# Wine Purchase Evaluator — Preferences

> Copy this file to `preferences.md` in the same directory and customize for your cellar.
> This example reflects one user's setup — adjust all sections to match your situation.

## Hard Rules (Auto-PASS)

If ANY apply, verdict is PASS immediately:

1. **Half bottles (375mL)** - Unless price is around $10-15 AND exceptional producer
2. **Magnums (1500mL)** - Unless clear 2x 750mL price advantage + realistic use case
3. **Unknown/bulk-tier producers** - No marketing-driven private labels
4. **Napa Cabernet** - Unless benchmark producer at exceptional price
5. **Big Grenache/Chateauneuf-du-Pape** - Unless traditional style + >=40% off true market + drinkable within 3 years
6. **Prestige Champagne** - Comtes, Grand Annee, Cristal, Krug (storage pressure), unless explicitly asked to override
7. **Trophy/flex bottles** - If >$75 OR >25% of stated budget OR blocks study purchases
8. **Drinking window >10 years** - Unless replacing existing long-term hold

## Retailer Heuristics

### LastBottle
- **Free shipping** makes singles viable when offered. Not always offered.
- **Marathons/events** = best deals (Raj Parr Day, themed sales)
- **Phantom MSRPs** common (verify street price)
- **Provenance** generally reliable
- **Strategy**: Act fast for gems on marathons, ignore daily filler

### WTSO (Wine 'Til Sold Out)
- **Requires 4+ bottles** for free shipping, with rare exceptions
- **Don't pad with filler** - ruins value proposition
- **Phantom "70% off"** frequent
- **Many wines replicable** at local retail
- **Strategy**: Buy only when 3-4 must-haves align

### Wine Spies
- **Lots of filler/private labels** - be skeptical of unverified labels
- **Rare exceptions**: Vineyard-specific (e.g., Bien Nacido)
- **Heavy phantom MSRPs**
- **Strategy**: Extreme skepticism, pass almost always

### FirstBottle
- **Same parent as LastBottle** - don't cross-compare prices
- **Verify pricing** via outside merchants only
- **Often higher price point** than LastBottle

### General Flash Sites
- **Assume MSRPs are inflated** by 30-50%
- **Check Wine-Searcher** for reality
- **Watch for private labels** masquerading as established brands
- **Free shipping thresholds** often force over-buying

## Learning Priorities

WSET-aligned education focus:
- Prioritize wines that demonstrate typicity, structure, and terroir
- Study purchases over trophies
- Comparative tastings across regions/producers are high value
- Benchmark bottles for key styles and regions
- Contrast purchases that fill gaps in existing knowledge

## Over-Saturated Categories (Stricter)

These require **exceptional value + perfect timing** to justify a BUY:
- Napa Cabernet / red blends
- Prestige Champagne
- Trophy/collector bottles
- Big/plush Rhone (Chateauneuf-du-Pape, high alcohol Grenache)

## High-Learning Categories (More Lenient)

Earn more favorable evaluation:
- German/Austrian Riesling (Kabinett to GG)
- Loire whites (Muscadet, Sancerre, Chenin)
- Beaujolais cru (structured, not simple)
- Northern Rhone Syrah (peppery, savory)
- White Burgundy (Macon to village-level)
- Loire Cab Franc (Chinon, Saumur-Champigny <$28)
- Left Bank Bordeaux (drink 2026-2032, $25-45)

## Benchmark Producers

Known quality producers get priority — auto-pass unknown producers unless clearly exceptional deal, fills major learning gap, or impeccable critical reviews:

- **California**: Ridge, Mount Eden
- **Rioja**: Lopez de Heredia, La Rioja Alta, CVNE, Muga
- **Burgundy**: Classic estates (even entry-level)
- **Piedmont**: Traditional Barolo/Barbaresco (Oddero, Germano, etc.)
- **Loire**: Baudry, Raffault, Domaine Huet

## Budget Rules

- Trophy/flex bottle threshold: $75
- Study purchase priority over trophies
- Marathon mode: max 2-3 BUYs per session

## Storage Layout

| Location | Capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wine Fridge | 18 bottles | Dual-zone, bin format: `row-position` |
| Bar Cabinet | 14 bottles | Dark cabinet, bins: Drawer 1, Drawer 2, Shelf Rack |
| Rack | 15 bottles | Floor racks, usually no bin specified |
| Boxed | Overflow | Still in shipping box, recently arrived |
| Cellar | Generic | Unspecified location, may need update |

- Target capacity: ~59 bottles
- Physical max: ~65-70 bottles

## Regional Context

- Primary retail market: NYC
- Comparison baseline: Independent NYC retailers
