Orlando Sentinel
Some people paint by numbers. Cameron Hughes wants you to drink wine by numbers. The concept is simple: Hughes tracks small lots of super- and ultra-premium wine in bulk to blend and bottle under his label. The result is a wine that tastes much more expensive than its price tag. And it gives neophyte wine drinkers an affordable shot at top-notch wine.
Cameron Hughes Wine will soon have a much stronger presence in Florida. Beginning July 20, CHWine will be available in 16 Costco locations around the state, including Orlando (NW), South Orlando, East Orlando (Winterpark), and Altamonte Springs.
Cameronst_3
The industry term for merchants such as Hughes and their businesses is wine negociant. Negociants have been around for a long time, first as middlemen who sold or shipped wine as wholesalers. The definition of the profession expanded as negociants became more involved with various aspects of getting wine into bottles. (In France, some of the better-known negociants are Barton & Guestier, Calvet, Cordier, Moueix and Sichel, according to Wine Lover's Companion.)
Hughes' lot system sets him apart.
"All the component wines that make up a lot have been blended together in one tank and bottled under that lot number. When the lot is gone, it's gone," the California entrepreneur explains. "Other negociants bottle different wines under the same label, so quality can be inconsistent."
Hughes' lots sell out quickly. So quickly, in fact, that fans subscribe to e-mail alerts that tell when a new lot will be sold at www.chwine.com.
"People can be so intimidated by wine. I wanted to create great wines at great prices," says Hughes. "I'm helping people make good choices and enjoy good wines."
In July, Costco receieved three lots, Lot 26 (an 06 SB from New Zealand, price $9), Lot 35 ('05 Yountville Cab, price $12 ), and Lot 36 ('05 Rutherford Cab, price $12).
Cameron's favorite lot so far?
"That's hard. They are all great quality. But I've never forgotten Lot 7," he says of the 2002 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. "It's the closest to my heart. That wine was over the top."
So what happens when the lot numbers reach, say, 99?
"I have no idea," Hughes says with a laugh. "Maybe we'll keep going."