Inflated wine prices

After a whole year toiling in his vineyards this year a farmer sold us his red grapes for 20c a kilo. We produce our own home wine for family consumption, so from my own experience I know that one needs about a kilo of grapes to produce one bottle of...

After a whole year toiling in his vineyards this year a farmer sold us his red grapes for 20c a kilo. We produce our own home wine for family consumption, so from my own experience I know that one needs about a kilo of grapes to produce one bottle of genuine wine.

Now the same farmer also sells his grapes to wineries which consider the investment, labour, storage, transport, etc., and the price of a bottle of wine is pushed up naturally to sell in supermarkets for Lm1 to Lm1.50.

But then the price is inflated three times in local restaurants to Lm4 to Lm4.50 a bottle. Imagine this farmer taking his wife out for dinner to one of these restaurants: he has to produce 20 to 22 kilos of grapes to pay for this one bottle of wine, let alone the meal.

Restaurants, even the most modest, should regularise their wine list prices, even in their own interest, to attract more clients.

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