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January 2008 Dear Rochelle Golumbia , My name is Oran Cohen and I am an Israeli wine enthusiastic , who participates from time to time on Israel Preker's Israel Wines website. I was very pleased to read about your welcomed initiative for promoting Israeli wines in BC I do, however, have some questions / criticism regarding this. When looking at the pricing of the wines offered, I cannot ignore a strong sense of overpricing, that might spoil potential success. Just lately Robert Parker & Mark Squires held a tasting of top Israeli wines in the current issue of the Wine Advocate and on their Internet site. At their summary they stated that the Israeli wines have improved but are much too expensive in comparison to similar quality wines from other countries. I believe that in order to compete with similar quality wines the prices should be reduced. For instance, GHW Har Hermon Red , which is an entry level nice quaffer ,and costs In I am sure that a Canadian wine lover can obtain for such a price a far better wine from a reliable producer from, lets say, Furthermore, I think that after a one time encounter the consumer will stay away from Israeli wines, as he can obtain a better quality at half the price. (If Kashrut is not the issue). My main concern is about relatively simple wines priced far too high, but even a top quality wine like I will greatly appreciate your thoughts regarding my remarks. Happy new year, Sincerely, Dear Your comments about pricing are well understood. The sale of beverage alcohol is highly regulated in The price of the wine to the consumer includes the wine itself, freight, duties, taxes, other levies – for example for the bottles and environmental fees, a small margin for the importer and the markup of the provincial entity that deals with the sale of beverage alcohol. All of this causes the price to the consumer to be quite high, especially in relation to some other parts of the world. This system, of course, applies to all wines here – not just to the Israeli wines. Within the framework of the pricing structure, the importing agent and the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB have worked to determine pricing for the Israeli wines that fits this market for the quality of the wine. And with the purchase of Israeli wine, consumers here also benefit from a higher than usual alcohol content. Friends who have purchased Competition is tough, as you say in your email. With an initial shipment filling a 40-foot container and plans for additional shipments, the agent and BCLDB are confident in the quality of the wine and the pricing in this market, and they will monitor sales. As with any enterprise, some products will sell better than others, and I expect that the portfolio of Israeli wine may shift a little over time. It is everyone's goal that Israeli wines succeed in this market. We will have another Israeli Wine Festival in May that will allow local wine drinkers to sample all of the wines available for purchase here as well as additional wines imported just for the wine festival. I appreciate your interest and the time you took to write to me, Shabbat Shalom, Rochelle Rochelle Golumbia Chair, |