Calvert Woodley’s top 10 bestsellers
Champagne Charlie is alive and well and living in Washington, as this snapshot of one of the city’s leading wine shops reveals.
Formed by a merger of two wine shops in Washington DC, Calvert Woodley threw open its doors in 1982. Described by Lettie Teague of the Wall Street Journal as “an old-fashioned wine shop – teeming with semi-chaotic life”, she rates it as one of her favourite merchants. With around 2,200 wines and fifty on its pay-roll, it is probably the biggest, if not the best independent liquor store in Washington
While the price range extends to a dizzying US$7,500 for a decanter of Graham’s 1882 Ne Oublie Port, most of the action is around US$12 – 17, according to Calvert Woodley’s president, Michael Sands. “Value has become a big deal for us,” he said. While Californian sales are described as “pretty good,” anything “over US$50 has dropped precipitously since 2008. The days of US$100 Cabernets on expense accounts don’t happen much anymore.”
Bordeaux, especially the petit Châteaux, has always been a key focus, as has en primeur until recently. “Historically we’ve always been a big player in the Bordeaux futures game, but over the last couple of vintages it’s been almost non-existent. I keep hearing from my négociant friends that 2014 is the year the Bordelais are going to get things back in order. I guess I’m a little sceptical, but we would love to get back in.” As for his customers and whether they are ready to re-embrace the region – “well, that’s the magic question.”
For all that, Champagne dominates the top 10 ‘fine wines’, thanks to all the Christmas fizz sold last year.
Click through to see Calvert Woodley’s top-selling wines over US$35 in the last 12 months. (Standard list prices quoted)
