Asda - clearing the decks with NZ Sauvignon

I read on the Wine Anorak blog that Southbank Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough being sold in Asda for £3.00. The fact that this is an estate Sauvignon and not a tankerload of emetic cat’s pee actually is more insulting. This is not a question of moving the price goalposts, but demolishing them utterly.

You don’t have to be savvy to understand that this Savvy is being dumped in grand fashion. Look at the figures – subtract duty, vat, shipping, handling and transport and you are left a wine which is being valued at a skeletal 65p before margins apply. Which is unfeasible. Factor in the historically low exchange rate and presumably you have a wine which is undoubtedly being sold well below cost value. And we’re talking about 2009 vintage, not the maligned ‘08. I’m sure growers in New Zealand must roll out their eyes when they read about these ridiculous stock-clearing stunts.

By rigging the price thus Asda is creating false expectations of how much the wine (and, by extension, Marlborough Sauvignon, in general) is worth. Playing merry hell with discounts gets customers inured to the “something for nothing” drinking culture.

It is very difficult to see how one can counteract such practices. One idea that I had was that wine should always be sold full price in supermarkets but discounts might be given via vouchers (which could be spent on other products). Alternatively, and this is the approach I favour aesthetically, any wine that is discounted more than 20% (say) should require an additonal label - affixed at the supermarket’s expense - detailing the full price and explaining the nature of the offer. Selling wine below cost should be made illegal and offers such BOGOF and seven for six should only be allowed for a maximum of 60 calendar days.