A few words on the subject of online auctions

This may not come as too great of a shock coming from a wine retailer, but there's something about online wine auctions I JUST DON'T TRUST. It's not that I distrust all online auctions, in fact I am a frequent eBay buyer, having purchased everything from shoes and clothes to sporting goods and even a 120 bottle Haier wine cooler unit. I hear from clients and friends all the time who have "gotten a steal" on some rare hard to find gem on one of the auction sites. I've also been there when said gem bottlings were opened only to find that maybe some of the sparkle is just not there. Aside from the obvious flaws, wines that have been mishandled can simply not live up to their potential. A "bargain priced" bottle of Guigal Cote Rotie "La Mouline" 1991 purchased by a friend on an online auction comes to mind. Having tasted the wine in question a number of times at Charleston, I knew what to expect and was excited for my friend's $199 steal... Alas, the wine wasn't bad...it just, wasn't good. And 91 La Mouline should be, at the very least, pretty damned good. I felt that the wine had just been badly stored, not enough to make vinegar or oxidize the treasured syrah, just enough to make the wine the equivalent of a nice $13 Cotes-du-Rhone. Sure $199 was cheap for 91 La Mouline, but it's a shitload to pay for a bottle of mediocre syrah.
Issues of provenance come into play when purchasing a trophy wine, but not a pair of Nike running shoes. As long as the shoes are the right size, you're pretty much fine to run your Visa through PayPal with little or no concern. Remember that wine is a living breathing thing, you can't stick it in a warm closet next to a vibrating elevator, even for a little while, without the product in the bottle suffering. Trouble is, there's no easy way to know. Without knowing the cellar conditions of ALL the previous owners (including distributors with giant non-climate controlled warehouses and trucks and cut rate retailers with less than ideal storage) it's impossible to know if the wine you're buying is up to snuff. It can be hard to tell even upon physical examination of the bottles, much less sight unseen.
I tend to buy wines from retailers that I trust, and this is what I tell my friends in other cities. Find a small fine wine shop with a well educated staff and make friends with one or all of the clerks. I'm not saying you have to invite the guy to your wedding, but a little good cheer and remembering a name goes a long way. Never underestimate the value of having someone you trust who knows your palate. No matter how well educated you are in the wine world, there's always a producer you've never heard of, or an exciting up and coming region you're not comfortable with yet, and a trustworthy wine consultant is your ticket to these new experiences. Not to mention that this sort of contact (and spending some cash in the store) will help put you near the top of the list when the cult cabs come in and you might be surprised how thoughtful a wine clerk can be if you're one of his favorite clients.
"We just got in this amazing value from Priorat, I thought about you Mr. Smith since you love Clos Mogador, it's amazing and only $20 a bottle, but we only got two cases in..."
This type of well thought out opportunity to buy wines with limited availability is irreplaceable. A well trained wine clerk can be your best friend in the wine world, steering you towards new and exciting things as well as giving you a shot at the hardest to find of your favorites.
Happy hunting, and I still want the invite when you've got a bottle of 91 La Mouline to taste...from an online auction or not.
Cheers
TRC