Wine Club Insider back with you.

Sitting here watching the snow come down (again!) and just about getting ready for spring… Don’t get me wrong; I love winter probably more than the next guy, as I love XC skiing, snowshoeing, running and even biking in the snow, but I’m getting itchy to do some riding up in the high hills.

Speaking of high hills, we did some snowshoeing in the mountains a week or so ago, and took a bottle of J. Lohr Paso Robles Cab up in a Nalgene bottle to celebrate the summit. I’ve got to say there’s something about having a good glass of wine out of a camp cup while eating dehydrated Shepherd’s Pie made on a Jet Boil! It was great! (Seriously!) and the new dehydrated meals are really pretty good, especially at 6000 feet in the snow!

The Wine Club – www.thewineclub.com – has one of the better online wine selections anywhere, with hundreds of offerings, including a very nice dessert wine selection. They have been one of the leading online dealers, and also have three retail shops in Santa Ana, Santa Clara and San Francisco.

They are going to be starting a Wine of the Month program in March of 2009, and I’m interested in seeing what they offer, as they have a great inventory to choose from. Keep your eye out for what could be a great opportunity!

Another one that has caught my eye recently is the Pacific Northwest Wine Club – www.pnwc.com- which specializes in wines from the – you guessed it – Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. They offer two bottles a month, and also have several tasting events throughout the region. Their newsletter, Vin Affairres, is informative, and well written. They also have gift memberships available starting at $24.99/month.

Finally, there is the “Sideways” Wine Club at www.sidewayswineclub.com. They are a direct descendant of the movie, and seem to have a great selection. Their website is entertaining and informative, but I’m going to check out their selection of Merlots before passing judgement…

Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you Monday!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back.

As we get geared up for our largest event of the year this coming weekend, I wanted to take a minute and revisit a couple of new wines from a winery I talked about a couple of weeks ago; Caterina Winery – www.caterinawinery.com.

I stopped in to visit (and pick up my wine club shipment!) and to visit with Monica Meglasson, the winemaker, director, chief cook and bottle washer, who has been running the shop since 2002-ish.

As things sometimes do, we ended up chatting about wine (imagine that!) and sampling her new releases, the “VII” (Seven) series, which are a Merlot and Cab from the famed Seven Hills Vineyard in the Columbia Valley.

Seven Hills is widely getting a reputation as one of the world’s finest vineyards, on par with the best in Napa or France, and as I tasted these new gems, I was reminded again of how lucky we are to be so close to this beautiful vineyard. The VII wines were huge, fruitful and had plenty of time left in the bottle… These are going to be awesome wines in a year or so!

Monica then shared with me one of her favorite wines ever, the new “Imposter,” a 100% Sauv Blanc that was actually almost effervescent when i first tasted it. It was so good I bought some and served it for a dinner party on Saturday! Monica says if she had to drink only one bottle more, this would be the one she chose! High praise indeed.

I also picked up several bottles of the 1999 Cab, which they were featuring, and had on sale for the ridiculous low price of $15! An awesome price for a terrific, well-balanced, aged beauty.

Caterina has really impressed me with their Willard Family Vineyard wines, and now with the “VII” Seven Hills Vineyard additions, they are making some of the best wines in Washington! Check them out!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back with you!

I was searching around the web for what’s new, and came across a pretty exciting new site I hadn’t seen before… Wine Club 101 – www.wineclub101.com – starts out as your normal site, but as you start reading, you start to see the differences…

Here is a bit from their home page:

While many wine sellers limit their club selection to white and red, we offer an unprecedented 5 wine clubs (not to mention our Scotch, Beer, and Tequila clubs). With so many offerings, we are virtually guaranteed to have a club that caters to your tastes and your budget.

Each shipment comes complete with notes and evaluations from the Wine Club staff. If you’re a real connoisseur, you will certainly appreciate the background information. If you are a wine novice, our commentary will have you sounding like an expert in no time.

There is NO long-term commitment. Just sign up for as many months as you would like. If you sign up for three months, you will receive 3 shipments. There is no need to cancel. You will not be harassed. You will be billed for each shipment only when it is shipped.

