How the other half lives…

I was reading the news on Decanter magazine online.

Gordon Ramsay has opened a new restaurant, Petrus, just a short stroll from the former Petrus. Scroll down to the last couple of paragraphs in the article which describe the wine on offer. Imagine paying £49,500 for a bottle of wine. 😯

Could a bottle of wine really be so enjoyable as to be worth that much? Or is it more likely to be bought by someone just because they can, to ostentatiously display their wealth to impress people? What do you think?


Comments

5 responses to “How the other half lives…”

  1. I make my own wine for about one dollar Canadian a bottle, from kits. It’s absolutely delicious, an assessment I keep current by constant and careful re-testing. Now, if I found a wine even better I might just go to about $1.10 a bottle. £49,500? Insanity. I believe there is still a lot of snobbery attached to wine selection. Let’s face it, it’s just a way to achieve alcohol intake. If it tastes “nice” then the intake will be a pleasant experience.

  2. Not Delia

    Well, I agree and I don’t.

    I agree about wine snobbery, and I certainly wouldn’t pay £49,500 for a bottle. I wish I had the money to even think about it!

    However, perhaps I’m a bit of a wine snob, as some wines definitely do taste better than others. Mr ND and I will sometimes pay for an “expensive” bottle as a treat. By expensive I mean £10 – £15 at supermarket prices.

    I expect very few people will order Gordon Ramsay’s £49,500 wine. Most likely it’s on his wine list to add status to the restaurant.

  3. Not Delia

    There’s a story in today’s Telegraph about someone who bought champagne in a bar for £35,000. It doesn’t sound like the buyer got much pleasure from it. According to the article:

    “The buyer – thought to be a Russian billionaire – is said to have spilt ”at least three glasses” within minutes of the purchase at the Westbury Hotel on Tuesday. ”

    story here

  4. Mike the curry fiend

    I definitely agree with you there. It’s just about showing you can afford it.

    Then again, with my record at wine tasting sessions, I can’t tell a £5 wine from a £25 one.

  5. Not Delia

    Hi Mike

    If you didn’t eat so much curry, you might do better at the wine tastings. 😉

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