Does someone bought in Fine+Rare Wines?

[Carlos Rodriguez]

I saw their web site, and they have some very nice prices.
Does someone knows them? :?

[David Spriggs]

Fine and Rare wines? http://www.frw.co.uk Yes. They are a broker. They don't have their own stock. It can take them a while to deliver your order, but they have always come through with what I have ordered. It just may take a while.
-Dave-

[Adam F]

I have somtimes tripped on incorrect entries, they were pretty obviously the wrong price and I could guess what they meant :| Other than that I have foound them OK but do remember they are a broker.

[Eric Menchen]

David, or anyone else in the US:

Do they ship to the US? If so, how much does that add to their prices? From their website it appears you can select a non-UK, non-EU destination, but it isn't clear how this works or how much it costs. It looks like they don't take responsibility for the shipping, but leave this all to your designated shipper. How easy is this to set up, and how cooperative or helpful are they in the process.

They have some good prices and exchange rates are favorable right now, but shipping and hassle could negate those for those of us on this side of the Atlantic.

-Eric

[Glenn E.]

Eric,

Shipping into the US directly is difficult. Many stores are willing to do so, but will not accept liability for delivery. The reason is that according to US law, alcohol may only be shipped into the US to an importer, which requires a license. Many stores are willing to ship directly to an individual in an unlabeled package, but if the package is inspected by US Customs it will be confiscated and so that's why the store will not accept liability for delivery.

There are ways around this problem, but most are only practical for large quantities - at least a case, and generally an entire pallet.

At the Port Gala I talked to David briefly about the company he uses, and it sounds like that's a very viable option. He said that the net cost to you is roughly $10 to $15 per bottle, and you have to wait until they have a full pallet load before the wine is actually shipped, but as long as those two conditions aren't a problem then he may have a solution for you. I plan to investigate this option as well, because the bottles I typically want to order from Europe are in the $100+ range and will theoretically be saving me $50 to $100 per bottle, so spending $10-15 of that for shipping is a no-brainer.

[Moses Botbol]

You could just ship it directly to an importer if you know somebody.

[Andy Velebil]

But remember that does not include shipping once it arrives here in the states. Thats the import/duty/shipping fee from the UK to California. There would be additional shipping charges after that if you can't pick them up in person. So do look into all those extra costs and factor that in before making the leap.

[Glenn E.]

There would be additional shipping charges after that if you can't pick them up in person.

True, but that would be the case for any bottle ordered from within the US, so leaving that out of the price comparison is actually accurate in my case.

Those of you who could pick up the shipment directly from Adventures in Wine have an even greater advantage, price-wise, over ordering over the internet from a store in the US because with AIW you can replace the shipping with the import fee, and it appears that the import fee is significantly less than the typical charge for shipping within the US.

[Carlos Rodriguez]

I've made a first contact with them. Now I gonna try they accept liability for delivery, it may be easier to Spain.

[Timothy B.]

Fine and Rare wines? http://www.frw.co.ukThey are a broker. They don't have their own stock.

Oh darn - I'll be going to England in March, and even though it wouldn't be as good as going to Madeira, I was hoping I might be able to find a good deal somewhere - and besides it would give me a purpose for a day or two of my trip.

-- T

[Glenn E.]

Timothy - there are wine shops all over London that are worth visiting, including the rightfully famous Berry Brothers & Rudd. With luck, a couple of the guys who live in England will post with additional suggestions for you!

[Derek T.]

Fine and Rare wines? http://www.frw.co.ukThey are a broker. They don't have their own stock.

Oh darn - I'll be going to England in March, and even though it wouldn't be as good as going to Madeira, I was hoping I might be able to find a good deal somewhere - and besides it would give me a purpose for a day or two of my trip.

-- T

Timothy,

There is a port tasting being planned in LOndon on 24th March. If this coincides with your trip you would be very welcome to join us. If you are interested please send me a PM and we can make arrangements.

If you have limited time in London Berry Brothers is a must, but don't expect to find many bargains in there.

