On the case: Retail warehouses have introduced Irish drinkers to a new concept in wine - and beer - pricing
You get asked a lot of unexpected questions in this job. But now, thanks to Robert Hussey, of the Wine and Beer Warehouse (Dublin Road, Stillorgan, Co Dublin, 01-2103587), at least I'm ready when somebody asks where to buy beer suitable for people with coeliac disease.
Among the 170-plus exotic beers Hussey has in his huge cold room is Heron, a wheat-free, gluten-free beer brewed in Belgium for Heron Quality Food, a Co Cork firm. And he's not short of wines, either. "We have over 400 different wines in the shop," he says. Although there's nothing special for coeliacs, the rest of us have much to muse over.
Hussey started his store a couple of years ago with the intention of tapping into Dublin's burgeoning market for take-home wine and beer. A former stockbroker, he had tired of the financial world and believed there was an opening for an independent, quality-conscious shop that would source wines directly from producers and, in the vernacular of the retail trade, stack them high and sell them cheap. It was a commercial decision, but he has grown to love the business and learned much in the process.
It wasn't all plain sailing, however. Initially the shop struggled. This was partly because Hussey's business model, which involves giving bigger discounts the more customers buy, was a little ahead of the market.
"People weren't used to buying cases; they just preferred buying single bottles," he says. Hussey also believes that the fact that the shop did not stock leading brands may have put off potential customers, as they didn't recognise any of the wines.
So he reassessed the stock, bringing in one of the city's widest ranges of international beers and ciders while building on the wines. It is still difficult to fight the supermarkets and off-licence multiples on price, but Hussey's current offers include cases of Grolsch and Rolling Rock at €1 a bottle, a very drinkable Montarels Merlot 2004, from the Languedoc, at €7.50 a bottle and an equally impressive Mâcon Igé Chardonnay, Domaine Fichet, at €9.50.
Hussey is not alone is his efforts to sell by the case. Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse (Concord Industrial Estate, Naas Road, Dublin 12, 01-4299633), under the enthusiastic guidance of Clare Devaney, has been reporting for some time that consumers are getting into the habit of buying big. Perhaps we will all soon be on the case.
Bottles of the week
The Beer to Dine For, Greene King, 5%, €4.58, 75cl This light, aromatic English beer is brewed to accompany food. Made with rich German Tettnang hops, it is crisp and dry and a perfect partner for curry. There's 5 per cent off when you buy 12 bottles. From: The Wine and Beer Warehouse, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.
Château Batailley 2000, 13%, €18 Top-notch Bordeaux is beyond the reach of many pockets, but Berry Bros & Rudd has knocked down this half-bottle of a classic Pauillac fifth-growth, in a classic vintage, from €23 to a more manageable price. A full bottle of 1999 Batailley is €30, from €38. Berry Bros & Rudd has many other good deals, including 2002 Château Lynch-Bages at €44, from €55. From: Berry Bros & Rudd, Harry Street, Dublin 2.
