Regular readers of my wine blog may have noticed that I do not always have nice things to say about the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB). This is the BC provincial government branch that’s solely responsible for the wholesale distribution and retail sale of beverage alcohol across BC. In other words, it is a government monopoly. In this role, it is not alone: most other Canadian provinces and territories have a similar setup. This does not, in my view (and many, but not all, others involved in the wine sector), make it a good thing. Monopolies are by definition not competitive, and the retail price of wines in BC unfortunately reflects this.
Leaving this debate aside for now, there is however an upside in having such a huge wholesale purchaser of wines: sometimes inventory gets backed up and the LDB will discount certain wines to free up shelf space or blow out products they no longer want to sell. The LDB labels some of these wines “delisted” and yes, it’s a death knell in this market for those producers. But it’s also an opportunity for you, savvy wine buyer.
I thought I’d share with you my top tips about buying wine from the LDB.
First and foremost, know this: every month the LDB has a ‘sale’, and lists a number of wines (and other alcoholic beverages) at discounted prices. The best way to find out what is on sale is to check the BCLDB website (Google bcldb products) and click on the ‘Sale’ then ‘Wine’ pull-down menu. This brings up all wines currently on sale. Sales usually (but not always) begin on the first Sunday of each month, so it’s worth setting yourself a reminder to check out the website that day in order to catch the best deals, as these can disappear fast.
Second, any wine that is listed with a sale price ending in 97 cents (e.g. say $26.97) means it is ‘delisted’ and won’t be coming back anytime soon. These are often the very best deals, with deep discounts sometimes offered. Grab them while you can!
Third, as with most sales, the higher the original full price the bigger the saving is likely to be. You’re not going to save much on a $20 (plus taxes) bottle, but on a $40 bottle or more it can be substantial.
Fourth, do check where the particular wine that you’re after is in stock, since most of these sale wines are not widely available and may only be in one or two stores near you.
Finally, and this is critical, do not assume that just because the website shows 1 or 2 or even 3 bottles in a given LDB store that the wine is actually there, and head out to buy it: the LDB’s online inventory system is notoriously unreliable or simply outdated, and oftentimes such wines are nowhere to be found. Always call the specific store you’re planning to buy the wine from, give them the SKU number (which is listed online with each wine), and ask them to check the shelf for the actual product. If there are just one or two bottles left, ask the sales clerk to put it/them aside for you to pick up later that same day (most stores will ‘reserve’ a wine for you for up to 24 hours).
Just for fun, I went back over my own recent wine purchases from the BCLDB, not including wines I’ve bought from private liquor stores, to see what savings I have made (I keep a cellar record). Here is what I’ve bought on sale over the past three months, with both the sale prices (excluding 15% taxes) and savings as noted:
• Anciano Old Vines Garnacha, Calatayud, Spain $17 (-$3 off)
• Wolftrap White 2019, Western Cape, South Africa $11 (-$3 off)
• Gaia Monograph Assyrtiko 2018, Peloponnese, Greece $18 (-$4 off)
• Coldstream Hills Chardonnay 2016, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia $24 (-$4 off)
• Mazzei Ser Lapo Chianti Classico Riserva 2016, Italy $28 (-$5 off)
• Masi Costasera Amarone Classico 2015, Veneto, Italy $55 (-$5 off)
• Domaine Lafage Léa 2015 Les Aspres, Cotes du Roussillon $30 (-$7 off)
• Chateau Hervé-Laroque 2010, Fronsac, Bordeaux $40 (-$10 off)
• Thibault Liger-Belair Moulin a Vent 2015, Beaujolais $40 (-$17 off)
• Zind Humbrecht Riesling 2018, Alsace $32 (-$7 off)
• Zind Humbrecht Muscat 2016, Alsace $32 (-$7 off)
• Hugel Estate Riesling 2015, Alsace $39 (-$7 off)
• Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2013, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux $135 (-$11 off)
• Chateau Poujeaux 2016, Moulis-en-Medoc $60 (-$10 off)
• Chateau Chasse-Spleen 2016, Moulis-en-Medoc $60 (-$10 off)
• Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Trocken GG 2018, Mosel $55 (-$10 off)
• Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2016, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux $135 (-$25 off)
• Clos Floridene Blanc 2016, Graves, Bordeaux $38 (-$7 off)
I just added all these up (assuming one bottle per wine) and it seems I saved about $152. Not too shabby…but please don’t ask me to calculate what I spent!