Overheard at the Pindar Tasting Room in Port Jefferson

So I was at Pindar's satellite tasting room in Port Jefferson (it's a great idea by the way and I wish more wineries adopted this model and opened tasting rooms like it) to pick up some of their 2005 Cabernet Franc, which was just named the "Best Red" at the 2007 New York Food & Wine Classic, yesterday afternoon.

I was the only person in there for a while, until an older couple came in asking about "Champagne." When the women behind the bar said that Pindar's Champagne (not really Champagne obviously) was $27.99, the couple was clearly taken aback a bit.

I like Pindar's Cuvee Rare sparkler in most vintages and actually think it's a pretty good value for traditionally made bubbly, but what the tasting room staff said next was a little scary:

"That's a lot less than French Champagnes that don't taste as good. Stuff like Dom Perignon and Cristal."

Now, I'm the first person to agree that, in my experience, Dom and Cristal aren't even close to worth the money.

However, I was shocked that anyone working at a tasting room would say something like that--especially to a couple that clearly didn't know much about wine and probably believed it.

I think I'm going to start publishing some of the funny, silly and ridiculous things one hears when in a tasting room. And, if you hear anything that you think fits the bill, please send me an email and let me know.

Comments

[Jay]

Oh, WOW. Do I have to limit it to tasting rooms?

I was pouring a Cotes du Rhone a few months ago - declassified Vacqueyras, awesome wine! - and a customer actually said "Well, it's no Parallel 45!"
To which I responded "Well... you're right about that!"

[Jason Feulner]

Funniest comment I ever heard in a tasting room:

A woman was being served a blush or a rose, and she looked at it for awhile and asked the attendent, "Is this pink stuff made from really tiny red grapes?"

The winery employee smiled and handled the question wonderfully.

[David McDuff]

Lenn,
You'll find a very similar (and somewhat contentious) topic to this in the eGullet wine forum: Overheard in the Wine Shop.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=24463

As a member of the retail wine trade I've tried to stay out of the fray but some of the stories, aside from sounding way too familiar, definitely border on the unbelievable.
cheers,
McDuff