I think Randy is spot on with this.  The people buying SQN bought it because it was great juice, but also because there was an air of exclusivity around the brand.  Somebody pops a bottle of SQN at a tasting and the room gets quiet, even if it's a 90-92 pt wine.

Now, the floodgates have opened and there are 2 to 3 page threads with people posting "hey, I'm on the list now!"  Those were the people paying 2-3x list price before.  The secondary demand just fell through the floor and any jackass can get his hands on a bottle now 

Manfred should have cranked up price $30 a bottle for 3 straight years, sold his estate grapes (or made a small batch/50 case release) and given his mailing list the middle finger.  I think it's going to prove disastrous over the long haul.Â

I'm also curious what will happen with the secondary market, but it's not clear to me how it will shake out. I don't think it will be disastrous for SQN, although it may throw a monkey wrench into the profits of flipping it.

-Al

I don't expect it to go down much for highly rated SQNs. The list is still very long...

that would be my guess too. i wouldn't be surprised if they still had over 2500 people on the wait list

FWIW - by disastrous, I was referring to the brand. I'm sure everyone on this board would agree they've hit cult status... I see this move as destroying that. Clearly, Manfred isn't going to be homeless and asking for change any time soon :-D

Ditto!

Well, I made the list too, after only 2 years or so. I got what I asked for in the survey, 3 of each. I would imagine that they cleared a LOT of folks off the waiting list if I made it..

Drew - I don't know Manfred personally, but based upon what I have read and heard from other board members, what you describe is as far from his personality as I can imagine.  Manfred is doing SQN because it is his passion, it is what he loves to do.  He also happens to do it extremely well.

Manfred has known for several years that his wine is priced below market.  He could have doubled the price any time. Instead, he chooses to make wine.

So when you say "Any jackass can get his hands on a bottle now", how many do you have?

Crap. I just noticed that they don't take credit cards.....

After being away at the beach in Delaware for the past 4 days, I noticed a piece of mail from SQN when we got home and it wasn't a postcard....I made the cut! Now to deplete the treasury to buy some of this stuff...

T-Rep

so...anyone keeping track of how many of us got on the list from this board alone?

I finally made it 6+6.

Honestly this brand is so entrenched that I don't think this move will have any significant impact on the SQN status or price.

Though, it is interesting that ChicagoWineGeek received an allocation after only 2 years. They must of really opened it up. But, a big but, I don't see such expansion of the list yearly or regularly thus the wine will be in demand still.

Touche!

I agree that it will still be in demand and retain its status. But I'm not sure it will necessarily retain the same mark-up on the secondary market.

-Al

the secondary price will be determine by scores from WA and WS imo

Ken, I will contact you via PM.

Answered you, Al.