old QPR? Asking for a friend.
@chipgreen Iâm with you, friend!
@chipgreen The problem was the QPR (as in the ratio) wasnât that good, it seem thatâs the main consensus here: the R = Q/P. P was good but Q just wasnât high enough. Perhaps what we have learned is that there is a lower limit of the Q wherein the equation isnât applicable anymore, i.e. below a certain Q it doesnât matter how low the P, and therefore the R gets.
That said, this wasnât really a âbadâ wine, just not, I think, something many want another case of. In the Pacific NW I can get some decent sub-$10 everyday reds (and whites) from places like Columbia Crest, Maryhill, Ch St Michelle. I donât find most cheap California offerings to be of the same quality; could be regional pricing or just taste preference.
@chipgreen if I recall correctly winemakers made wine specifically for Woot Cellars. Scheid reminds me of Precept wines and I bet this blend was already created and a Casemates label was simply slapped on. I may be wrong but have a strong hunch.
I would not mind paying $15 for a true Woot Cellars-type offering where a trusted winemaker was involved.
@chipgreen @losthighwayz I actually would place precept several levels above Schied as far as general quality goes.
2 very different businesses though.
Precept is a large conglomerate Thatâs PNW based that owns multiple wineries through acquisition. I think quality hasnât suffered too much.
Schied is a bit more of mystery.
I think they produce some decent Central Valley wines under their own estate label but produce a lot of other stuff under Various other labels that are from bulk juice (my guess). I think broken earth is similar in this way. Iâve been to Schieds Carmel by sea tasting room and didnât like much.
My money would easily go to precept over Schied FWIW.
@chipgreen @CorTot true. I was thinking of Sebastiani and Sons but could not recall the name early this morning. Yes, Broken Earth along the same lines
Iâll order some if you keep the charmsâŠ
Link to the previous offer of this: https://casemates.com/forum/topics/casemates-cellars-qpr-select-red-wine-blend-holiday-edition
The only reason I donât regret this purchase is because of how cheap it was. The wine itself wasnât enjoyable, for my palate at least. Some of the reviewers from last time mentioned sour cherries, and thatâs exactly the way Iâd describe it.
Itâs been a while since I finished it off, but I donât remember much in the way of tannins. Nor do I remember notes of vanilla, or anything like that. It became a bit better after a day, but having it sit in an opened bottle too long turned it into basically vinegar (even though I use a vacuum sealer).
But hey, itâs $7.50 a bottle, which is cheaper than anything I can find in a local shop that doesnât look like itâs been made in someoneâs bathtub, or have a âwarning: may cause blindnessâ sticker plastered on it. This is the kind of wine you drink out of a brown paper bag in a public park with a friend, and then laugh at the label together, before chasing it down with a swig from a fifth of whiskey.
Ouch. WD, let me prescribe a salve.
It was ok, I have a couple bottles left. Iâd probably buy except I am too overloaded right now.
Between yesterday and today itâa a pretty meh weekend hereâŠha!
Personally I was hoping for some âMonkey Prize.â
The year 2000 called; it wants its wine charms back.
@pmarin lol
On the familiar producers conversation going on here for the woot cellars wines (RIP), most of the best of those were produced in a very long term down Economy where there was talent out there available to work with WD to make. Something really pretty special from excess juice that needed to move.
This is not that situation. Schied is a reputable Central Valley bulk grower/producer but they are not Peter, Ty or pedroncelli and others that graced us with really solid interesting wines and an excellent price point. The labels are also not as appealing to those used to the humor of the old labels. Iâm guessing the economics are just not there for WD to try and repeat the formula from woot cellars.
@CorTot Obviously, I have a different investment portfolio than you do, but is this not that time?
I hope in a year or two we get some more inspired offerings, versus the same plonk that Jane and John Doe can have labeled for their wedding.
@CorTot would you be willing to pay $15 for a true QPR bottling ala Wine Woot days? I certainly would.
@CorTot @KNmeh7 Well, plonk notwithstanding, I do wish Jane and John Doe a happy marriageâŠ
@CorTot @KNmeh7 Repeat after me: the stock market is not the economyâŠ
But Cory is totally right, those were produced in the days of a wine/grape glut combined with a down economy. We are certainly in a down economy right now, and Iâve heard no end of commentary about the grape glut in NorCal for the last 2 or 3 harvests. Look at the stuff being put out under the Garagiste âPiersâ label, the Lastbottle âSleeperâ label, and such. I also saw a post from Larry @ Tercero describing how heâs thinking about the volumes of grapes to purchase this year given the likelihood that he canât sell to restaurants for quite a while yet.
