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jeffkahn
Happy Valley, PA
Grape Sorter
Posts:394
 | | 07/04/2006 1:18 AM |
| I am relatively new to the wine world and I get the sense, based on postings here and other boards, that some people don't particularly like Kistler's customer service. What is the story behind this?
Thanks!
Jeff | | | |
| jason
Napa Valley
Wine Addict
Posts:6846
| | 07/04/2006 1:25 AM |
| | Don't believe that is the customer service that brings about complaints, but their mailer policies. They give you huge allocations and then expect you buy it all to have a shot at any of the beyond basic Pinots and the Cuvees. | | | |
| Budman
Master of Wine
Posts:11841
| | 07/04/2006 4:27 PM |
| I don't believe you have to buy it all, but you have to buy at least the minimum (12 bottles) for 6 consecutive mailings in order to qualify for the cuvees. If you buy the whole allocation (mine is 5 1/2 cases this time), your allocations of the 'better' stuff will be higher. I think I read somewhere that Kistler has about 10 'tiers' for allocation.
I try to keep my purchases to 2 cases or so. I keep about half, and sell the rest to friends.
This is only my 3rd mailer, so I have a long way to go to achieve 'cuvee' status.  | | | |
| David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15713
| | 07/04/2006 8:57 PM |
| I get these crazy huge allocations and, yes, the only reason I buy it all is so that they will allocate me more cuveé stuff in the fall.
It is easy to flip the regular stuff to friends and wine stores. I sell it at my cost so they are excited to be able to have some. | | | |
| Drew
Sammamish, WA
Wine Bottler
Posts:3105
| | 07/05/2006 4:41 PM |
| What JasonH said. I actually had a great experience with Kistler customer service - had a problem with my bank (long story) and they did not remove a stop payment order on a block of checks, one of which was for $1500 to Kistler. Someone from Kistler called and asked me about it, given they're futures and was more than patient with me while I figured out what was going on and subsequently went postal on my bank. Shipments have always been on time and they've been great about emailing me dates in advance, given their alternating shipping schedule.
The downside is you have a minimum 12 bottle order with relatively expensive shipping costs. I believe I had 4 orders of between 12-24 bottles before I got the cuvee allocation, which I then passed on, ironically enough. | | | |
| JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5024
| | 07/07/2006 3:05 PM |
| | As pointed out above, you have to buy (and then move) a lot of wine, paying for your initial investment by check. Being on the Kistler list is less like buying wine and more like high finance. If you have the cash to handle the float, (or might actually drink 60+ bottles a year), then there should be no problem. But if the thought of cutting huge checks to purchase a warehouse of wine, when all you want is 9-12 bottles of good stuff scares you, then stay away and shop in the secondary market. | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
| David Walker
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2284
| | 07/15/2006 2:16 AM |
| | What JimmyV said. | | | |
| David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15713
| | 07/15/2006 4:52 AM |
| Sitting on the order and here's what came today:
We had not received an order from you as of July 13. As one of our best, longtime customers I wanted to let you know that on Thursday July 20 we may start running out of some of the wines (first the Dutton, then the Pinot Noir), perhaps even sooner (sometimes this letter triggers an avalanche of orders that makes predicting the “sold-out” dates very difficult). If you were planning to order, please send in your order and check now and use Federal Express or another overnight service. Remember, we cannot process faxed or e-mailed orders. If you did not plan to order wine from this release, please excuse my sending you this reminder.
Mark Bixler
Kistler Vineyards
4707 Vine Hill Road
Sebastopol, California 95472
(707) 823-5603 Fax (707) 823-6709 | | | |
| stemor
Collierville, TN
Wine Thief
Posts:2813
| | 07/15/2006 9:48 PM |
| | I'm passing for the firt time since getting on the list seven mailers ago. I'll buy some from the next mailing list, but I've got to seriously re-evaluate how much Kistler I buy. I've got waaayyyyy too much in the cellar already. | |
Cheers, y'all | |
| David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15713
| | 07/15/2006 10:07 PM |
| Quote:
I'm passing for the firt time since getting on the list seven mailers ago. I'll buy some from the next mailing list, but I've got to seriously re-evaluate how much Kistler I buy. I've got waaayyyyy too much in the cellar already.
Man, do I feel your pain. I will buy some though. | | | |
| Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13672
| | 07/15/2006 10:44 PM |
| Quote:
As pointed out above, you have to buy (and then move) a lot of wine, paying for your initial investment by check. Being on the Kistler list is less like buying wine and more like high finance. If you have the cash to handle the float, (or might actually drink 60+ bottles a year), then there should be no problem. But if the thought of cutting huge checks to purchase a warehouse of wine, when all you want is 9-12 bottles of good stuff scares you, then stay away and shop in the secondary market.
My hope is to potentially piggyback an order to one of you all who stays on the list in the future. I really like their wines, but I never have the cash to buy up a full case and certainly not twice a year, year in and year out. No, I'll happily stay off the list and evaluate each mailer as it comes out and grovel to those of you who are still on the list and who still haven't ordered your full allocations. | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
| Paul K.
Grape Fermenter
Posts:447
| | 07/21/2006 7:20 PM |
| I'm passing on this mailer for the first time in a long time. Will put the funds toward Peter Michael and Aubert, and hope that I still get some Kistler Cuvees later this winter.
If anyone does want my allocation at cost, please PM me. | | | |
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