Why Can’t You Find That Wine?

(NYTimes) - Often plaintive and occasionally hostile, the missives arrive regularly by email, snail mail and phone: “You have an uncanny ability to discuss wines that are difficult if not impossible to find,” one California reader wrote in June.

And this from a reader in New York: “Once again, I have wasted more than a half-hour trying (in vain) to find where in New York City to buy wines mentioned in your column.”

It all adds up to anguish on the part of readers. When the search proves fruitless, they are left with a sour taste in their mouths, instead of an unusual wine. There are two reasons for their frustration: First, wine distribution in the United States is regulated by an irrational patchwork of laws, and second, small producers often create wines that are more intriguing and distinctive but less available. Internet tools and apps can help, but they can’t solve the problem. Nonetheless, consumers can take steps to increase their odds.

I fervently wish all drinkers could find what they want. I sympathize with those who can’t. But the simple solution — choosing only wines that are easy to find — is worse than the problem.