So I suspect there are deals to be had (and weâve seen a bunch here already) on regularly labelled wine. I suspect there may be other Mediocre Wine Company offerings in the works, especially given the possibilities around available grapes.
@klezman @KNmeh7 my point was we are only 5 months in. The Great Recession went on for years. And I agree with the way these things go you may not start seeing real interesting things until late this year and next.
You are correct the stock market is not the overall economy, however it does reflect the sentiment that this is a short term down turn.
@CorTot @KNmeh7 True
@CorTot @klezman @KNmeh7 Donât know if this fits in with the conversation (and in fairness sounds like this offer today has been around for awhile) Cameron Hughes is selling out his current stuff faster than you can say negociant. Seems pretty interesting to me. Of course the jury is still out, not much of that has been tasted yet.
@CorTot @kaolis @klezman @KNmeh7
is this for the negociant offerings or the CH lot series?
@CorTot @klezman @KNmeh7 @rjquillin Iâm talking about the current de Negoce project.
Iâm not even sure how involved he is in the Lot Series since the takeover by Vintage
Unofficial lab rat report, here.
Like @rjquillin, I just happened to open a bottle of this yesterday for some âChristmas in Julyâ sipping. What are the odds?!
Day 1: Same as Day 2, but more tart.
Day 2: Snacking on some Parmesan crisps and sipping this négociant QPR. This is a lighter bodied red, tart cherry and stone fruit notes at the forefront. But mostly the cherry. I also get a little vegetal note, a bit like bell pepper. Possibly a wisp of a woody or vanilla flavor, too.
None of the flavors are bold, and itâs mostly just a light to medium grape and tart cherry vibe.
I find it very easy to drink while snacking on cheese tuiles, but probably wouldnât put it up against any full meals. I see this as an afternoon to evening sipper, with or without light snacks.
This QPR has a good QPR, IMHO.
I donât love it, but for the price, I donât regret my previous purchase at all. Especially since I avoided getting wine charms with it.
I have some of this. Caselegged from family in PA. I do not agree it has any QPR.
In fact, all these responses of âitâs okay for the priceâ must have never been to a trader joes. That is what you describe the chuck as.
The Q is quality. If it is just an average wine, then it is really hard to get a QPR unless it was a few cents.
I feel $10 is about where QPR starts on casemates (although some Anne Amie whites have proven this wrong.) You can have a $30 wine with an amazing QPR.
You, however, cannot have a good QPR if everyone says the wine is âalright.â
@KNmeh7 We each get to set the parameters for our QP ratio
I donât agree that an average quality wine only has good QPR if itâs priced at a few cents. But thatâs the thing about wine - always ymmv.
@klezman To each their own. But, if you are into math, if your âQâ is average, there is no other way you can get the ratio into what we usually consider âgood QPRâ unless you reduce the price to something far lower than 7.50.
Is it is a decent wine? Sure. QPR? Ha.
@klezman @KNmeh7 Well I donât agree a wine is good qpr or okay or better because you bought it for $5. 2011 Noceto sangio comes to mind. And I donât mean you per say
@klezman @KNmeh7 @ScottW58 Heck, you can spend $50 $100 $200 or more on a bottle of wine and still have a good QPR. QPR doesnât necessarily mean inexpensive.
@kaolis @klezman @ScottW58
I know that! Christ almighty. So much for putting in my two cents.
QPR is Quality Price Ratio.
Q / P equals the R.
I, steadfastly hold, that this is a Q of minimal quality. Therefore, it needs to be pennies on the dollar to make it a good QPR.
I will never offer my opinion again unless I am a labrat. Why is it so hard for everyone else to grasp if your Q is crap, the P has to be pennies. Am I taking crazy pills?
@kaolis @KNmeh7 @ScottW58 I totally agree with you, even if my earlier comment might have come off otherwise.
My only point was that everybody has their own view of Q, their own view of how âexpensiveâ a given P is, and their perception of that ratio.
I havenât had this particular wine, so I have no opinion on the Q. $7.50/bottle is a solidly cheap Q, even here in California where there are plenty of $6-8 bottles of mass produced plonk. So for me to feel like the QPR was decent, it would have to âperformâ like a $10 bottle. For the QPR to be as excellent as advertised, it would have to be as âgoodâ as a $20 or so bottle. I agree that it likely is not that âgoodâ, at least in my view based on the notes weâve seen so far. (Editorial quotes to reinforce that those are all matters of opinion, not fact.)
