Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Do the math people

I guess it is no secret that Americans suck at math, or just about anything difficult.

No wonder we're headed down the tubes.

Sort of like more bottles of 1947 Lafleur sold in the last 5 years than were ever produced.

And people jump in to say how it is possible.

A little math, if DRC produced 6000 btls of 1934 RC, then there had to be an average of less than 82 bottles consumed in the entire world per year since release for there to be a single bottle left. No one really does the math because they arbitrage the ignorance. Pretty much how big money is made in the US over the last 25 years, I guess.

Here is a Wine Spectator piece. Also check out eBob if you want. Be warned though, there is a lot of crazy going on.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Nothing crazy about it. The comments track rather closely to the participants' economic self-interest.

And maybe also to their delusional states and status insecurities, but that's another question.

SFJoe

the vlm said...

It's all so banal.

I love the whole blatant ignorance of any principles of science or epistemology.

I thought rich kids were sent to good schools?

Creative Anarchy said...

Ah, but much more interesting is/are the bottles of '45 Romanee Conti. There were what, 2 barrels = 650 bottles produced, and most of that was drunk up in the 50's and 60's at high-end restaurants in Paris. Yet between Kapon's notes and various other tastings at eBob, there were roughly 6 different bottles of this wine which were drunk in the past year alone. Impossible! Nonsense! Ludicrous!

But the whole thread does raise an important point, one which has befuddled the art world as well. If a fake is so well done that you cannot tell the difference and even experts disagree, is it really a fake? And does it really matter? What is the value of an "authentic" art work, anyway?

franklin said...

Oh, I thought from the title you were going to be commenting on Clinton's blackmail strategy for the VP position.

Lyle Fass said...

They are all crooks!

The high end collectors today are all just trust fund babies with internet access. It's sad. They don't respect the wine or the nature of it all.

twaldmann said...

Maybe they go to good schools, but that doesn't mean they pay attention....