You might like to keep such a great offer all to yourself. But fine things are meant to be shared. Imagine the surprise when that special friend or loved one receives a 3-month, 6-month, or full-year subscription to the club of your choice.

There’s no good reason not to sign up today. So what are you waiting for? Give someone a gift that keeps giving. And while you are at it, order a subscription for yourself. You deserve it!”

Sure enough, their clubs are pretty well organized, and actually original, which is becoming a rare commodity amongst wine clubs.

They have the standard red and white clubs – Red 101 and White 101 for $40/month- as well as a Gold Club for $100/month, a Champagne Club, and a German Club, which is pretty unusual… two bottles of unique German wine each month. One of the highlights, is they also have a very nice Scotch Club, and even a Tequila Club, both for $75/month, maximum, with unusual, rare blends and labels.

One of the other cool things is that you decide how many months you want, and that’s what you get. no long term contracts, no need to resign… a pleasant touch, really.

Their choices of wines are pretty respectable – even spectacular in some cases – for the price, and it seems that service is a real priority.

I think I might just have to give them a try and see how it works… I’ll let you know in a month or two!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back with you after a couple weeks vacation.

I’ve been going some outside stuff; some snowshoeing, XC skiing, even some snow biking, as well as attending the GIANT Outdoor Retailer’s show in Salt Lake City… boy, if wine had a weekend like that, we’d never got sober! Anyhoo, I’ll be back with you on Monday and Thursday from now on, so let’s get to it…

I met a couple of my friends there for the weekend, and I took a nice bottle of V. Sattui Pinot Noir to share, as well as a bottle of surprisingly good Fusee Syrah, which we drank over a late night business meeting.

The Pinot was so tasty that I decided to open a second bottle tonight. Now, Pinot is perhaps the most finicky of all the major red wine grapes, though it can be one of the most magnificent when done properly…

Andre Tchelistcheff said “God made Cabernet Sauvignon whereas the devil made Pinot noir,” while Vanity Fair’s Joel Fleischman described Pinot Noir as “the most romantic of wines,” and Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon calls pinot “sex in a glass”. Peter Richardsson of OenoStyle christened it “a seductive yet fickle mistress.”

No matter which way you feel, it’s becoming an increasingly important wine, being grown (and well!) in Canada, Austria, New Zealand, Germany, and prominently in Oregon’s Willamette valley, and California’s Sonoma and Russian River Valley… Oh, and have you ever heard of Burgundy?

Yup. Pinot Noir is the grape that made Burgundy famous. That and Dijon mustard, Coq au vin and the Cote-d’ Or.

Some of my favorite Oregon Pinots include Willamette Vineyards, David Bruce, Andrew Rich, Elk Cove, and of course Domaine Drouhin… one cool thing about Oregon Pinot Noirs is that there is actually an Oregon Pinot Noir club! Yes, a wine club just for Oregon Pinots.

www.oregonpinotnoir.com has everything you’ll ever want to know about Oregon’s number one wine export.

Now, moving south to California, you get a different type of flavor… I think that for years, California Pinot was thought of as light and fruity, but over the past decade or so, the winemakers have been making a great effort to give it some real depth, and have, to a fair degree, succeeded.

My 2006 V. Sattui Pinot (www.vsattui.com) from tonight is a Los Carneros appellation, and I must tell you, depth isn’t an issue. This is a big wine. Maybe not Domaine Drouhin big, but very tasty. You’d like it.

Until next Monday,

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back with you…

I’m sitting at one of my favorite restaurants, watching the BCS championship game (I wrote this last night! ) and sipping a great glass of Taylor Fladgate 2000 LBV port… VERY nice! Tons of fruit, lots of character… when Ruby is done right, it’s my favorite style of port!

Well, yesterday, I mentioned the Wine Rebel in my post, and I thought that to be fair, I had to share a bit more about the “wild man of wine!”

Craig Renaud, better known as the Wine Rebel – www.winerebel.net- on first glance, is truly not your typical wine guy… he’s funny, loud, has full sleeve tattoos, rides a Harley and espouses a whole new philosophy on rating and “judging” wine…

Craig has long been one of the top wine brokers in California, and has probably tasted as much if not more wine than most critics in our country. He’s widely recognized as one of the best in the California wine industry, and now has made huge inroads in the Columbia Valley/Walla Walla (Napa North?) area as well.

