How hard can it be to buy some gewurztraminer?

[zcacogp]

I'm trying to buy some gewurztraminer to eat with a curry. It will be a large meal with lots of dishes and about 12 people 'round the table. Gewurztraminer is very definitely the wine of choice.

Thinking that the local supermarkets would be helpful and well-stocked, I tried three of them yesterday to buy some. Results as follows:

Lidl: Looked at the wines on the shelves. Nicely labelled by grape type, clearly no gewurztraminer. (This is the most forgiveable in my mind; cheap and unpretentious supermarket and I didn't expect much, especially as I was looking for something slightly unusual. I did find the clearest labelling system of the lot, which pleased me.)

Asda: Sixth member of staff I was passed on to claimed to be the store manager, and admitted that 'The guy who does wines is out this week'. I suggested that he may like to re-do his staff rosters such that they had staff available who knew their product ranges available on a regular basis.

Tesco: Asked, and was passed on to other members of staff repeatedly. The fifth one, when asked whether they had any gewurztraminer, asked me whether that was a Belgian beer. I asked her whether there was anyone from the wine department available, to which she replied "I run the wine department." I put my half-full basket of shopping down in front of her and walked out in disgust.

So, other than Majestic Wines and Waitrose (both of which I will be trying today), where else might I be able to find six bottles of gewurztraminer today?


Oli.

[Mr Beaumont]

I'm surprised they didn't have any in Asda, my local Asda always seems to have some.
Could try Adnams, they have a couple of stores, but if you're not close to any delivery is free on orders over £50.
http://cellarandkitchen.adnams.co.uk/catalog/categ...

[zcacogp]

In fairness, Asda may well have had some but short of reading every wine bottle label in the place, and then wondering whether the bottle I have found is any good or not, I had no way of knowing. A member of the wine department would have been able to tell me immediately, but their wine department staff were away all week, according to the store manager.


Oli.

[calibrax]

zcacogp said:

'The guy who does wines is out this week'. I suggested that he may like to re-do his staff rosters such that they had staff available who knew their product ranges available on a regular basis.

when asked whether they had any gewurztraminer, asked me whether that was a Belgian beer. I asked her whether there was anyone from the wine department available, to which she replied "I run the wine department." I put my half-full basket of shopping down in front of her and walked out in disgust.

Slight overreactions don't you think? They are supermarkets, did you really expect the staff to know anything other than how to stack shelves?

[dazco]

zcacogp said:

I'm trying to buy some gewurztraminer to eat with a curry. It will be a large meal with lots of dishes and about 12 people 'round the table. Gewurztraminer is very definitely the wine of choice.

Thinking that the local supermarkets would be helpful and well-stocked, I tried three of them yesterday to buy some. Results as follows:

Lidl: Looked at the wines on the shelves. Nicely labelled by grape type, clearly no gewurztraminer. (This is the most forgiveable in my mind; cheap and unpretentious supermarket and I didn't expect much, especially as I was looking for something slightly unusual. I did find the clearest labelling system of the lot, which pleased me.)

Asda: Sixth member of staff I was passed on to claimed to be the store manager, and admitted that 'The guy who does wines is out this week'. I suggested that he may like to re-do his staff rosters such that they had staff available who knew their product ranges available on a regular basis.

Tesco: Asked, and was passed on to other members of staff repeatedly. The fifth one, when asked whether they had any gewurztraminer, asked me whether that was a Belgian beer. I asked her whether there was anyone from the wine department available, to which she replied "I run the wine department." I put my half-full basket of shopping down in front of her and walked out in disgust.

So, other than Majestic Wines and Waitrose (both of which I will be trying today), where else might I be able to find six bottles of gewurztraminer today?


Oli.

Is this a wind up?

[DoctorX]

Sainsburys do a reasonable one, Taste the Difference brand, about 8 quid a bottle.

[zcacogp]

calibrax said:

Slight overreactions don't you think? They are supermarkets, did you really expect the staff to know anything other than how to stack shelves?

Yes, I do. I expect a member of staff who works in a given department to have a knowledge of what that department stocks and for someone senior in that department to be able to recommend (or at least discuss) one product of a type over another. I don't expect someone who claims to 'run the wine department' to be so unfamiliar with a common variety of wine as to think that it may be a type of Belgium beer.

dazco said:

Is this a wind up?

No. Was your post meant to be?


Oli.

[dazco]

zcacogp said:

No. Was your post meant to be?


Oli.

If you want expert advice go to a wine shop. Tesco's is a supermarket, they stock things high and sell 'em cheap.

How could you seriously expect supermarket staff to have the same knowledge as a wine expert?

[zcacogp]

dazco said:

If you want expert advice go to a wine shop. Tesco's is a supermarket, they stock things high and sell 'em cheap.

