As an Ontarian I am frustrated that my choice of liquor retailers is pretty much limited to the L.C.B.O.(Liquor Control Board of Ontario) I am hoping that a Doper might know how someone in Ontario can go about buying vintage wines not carried by the L.C.B.O. Bordeaux futures don’t count as I am talking about getting a bottle today, not in two years.
I know that the L.C.B.O has a “Vintages” section and even stand alone stores. But the truth is the selection is extremely limited compared to the selection south of the boarder. For example, if I am in Boston or New York and I want a 2000 Petrus, and I have the money, I could find a bottle in less than an hour. I am in Toronto, and I can’t figure out how I could possibly put my hands on a bottle regardless of how much I was willing to spend, a trip south notwithstanding.
Well, presuming you’ve tried the big stores (such as Queen’s Quay) without success, your choices are pretty limited. The LCBO website has a search function to give you an idea of what they have and where. And, if you’re willing to buy a case, the LCBO will order you anything you want. They claim to be the largest purchaser of alcohol in the world, so there’s pretty much nothing that they can’t get.
Thanks for the reply Cerowyn, but unfortuately that only works for products that are still currently available from the company that produces them. And while it sounds great, in practice it is still very difficult. I tried to order a case of rum from Antigua some years ago and found that it was pretty much impossible to get the order filled through the L.C.B.O.
What I am looking for is a way to purchase wine that is no longer available from the producer. The L.C.B.O. has some so so stuff on hand at all times, but what I am talking about are the really great, highly sought after wines of years gone by. In my experience, once the L.C.B.O is sold out, which with Bordeaux futures, is usually immediately, there is no way to buy vintage wine in Ontario. In the U.S. I could order wine from any where in the country and have it shipped to my door. Here I am a captive of the L.C.B.O monopoly.