Wine Club Insider back, with only 8 days left until Christmas!

A wine club membership, or a wine club gift are really the perfect gifts for any wine lovers… they’re really the gifts that keep on giving, as every month, or every second month, or even just twice a year, you get the wonderful experience of opening a new, crisp wine shipment.

For me, when I get my wine club shipments-and for some reason, many of mine seem to arrive nearly at the same time–I open the boxes, stand the new members of my wine collection up on the counter, and read through the written material that accompanies it.

Many of the clubs have excellent, informative, and occasionally humorous newsletters. Slightly off topic, one of my favorites to receive is from the “Bounty Hunter,” at www.bountyhunterwine.com, a Napa based company that finds great wines for you and I. Their quartely publication is well designed, fun to read, and informative.

After that, I get to enter the new bottles into my wine data base, and I’ve got to say, this is pretty fun, actually. As soon as you’re done, it updates your wine list, and I always enjoy pulling up a version of my printed list (which I reprint once a month) and perusing the selections… it helps me keep track of what’s there, and lets me relive the memories of some of the great times and trips I had when I got a particular wine.

After that, downstairs I go to try find a place for the new bottles. This is a bit of a problem, as my cellar is almost full. I actually have three little tables set up with bottles in a holding pattern, waiting for a slot. I also have about 100 bottles on the floor, same story.

I try to make it a habit to reward myself for all of this “difficult” work (it’s a tough job, but I’m trying to bear up…) so I don’t often come upstairs empty handed. As a matter of fact, today I brought up a bottle of “Red Paintbrush,” a merlot based blend from one of my favorite wine makers, Isenhower cellars of Walla Walla. (www.isenhowercellars.com). It’s decanting now, so tomorrow I’ll tell you about it, as well as some of Isenhower’s other fine offerings, and their “FOI” (Friends of Isenhower) wine club…

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider