After reading the thread about Active Mailing Lists and how many of them we all belong to, I was curious how this impacts your purchases at your local wine store.

I'm buying more through mailers, because it's the only way to get certain brands that this board raves about. Fortunately, I have been offered the services of the Englewood Enabler, who has made this possible. Otherwise, I would be stuck buying only what's available at retail.

The shabby condition of my credit card is due largely to the influence of members of this board!!!

Much more off mailing lists. I'd say that for this year it will be about 75% mailer purchases.
I'll use the local store for some cellar defender stuff, to fill any holes and for the odd sale here and there.

The "Englewood Enabler", wasn't that a Charles Bronson movie?

I'm a price whore. Cheapest price wins.

Most of the really good wines I want have to be purchased off mailing lists.

Price and availability for small production CA wines makes local purchasing impossible. The only thing I buy locally are large production wines like Beringer, Pahlmeyer, Rosemount and most of my sweet wines.

My approach has shifted completely in the past two years. Now I buy most of my wines retail and keep only a few mailing lists active (those that I simply can not get at retail and really want in my cellar).

The vast majority of domestic wines I purchase by mailing list. I still buy plenty from other countries, so mailing list probably accounts for 50-60% of total purchases.

I buy most of my good stuff off of mailers. Online purchases account for the rest of my better wines. I buy just everyday wines locally.

My local retail options are limited, and I hear about all the good stuff here.

Slam dunk for mailing lists!

Most from mailing Lists.

it used to be 10% mailing list 90% retail but now.....its 50/50

About 90% of my CA wines not intended to cook with are purchased directly from the winery. A few years ago that number was 0%, so I'd say things have changed. I still buy about half my wine in retail stores, however. Ideally, I wouldn't up my CA buying by too much but I would increase my European buying by a lot.

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As of now the majority of wine purchases are from mailing lists. Am trying to pare down the number of lists but it is difficult. Most of the lists are the result of recomendations by board members. Have to say I have not been disappointed with a recomendation from the VC community yet.

Since 1) my cellar has gotten to that "overflow" condition, 2) my doctor and I have an agreement that I will try to hold my consumption to about two bottles a week, and 3) I am now paying tuition for the kid's school, I've drastically reduced my wine purchasing. I now buy from my allocation lists almost exclusively. It is very difficult to force myself to not walk into the wine store, but I just have to. the impulse purchases were just getting out of hand.

The majority of my purchases are off of lists or internet retatilers. My local wine stores have been gettting less and less of my business recently. Maybe if they carried a better selection they might get more of my business.

I'm cutting back period for previously stated reasons but I'm trying to severely limit my mail list purchases anyway. I'm really enjoying exploring different wines of Italy, France and Spain right now and those are pretty much required retail type purchases.

Mailers have made a big dent in my wallet lately. But I plan on changing that as I'm shifting focus to Italian wines. Now those Italians get to make a dent in my wallet.

mostly (99 out of 100) mailing list.