The story that Binny's is buying what's left of Sam's hit the press last night.

I wish I could shed a tear, since I loved the old Sam's, but they've been a shell of their former selves for many years - horrid selection and most of the staff fled ship like the proverbial rats (or were chased away).

The news reports blame their demise on a ill-fated expansion plan, but I believe the real cause is that they badly lost their way - a process that began before the expansion. Really really sam, Sam's was a powerhouse worldwide - dropping my Sam's connections got me into more than one French winery that is normally closed to the public. Those days are now gone.