How could you seriously expect supermarket staff to have the same knowledge as a wine expert?

Tesco's is a wine shop and I expect them to know both what products they sell and something about them.

I wouldn't expect them to know as much as an expert; an expert I would expect to be able to converse freely about the region, grape, producer and year of the wine in question and preferably to have visited the vineyard themselves.

Are you really telling me that you wouldn't expect someone employed in a shop to know what is stocked and what isn't?


Oli.

[miniman]

Sadly our rampant desire to buy alcohol as cheaply as possible has led to the loss of decent off licences or wine specialists who might have staff who have some clue about the product they are selling. I quite agree with the poster above who suggests its rather laughable to expect Tesco or any other supermarket for that matter to train their staff to the point that the OP desires.

Nonetheless, in order to add a degree of usefulness to this post, here's a link to the Sainsburys product mentioned earlier, plus they have a 25% off deal when you buy any six bottles.

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/groceries/index.jsp?bm...

[zcacogp]

DoctorX said:

Sainsburys do a reasonable one, Taste the Difference brand, about 8 quid a bottle.

Thanks - I'll try them this afternoon.


Oli.

[miniman]

Several options at Majestic, which is probably the closest you will get to a proper wine shop these days.

http://www.majestic.co.uk/find/keyword-is-Gewurtzt...

[zcacogp]

miniman said:

I quite agree with the poster above who suggests its rather laughable to expect Tesco or any other supermarket for that matter to train their staff to the point that the OP desires.

Oh dear. What I desire is for someone who works in a wine shop to be able to answer the question "Hello, do you sell any gewurztraminer?"

Clearly I am the one out of tune here as not only do the people who work in these shops not seem to be able to answer that question but the assembled might of PH seems to think that this is not unreasonable.

Woe is me!


Oli.

[crazy about cars]

A bit off topic but do you work in something computer related? Love your structured thoughts.

[dazco]

zcacogp said:

Tesco's is a wine shop a

Oli.

Tesco's is a supermarket, I can see now why you are so confused about service expectations.

Have you ever stopped to think how your petulant little rant made the 'little person' feel after they could not field your question?

All they have done is go to work for eight quid an hour, and a days wine training, and they are confronted by ( I assume) a full grown man who puts his basket to the floor and flounces off because they cannot answer your question.

I don't think that would really make anyone feel good about themselves.

[SMGB]

Try you local indie wine merchant, When you compare quality you will find they are priced there and thereabouts. We have an excellent one here (Beaconsfield) complete with a rambling shop with peeling gold signwriting on the windows and slightly stooped staff .
Otherwise as noted, Waitrose.
I'm always amazed how our local Lidl can offer wines that are several rungs up from drinkable at "I wouldnt cook with that " prices. I think part of the deal with that is no one there knows which end of a corksrew to pick up.
There are some Gewutztramminer crosses in use which might be OK but I'm no expert.

[zcacogp]

dazco said:

Tesco's is a supermarket, I can see now why you are so confused about service expectations.

Have you ever stopped to think how your petulant little rant made the 'little person' feel after they could not field your question?

All they have done is go to work for eight quid an hour, and a days wine training, and they are confronted by ( I assume) a full grown man who puts his basket to the floor and flounces off because they cannot answer your question.

I don't think that would really make anyone feel good about themselves.

Oh dear, this is getting a little dark.

Tesco is a shop that sells wine. It is therefore a de facto wine shop.

Dazco, in the interests of keeping this thread helpful (miniman's comments are noted, thanks miniman; Majestic or Sainsburys it will be) I won't be replying to any more posts of yours on here. If you can quote for me the bit in my post where I had a 'petulant little rant' at the member of staff or 'flounced off' then you can get the last word in, but I'm not here for a row.

Crazy about cars - ha! You guess well, congratulations! I have retired from a career in IT consultancy.


Oli.

[Pothole]

How do you pronounce the word, OP?

[zcacogp]

Not great with phonetics, but it's gah-vurts-tra-mean-uh. (I may have made a complete hash of that in which case I apologise.)


Oli.

[dazco]

zcacogp said:

Oh dear, this is getting a little dark.

Tesco is a shop that sells wine. It is therefore a de facto wine shop.

Dazco, in the interests of keeping this thread helpful (miniman's comments are noted, thanks miniman; Majestic or Sainsburys it will be) I won't be replying to any more posts of yours on here. If you can quote for me the bit in my post where I had a 'petulant little rant' at the member of staff or 'flounced off' then you can get the last word in, but I'm not here for a row.

Crazy about cars - ha! You guess well, congratulations! I have retired from a career in IT consultancy.


Oli.

Ah right.

Brushing me off like a little person eh?

Pompous arse