Bear in mind that there's a pretty high fixed cost to get a heavy bottle of glass filled with mostly water onto your shelves (not to mention any local tax on alcoholic beverages).
On the East coast (Boston/NY/Washington, etc.) wine from California has to travel about as far as one from France, so both have quite significant shipping costs. That gets the prices a lot closer to parity, and it's quite often possible to find a French import that offers better bang for the buck than many domestic labels. The closer you get to the West coast, though, the more the balance shifts in favour of the domestic product. It's also easier to find a Californian wine close to the European style since several of the larger French labels have set up their own Californian vineyards. Tom C mused: > > I'll have to try some of the more expensive domestic variety then. Thanks. > > Tom C. > > > > >From: "John Francis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: [email protected] > >To: [email protected] > >Subject: Re: Blue Mountain Jamaican Coffee - Phleeewie! > >Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 17:53:41 -0500 (EST) > > > >Tom C mused: > > > > > > Yeah, I must have ignored your post. It was an impulse purchase. A > >lesson > > > learned. > > > > > > I have recently, in the last month, had real French champagne for the > >first > > > time. I know the label I bought is not to be considered expensive as > > > champagne goes ($42). But I do have to say I was pleasantly surprised. > >It > > > was wonderful. Heads and tails over the $5-$15 sparkling wines from > > > California. > > > > > > Tom C. > > > >Yep. Probably on a par with the $28 a bottle Californian stuff. > > > >
