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The 2008 Philadelphia Wine Festival

Written By: Randy Torban on Wednesday, June 11, 2008

PLCB - Show us what you've got!

I'm not able to get out to the California wine regions as often as I'd like to. So, I always look forward to the 200 plus wineries that come to me for the Philadelphia Wine Festival. That special time of the year when I can stumble around, tasting $10, $20, $50 -- even $100 bottles of wine that I've only passed by while shopping in liquor stores. I helped myself to many tastes of Silver Oak 2003, Nickel & Nickel's Dolce, and Flora Spring's Trilogy -- all compliments of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.


Candy representing Dolce wine.
And this year, the PLCB offered every bottle for sale at their on-site store. Perhaps the PLCB thought that due to being intoxicated, festival attendees would forget about high prices, and just buy on impulse.

It's always interesting to hop around to all of the different tables, trying new wines and tasting old friends. Today, most exhibitors work for the distributer (instead of a winery) and have a personality on par with an automated answering machine. Luckily for them most patrons are more concerned with the wines they taste; the personality of the pourer being a distant second. I, for one, enjoy talking to the exhibitors, finding out as much as I can about wines that I like -- harvest dates, grape blends, stories about the wine makers, and even chit chatting about the Philadelphia wine market.

Randy sampling the fare.
Happily, there were a few exhibitors there who pulled me out of the mire with their enthusiasm (if you happen to attend the next Philly wine event, check out Candy's stand. She's fun.)

One topic of conversation that came up at a lot of booths was price points for bottles; how much the bottles cost, and where to get them. It's commonly recognized that the PLCB tends to price inexpensive wines well above the competition, but premium bottles well below. All the exhibitors were quick to point out the on-site store just outside the tasting room, but some actually suggested heading over the bridge to Jersey. As you may have guessed, those exhibitors who suggested elsewhere weren't PLCB employees (though a few were).

Despite my little gripe about the absent intimacy of the event, the 2008 Philadelphia Wine Festival was a good time. Great wines were shown and poured, and customers who couldn't stand waiting to buy the wines were able to purchase them right then and there. And although some of the exhibitors were about as helpful as fast food drive-through attendees, the PLCB did bring Philadelphia a lot of great wine to try -- kudos to you Patrick Stapleton.

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