Bottles delivered right to your door
Let me tell you how the pros shop for wine. I’m talking restaurateurs, collectors and wine scribes like yours truly. We buy wine by consignment.
When you hear the word consignment, you probably think of a consignment shop, as in, place that sells other people’s stuff, right? But buying wine by consignment in Ontario means something entirely different.
It’s essentially a private wine shopping service whereby licensed agents counsel you on what’s good based on your tastes, lifestyle and budget. Then, they deliver curated bottles to you at your convenience. Though it’s available to anyone and everyone in Ontario, few even know about the service.
“People are blown away that we exist,” says Harris Davidson, managing director at Rogers and Co., one such agent.
This is how it works: Nearly 150 licensed agents in Ontario work to find the best wine on the planet in a range of styles and prices. Then, they import and warehouse it via the LCBO so it’s ready to sell on demand — the service is officially called the LCBO Consignment Program.
Some selections are killer trophy offerings (read: super expensive), but many are undersung, undervalued and reasonably priced — as in jaw-droppingly good juice for about $20 per bottle.
Each agent offers an exclusive portfolio of wines either not available at the LCBO at all, or only in limited amounts through Vintages once in a while. Recently, LCBO.com began selling some consignment wines, but it’s better to go directly through the agents because they offer relationship-driven, customized service — which is where the real value lies.
The best agents bend over backward for you. They deliver to your office, home or dock — at your convenience. They invite you to private tastings so you can taste before you buy or just gain insight into what you like — at no cost. And they’ll accept returns if you buy then decide you don’t like a certain wine. Some agents will even pop by your home or office with a few bottles to taste on the fly.
“Hey, we’re in the hospitality industry,” says Craig de Blois, owner of Noble Estates Wine & Spirits Inc. “We’re selling pleasure.”
It’s a love-in for wine lovers of sorts. Sound sexy? It is. And you don’t need to have deep pockets or know wine to play.
You just have to buy by the case. But cases range from three to 12 bottles. Or you can buy by the magnum, the equivalent of two standard 750-millilitre bottles. You pay the price of the wine and a delivery fee, which most agents waive if you buy more than a certain amount.
It’s a great deal. Which is why it’s a popular service among those in the know. In fact, a broader selection of wine is available now through consignment than through LCBO’s Vintages and General List sections combined each year.
Curiously, despite the fact that the LCBO Consignment Program has been in place for decades, no actual list or directory of licensed agents exists. You just have to know someone. But you know me, right? So I’m sharing the names of five of the best agents in Ontario and one outstanding buy from each of their portfolios. After all, Christmas is coming. And shopping this way is much more civilized than the horrors of a crowded mall. Carolyn Evans Hammond is a Torontobased wine writer. She is also a Londontrained sommelier and two-time bestselling wine book author. Reach her at carolyn@carolynevanshammond.com.