@kaolis @klezman @KNmeh7 @ScottW58
@KNmeh7 Totally agree on the TJâs wines. With the Charles Shaw (aka two buck chuck) wines there is an excellent QPR. The organic label wines are also nice. Under the TJ label they also have some excellent values. For those of you not fortunate to have a Trader Joeâs in your vicinity I feel for you. I have been shopping TJâs for some 50 yrs. They use to have wines under their label that were just relabeled wines from good wineries. Their description wouldnât say what winery it was from but once you pulled the cork you could see the name imprinted on it.
I havenât had this wine, but Iâve had some very nice $7.50 wines from the old site in the past. Rockus Bockus and Pavi dolcetto come to mind. The Pavi was actually cheaper!
@hscottk
I was sorting yesterday; broke a Pavi.
@rjquillin I remember being nervous about buying 10 year old Dolcetto, even at $75/case. They were all great, each and every one of them.
I think where this falls apart is that on this site, one can find higher âQâ wines sporting a name brand for a similar price. Here you have a passable unbranded bulk wine and while it ainât bad, itâs really not offering much discount. At $5 howeverâŠ
@kristian and I did have this wine and the non-christams qpr and I thought the first one was a little better but still not an amazing deal
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice . . . You arenât fooling me twice on this one . . .
This QPR was fantastic when the wife and I got it back when it was first released. The in-laws loved it too and always asked if I could get more.
Instant case buy!
The love is weak with this one.
Wow - you guys and gals can be pretty rough around here!
First off, Scheid is a top notch organization with many of their vineyards in Monterey County, not the Central Valley. Yep, they are big operation but QPR is up there IMHO. A winery I used to work with used to get Monterey County pinot from there and it was definitely worth it quality wise.
Second, and as some have said, QPR is truly in the eyes of the beholder. Some discuss Cameron Hughes - he has been a negotiating for decades and his relationships with wineries allows him to do things most others simply cannot due. And his current stuff sounds interesting but a) you must buy it in case lots AND b) you are purchasing them on futures, before they are bottled.
Last but not least, the staff here does an awesome job finding great QPR wines and offering them to you - oftentimes at prices well below the regular customers of said wineries can purchase for. Great for you - price challenging for wineries, especially small ones like mine. I hope to be able to do more deals here,and Iâm certain I will, but please take into account the wineryâs situation as well.
Carry on . . .
POPSOCKETS! SPROCKETS! DAVY CROCKETT! AWESOME!
@tercerowines @Winedavid49 I agree with you. I chose to take a massive pay cut to live where I live. I so appreciate this site as I could not afford these lovely wines normally. Plus the winemakers interactions are amazing. I hope you continue to offer your wine here as it is amazing. I have bought this current offer twice and it has long since been consumed.
@tercerowines Agreed, Larry. Iâve had wines from Scheid that Iâve both enjoyed and less so. I visited their tasting room in Monterey once upon a time, too, and walked out with a couple bottles.
I think the main thing here (for most) isnât Scheid. Itâs the expectation that the Woot Cellars reputation for amazing wine at ridiculous prices (e.g. a Ty Caton blend for $10/bottle when his own-labeled stuff was $35-40) would carry over to the Casemates/Meh label. Some of us are disappointed that although the price is even lower than for the Woot Cellars wines, the perceived quality on the two âQPRâ wines was fairly low. Basically, WineDavid spoiled us and weâre pining for the old days!
@danandlisa @Winedavid49 nicely stated! Cheers!
@klezman Donât we all pine for the old days? Give me some mid 80âs Napa or Sonoma cabs and Iâm a much happier person than having modern cabs for the most part for example. My guess is that if they decide to continue to offer their own wines, you will see perhaps âbetterâ values if the current economic state of affairs continues as long as some say it will . . .
@klezman @tercerowines I miss the Oregon Pinotâs from the 90âs.
@klezman @tercerowines I have actually disliked both Scheid purchases on here. No personality imo. So my beef IS with the producer!
But there is a market for Scheid based on them continuing to show up. Just not my style. Iâd rather spend $10 at GSO on a wine from a trusted producer that had to be moved. Plus i can buy one or two bottles as opposed to 12!
@tercerowines to be fair quality of grapes and/or vineyard reputation does not always translate to a great wine. I am sure youâll agree that the winemaker has a lot to do with the final product. In this case, Scheid may have great fruit that is sourced by others. However, I found their wine meh in my limited experience with ones produced by Scheid .
@tercerowines does this mean youâre going to get into the casemates holiday QPR business? In all seriousness, Iâm a cheapskate and would love to buy more of your wines at casemates prices!
@KitMarlot I would love to be able to sell more wine to Casemates and become more involved - the economics of it are pretty challenging and to get to that QPR price point, I would end up having to become a ânegociantâ and would have to source finished wines to blend to my liking. Not what I currently do - but as a wise person once told me, never say never . . .