Now, this big, burly guy may initially come off as brash, but his mission – and his expertise – is two fold, and well supported: 1) Much wine (and MUCH French wine) is over priced, and sometimes underwhelming, and 2) that some critics have turned many wine drinkers into lemmings…

“Without a doubt, (Robert) Parker is the number one world renowned wine critic. This fact is readily acknowledged and accepted by the majority of those involved in the wine industry and also proclaimed by Parker himself. My concern and disappointment with Mr. Parker and his influence over the world’s wine industry is his ability to turn such a large number of wine drinkers into lemmings, blindly following his 100 point rating system…”says the Wine Rebel.

I would add that I’m not sure that I can tell the difference between a 96 and a 97 for example… (I’m sure I’ve never tasted “hints of underbrush and road tar” in my wine, but then I’ve never claimed that I have that “talented” a pallet…)

Wine Rebel is more of “Love it, like it, it’s okay, so so, yuck” kind of guy, and for me – and, I think, possibly many “average” drinkers – in many ways, it makes sense, especially for my everyday drinking.

Anyway, the Rebel has a great, funny, irreverent and educational manual out called “Great American Wine – The Wine Rebel’s Guide.” You can get it off the website, and it’s terrific to have, even if just for the history and education portion! Check it out!!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out!

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Wine Club Insider back!

One of the cool web sites I frequent on at least a weekly basis is www.winezap.com.

Winezap is kind of like a little community where you can actually get to “know” your online “neighbors” as you rate/discuss/argue about wine.

So, every week or so, I get an email in my regular box about the latest wines that have been rated by their distinguished panel of experts…

I think that having a few folks with respected, or at least educated palates can give us a basic groundwork to at least discuss wine, so I appreciate their efforts.

Some of the wines I received reviews on tonight were (and the reviewer):

Bordeaux, Burgundy, California Wine, Chardonnay, Fine Wine, French Wine, International Wine, Italian Wine, Pinot Noir, Red Wine, Shiraz, Sparkling Wine, USA Wine, Vintage Wine, White Wine, Wine Cellar, Wine Club, Wine Club Gift, Wine Education, Wine Lovers, Wine Reviews, Wine Tasting Wine Club, Wine Club Gift, Wine Reviews, winezap.com

Wine Club Insider back.

As the snow/slush/sleet continues to fall here in the Northwest, adding to the five feet we’ve already accumulated, I’m sitting in front of a fire, sipping on a glass of Corbett Canyon Reserve left over from New Years Eve… I’ve got to tell you that for an inexpensive wine, it’s pretty tasty! It’s a Central Valley product from Ripon, California, and as is becoming the norm, it’s hard to get a bad bottle of wine from California…

I think that the vintners from California have gotten so smart and do such a good job with their properties, and with their actual crafting of the wine that even “cheap” California wine is darn good, especially when compared with the product from a decade ago, or with similar priced wines from many other regions and nations. Go Left Coast!

Here are a couple of other wine clubs for you to consider:

The Wine Insiders (hey, I like the name!) at www.wineinsiders.com offers three choices of level (pretty normal) but also offer 3, 6 & 12 month options, with wine club gifts starting at $89, and ranging up to over $500 for a 12 month Connoisseur’s Club membership.

Their top level club is pretty substantial, with great options, including some nice Barolos and California Pinot Noirs.

www.winegiftclub.comis another online provider with a great selection of services. While their actual wine clubs are a bit limited, they make up for it by providing a great choice of seasonal gifts, including champagne, wine gift baskets, wine and food baskets, etc. You can choose your price, as well as your products, and they custom build your basket for you and ship them out. Right now, they’re getting geared up for Valentine’s Day, so check them out and be ready for the big day! (C’mon… don’t miss this one, guys… even if she says she doesn’t want anything, we know better… you’ll seldom go wrong from being too romantic, or spoiling her too much!)

Hope it helps, and I’ll be back tomorrow.

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider here, yet again!

