Clarification of Answer by
tutuzdad-ga
on
27 Mar 2004 12:56 PST
Dear gaucho34-ga;
Your second question is much more difficult to answer with a great
deal of accuracy. I think it is safe to assume that in the pre-World
War II era, price ?trends? in Europe were similar to those in the
United States, but of course with regard to wine the import costs
would not be applied so the prices of wine might have been a bit lower
that, say, those in New York. But probably not much.
Here is a reference I found to wine prices in New York during the era you speak of:
??the early days of fine dining in New York were ruled by Champagne,
French reds and German whites, with Sherry and Madeira included as
carryovers from colonial times, when both beverages were wildly
popular. The menus bear this out, with extremely prestigious labels --
Latour, Lafite Rothschild, Cos-d'Estournel -- doled out in oldfangled
measurements of a half or full quart.
Back then, wine prices were remarkably close to food prices. In 1900,
dinner out might have run between $2 and $5, depending on one's level
of gluttony, but Château Latour could be had for $1.50 a quart. And
wine prices didn't change much over time. From 1882 to 1900, Bordeaux
from vintages five to 10 years old cost less than $3 per bottle.?
WINE SPECTATOR ONLINE
http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Wine/Archives/Show_Article/0%2C1275%2C4022%2C00.html
I think it is reasonably accurate them to assume that one could
purchase a bottle of 1900 Lafite Rothschild in France, in 1927, some
25 years later than the period mentioned in the article above, for the
US equivalent of about $3.00 per bottle. Two factors some into play
here, one being that 1900 was a spectacular year and an exceptionally
impressive vintage came from that harvest (making the wine more
expensive perhaps), and secondly of course, inflation.
As a matter of realism, it might also be important to note that,
according to ECONOMIC HISTORY SERVICES database, in the year 1927, it
took 25.48 Old Francs to buy one U.S. Dollar.
ECONOMIC HISTORY SERVICES
http://eh.net/hmit/exchangerates/
Champagne flows like water in France, even back then ? Fine Bordeaux
does not. So, accordingly then, in comparison to the turn of the
century New York prices above and taking into account vintage and
inflation, the price of a bottle of Lafite Rothschild served in France
in 1927 might well have been 76.00 francs a bottle, while a bottle of
Veuve Amiel might only have been a mere 38.00 francs or perhaps even a
bit less.
I hope this adds significantly to what we have already discussed. I
look forward to serving you again. Cheers!
Regards;
Tutuzdad-ga
PS: My final toast at the end made me think - and you may be
interested to know this: Customarily, when a person of some manner, if
not sophistication, toasts another in France he typically raises his
glass and nods slightly at his companion and says, ?À votre santé? or
the less formal ?santé? (?To your health?), to which the saluted
companion replies, ?À la votre ("And to yours").