Opened my last bottle yesterday after seeing the offer. I enjoyed it thoroughly. In for a case. Not sure why the peeps are harshing on the charms⊠donate them, turn them into earrings, wrap them up for the holiday dice game or use them.
Cheers!
@cynthylee Thatâs the way the âwine gameâ goes - if someone does not like it they tend to really bag on it. At the end of the day, different strokes for different folks - the ânegativityâ creates an environment where some are scared to go in, and thatâs a shame (to me at least) . . .
/giphy elegant-straight-addition
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I got my case yesterday, opened it up today to see what fun wine charms I received and maybe there was too much hatinâ on them. No charms for me. Alas, cheers to all anyway!
@cynthylee
/giphy lucky-charms
Here are some charms just for you!
@cynthylee @chipgreen @wccwinegirl oh this is your lucky day. we bought like a gizzillion of them on close out. soon you will be swimming in them!
@chipgreen Well, if it isnât Casematesâ own leprechaun!
@cynthylee Be afraid. Be very afraid.
@InFrom Perhaps I should be careful what I wish for? Cheers!
@cynthylee Coming soon to an eBay store near you: Cynthyleeâs Wine Charm Emporium!
@cynthylee Well - I just got a separate shipment with like TWO DOZEN boxes of them. So maybe all hope is not lost
@chipgreen @cynthylee @WCCWineGirl @Winedavid49 swimming indeed! That was quite the box!! Thank you!
Highly drinkable especially for friends who arenât wine savvy. Ha- the hubs and I enjoyed this as well, good weeknight drinker. On the lighter side of red but held up to spaghetti. Didnât get any wine charms but Iâm not sad about that.
@keugenio1 My wine charms were sent in a separate shipment and I now have a buttload of them.
I ordered this wine which is smooth and easy to drink, nothing spectacular, but good enough. The absolute oddest thing is that yesterday we receive another shipment which had 16, yes 16, separate BOXES of wine charms. Itâs like Iâm the only person who ordered this and they needed to clean out their closet space. All you people who said you didnât get them, guess where they went?
@AllenO Haha. enjoy!
@AllenO @Winedavid49 Should we assume that we havenât heard from @cynthylee because sheâs buried under an avalache of wine charm boxes?
@AllenO @InFrom @Winedavid49 - Well based on the above, I made out pretty well. I received 15 boxes of charms.
Cheers!
@AllenO Much to my dismay (and my husbandâs amusement) I received 16 boxes of wine charms today. Hmmm⊠now with whom do I share these?!?
@AllenO @InFrom @Winedavid49 It looks like I may be the big winner. Received 15 last week and had a tag on the front door when I got home yesterday. Hmmm wasnât waiting for a shipment, so maybe a fun surprise needing a signature? I redirected to the local UPS hub and zipped over at lunchtime to find out. I received a box with another 10 boxes of charms. Not sure why that needed an adult signature, but there you go! Cheers!
@cynthylee @InFrom @Winedavid49 Ding, ding, ding. Thatâs a winner!
lol - was all excited to see a shipment from Casemates was set for delivery today.
It was a BOX full of those charmsâŠ
Very loose definition of âsomeâ for the wine charms.
Hahaha I just had a box of 18 packages of these arrive, wasnât even expecting any deliveries. I donât even have enough stemmed wine glasses to support one set of these!
Ahhhh
, I just got a box with 16 boxes of charms. Its like christmas in July, erm, August. The months are kind of blending into each other this year anyway. I thought, oh no, someone isnât going to get a charm, I got all of them 
This will be the fun part later in the holiday season when I hopefully get to share some wines and along some charms. Depending on how this year goes by then.
I also very much enjoyed the wine. We drank 2 so far and I am glad I went with it, even if there were some strong opinions about this one.
Just had mine delivered! Awesome little gifts to give, I suppose! Thanks you all; always know how to add little (or not so little) surprises to bring smiles to our faces
POKER! JOKER! NOT MEDIOCRE! AWESOME!
So when was the last time somebody offered you a free gift for ordering something and the free gift was so overdilivered? #nicesurprise
I just opened an unexpected package to find 16 boxes of charms. I am not sure what exactly their purpose is or what to do with them. However, I am considering re-piercing my left earlobe after 30-odd years. (And by â30-odd yearsâ I also mean 30 very strange years).
@trapuh LOL
@trapuh Didnât order and didnât get any, but then again, I wonder what work would say if I wore one or more inâŠ
That. Is. A. Lot. Of. Charms.
Guess we know what the family is getting for the holidays this year!