Derek

[Timothy B.]

Thanks very much for the offer - unfortunately (or un-port-unately) I'll be arriving in England on the 12th and departing on the 22nd. A week too late to see the Wolfhounds and Deerhounds at Crufts, and too early for your soiree. Ah well, that just means there's some other neat opportunity while I'll be there; I simply need to find it.

Perhaps there will be an auction? (Goes and looks) No, nothing on the Christie's or Sotheby's calenders for that period, but Christie's lists a "Fine Wine and Vintage Port" event in Amsterdam on April 7th.

-- T

[Al B.]

Timothy,

If you will have an evening free while you are in the UK then please let us know. Even though you won't be able to make the Vargellas tasting that we are planning, we would still be very pleased to welcome you to the UK if we possibly can, in a manner fit for a lover of port.

Alex

[Derek T.]

Absolutley! Please let us know your schedule for your visit to the UK. It is unlikely that we will be able to drag Al B. north of the Thames river so the best option will be any time you are in London or the south of England.

Derek

[Timothy B.]

Thanks Al & Derek,

I need to sort out my trip a bit. It's a spur-of-the-moment thing, but here's what I know (or think I know):

• My friends are at the University of Essex, so at least a bit of the time I will be visiting them in Wivenhoe.
• On Thursdays their baby goes to nursery, so March 19th will probably be a trip to museums in London.
• Before my flight out on Sunday the 22nd, I plan on spending Friday and Saturday nights in London.
• I'm guessing that when I fly in, I'll be spending at least the evening of Thursday the 12th in London.

What would you suggest for a first-time visitor? My friends here said I should see Stratford-upon-Avon. I'm guessing I could easily kick around London for a week.

In terms of alcohol, the "Where do you buy?" thread lists a couple places that look interesting. Also, I'm told that Soho Wine Supply in London has a decent selection of absinthe.

-- Timothy

[Al B.]

Timothy,

When you get your itinerary sorted, then do let us know. If you can commit to definitely being in London for the evening of Thursday 12th then we might be able to pull something together to celebrate your arrival.

For a wine lover who visits London, you can't do better than a trip around Berry Brothers. If you make contact with them in advance and mention FTLOP then you might even be able to get a guided tour that is a bit more than the standard one. Vinopolis is also worth a visit.

You could easily spend a week in London with its combination of museums, galleries, theatres and history but a trip out to Stratford and maybe Warwick Castle would be a great day trip. Both are (relatively) easily accessible by train.

And if Absinthe is your thing, you should absolutely try to make contact with David Nathan-Maister - the Roy Hersh of Absinthe - and meet up with him when you are in the UK. He has the most astonishing collection of absinthe ephemera.

Alex

[David Spriggs]

He said that the net cost to you is roughly $10 to $15 per bottle, and you have to wait until they have a full pallet load before the wine is actually shipped

Glenn,
Actually you have to wait until they get an entire shipping container load! (That's a lot of wine).


Eric, I'll PM you the details on importing to the US and then you can make up your own mind.
-Dave-

[Eric Menchen]

Thanks for the info David. I'm going to (hopefully) revisit this in a few months. At the moment I'm tending to think I'll just find stuff in the US. Sure, the 1996 Vesuvio at US$154/6 might be worthwhile, but some of the other things I was looking at, like 1985 Smith Woodhouse, aren't. That one happens to be around $51 each at Fine+Rare, and $57 in the US from European Wine Resource.

[Timothy B.]

When you get your itinerary sorted, then do let us know. If you can commit to definitely being in London for the evening of Thursday 12th then we might be able to pull something together to celebrate your arrival.

Now there's an offer I cannot refuse! I will definitely spend my first night in London then, before getting on the train to the East to see my friends. Is there a particular area where I should look for a hotel that would make it convenient both for y'all and for my travels. In fact, perhaps I could see about visiting Berry Brothers the next morning, before heading out. (I'll email them and David Nathan-Maister.)

-- T