bburrito

Has anybody else noticed that on the price list cards on the bars in the United Club they are advertising Mark West Napa Valley Pinot Noir but what is actually being served is Mark West California Pinot Noir?

I mentioned this to a few people and it was suggested that I was being picky and snobby. However, I view it as a false advertising thing. Its clearly a nationwide issue as I have noticed it in 5 different clubs now. Also, I want to drink the Mark West Napa Valley Pinot. Its really really good! The California version is well... meh. The difference is... Mark West California is almost cheap enough to be served as the house wine. Mark West Napa Valley however is actually a top shelf wine.

cerealmarketer

Is there a 'napa valley' version - I've only seen the California and the Russian River. Neither are more than $15 a bottle retail.

The only values on the UA wine list are the Rombauer Chardonnay ($36/bottle), Stags Leap, and the Jordan Cab ($49/bottle).

They are priced nearly at-cost so very little markup from UA, esp with the card discount. Good values for bar wine.

The rest of the lot is priced about the same per glass but retails only about $10-$15 per bottle.

Before the downgrade of the clubs the entire list was priced at-cost so lots of values to be found.

bburrito

They make a Russian River variant which is Sonoma County and they also make a Carneros variant which covers parts of both Sonoma and Napa. Either would be more accurate to what is being advertised versus what is being delivered.

Well, I guess maybe I am making a mountain out of a molehill then. It just seemed that to put the California appellation version up there and charging for it seemed out of place next to the Rombauer and Jordan up there.

kon104

Agreed, but would add the Veuve to this list.

SFO_Runner

I also noticed the Château le Blanc '68 is supposed to be served slightly chilled. UA is serving it at room temperature!

http://youtu.be/WF56VO0qqLQ?t=10s

Who do they think we are? Animals?!

LaserSailor

Every whine has it's time.

It's lost on me with no palate but I agree the goods should match the marketing.

aacharya

A true pinotphile wouldn't touch Mark West. Green Valley or Willamette Valley only...with some Anderson Valley for this whino.

Bear96

How is it "false advertising"? Is United implying that buying a Club membership guarantees an unlimited supply of that particular type of wine? Or are they serving the California in a Napa Valley bottle and hoping no one notices?

If you go to a restaurant and they don't happen to have every item exactly as is on the menu, is that "false advertising" too?

MBS MillionMiler

I don't know a thing about wine and don't drink it, but since the OP mentions the 'price list cards', I assume it's a paid wine.

If they're saying it's A, and it's really B (with a significant drop in quality)...Then it is indeed deception. But United wouldn't engage in deception, would they?

bmwe92fan

I've noticed this as well in the past and just served it up to a simple mistake as I don;'t believe their sommelier panel (or whatever they call it) are actually that involved in selecting specific wines or vintages - after their initial recommendations. I just chalk t up to an internal UA buyer thinking it' the same thing. I'm just glad they have a more premum selection at all now!

rankourabu

oh... I thought this is gonna be about the fact that what UA serves in United Clubs cant really be classified as 'wine'....

seenitall

OP's complaint is more than valid -- on two bases. First, the Napa Valley appellation has legal standing. That is, any wine labeled as Napa must have minimum percentage of its grapes from Napa. So, selling California wine as Napa wine is illegal. Second, the advertising (i.e., the stuff written on the price card) is deceptive. Because it describes a product that is different from what is being offered. Note that this happens all the time in restaurants, especially with respect to the vintage year of the wine (and "strangely," the offered vintage year is almost always a poorer year than the one listed on the menu). If it is cheap stuff, I usually accept the wine and point out to the server that the list is incorrect. But if it is a different wine altogether (and California is certainly different than Napa), I would send it back. Of course I am waiting for the day that the wine menu lists a Gevrey-Chambertin (at Gevrey-Chambertin) prices, but delivers me a bottle of Le Chambertin.

PTahCha

Or the fact that with the new vintage, they had to source from other areas within California and no longer meets the 75% rule for it to be called Napa Valley wine. Then again, just because a wine is from Napa doesn't guarantee it to be good. Same reason goes when Opus One is just a red table wine.

Another overblown thread title.

sinoflyer

(Boldings mine) As far as deceptive advertising, agreed on both points. However, although it may be illegal for California wineries to sell "California" wines that they labeled as "Napa Valley," I'm not sure if there is actually state law or whether it's some industry-enforced standard. Even if it were law, I am less inclined to believe that it would apply to UCs, and especially UCs outside California.

ECOTONE

that's a big stretch...like Grand Canyon big.