We’re already six days into 2009! Where’s the time going? It was a funny holiday season with Christmas and New Years on Thursdays… it seems like we haven’t been able to get anything done for two weeks, but it has seemed to extend the holiday out a bit, that’s for sure!

I’d love to introduce you to K&L Wine Merchants. www.klwines.com.

They are a longstanding operation, having been in the wine business since 1976. One of the advantages of that kind of longevity is that you can develop some great relationships with wineries, wine brokers and negociants world wide, enabling them to offer some great wines at good deals.

Because of this, K&L offer five different wine clubs for you to choose from, and they certainly offer an above average selection of wines.

They’ve been well regarded by the media, including the Wall Street Journal, and even Food and Wine Magazine:

“Serious wine lovers have been turning to this California retailer for more than 30 years. K&L’s wine buyers not only hunt down the best from nearly every region in the world, but also sell hundreds of direct-import wines at great prices. The Web site shows real-time inventory of just how many bottles of, say, 2004 Domaines Schlumberger Saering Grand CruRiesling ($20) are still available. Tip: Direct-import sparkling wines include terrific bargains such as Tarlant Brut Zéro Champagne”
Food & Wine (June 2007)

At first glance, their wine clubs have the standardish levels, such as “Best Buy,” “Premium” and “Signature,” but the selections are pretty amazing… here are some of the choices from recent Signature shipments:

• 2005 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva

• Blanquette de Limoux, Antech “Cuvée Francoise”

• 2000 Coufran, Haut-Médoc

• 2006 Antinori Vermentino Guado al Tasso

• 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Chante Cigale “Vieilles Vignes”

• 1994 Burgess Cellars “Vintage Selection” Cabernet Sauvignon

• 1995 Burgess Cellars “Vintage Selection” Cabernet Sauvignon

Now, they also offer a couple of non-standard options, including a Champagne club for $69.95/shipment, and a “Club Italiano,” which offers a nice selection of Italian wines.

Lastly, the thing that really sets K&L apart is their “Personal Sommelier” service, which allows you talk to an expert, and custom design your wine club experience. If you want three, four bottles, and you want to spend a certain amount, they’ll hook you up and custom fit a package for you.

They’re based out of California, so if you’re out of CA you don’t pay tax either. Check them out!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out!

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Wine club Insider back!

We’ve done a lot of talking about different wine clubs, and, yes, the choices are almost endless, with a variety of wines and prices almost to match.

But what about if you want to really purchase an investment-quality wine? Where do you look?

There are several high end wine auctions, ranging from “reasonable,” to “you need six figures just to look at the catalogue.” Seriously. There are wine auctions-public(ish), and private-that cater to those where money isn’t an issue.

If you’re looking for “cult” wines, or aged, classic, rare vintages, these are the places to start looking. If it is or was in a wine bottle, especially if it’s rare, there’s a good chance you can find it with a little looking.

Hart Davis Hart wine company – www.hdhwine.com – offers fine and rare wines.

Edward Roberts International – www.eriwine.com – concentrates on traditional live auctions, and their choices are awesome!

Bonhams – www.bonhams.com – is another top seller.

Of course, there are always Sotheby’s, Christies and Zacchy’s, if you prefer the champagne and caviar set!

Now, if you want to privately drop some REAL change, you might want to see if you can get yourself an invite to the “Angry Men,” which are a group of billionaire wine collectors who buy and sell wine in such quantities and such quality that it will make your head spin!

There’s a great article in Men’s Vogue that kind of explains their game… http://www.mensvogue.com/food/cellar/articles/2008/09/billionaire-winos?currentPage=3

Check it out!

Now, if you’re more of a regular joe, but still are looking for some classic wines, I’d recommend you check out www.vinvinwine.com, which is the website of VinVin Wine. Paul collects some of the best wines anywhere, and offers them at fair prices. Here’s a sample from their latest mailing:

So, as you can see, while it might not be ’45 Mouton, I’d love to have any of these grace my cellar!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out

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Wine Club Insider back!

Last night, four of us went to a surprise birthday party for a friend at the wonderful Coeur d’ Alene Resort, one of the world’s greatest hotels: www.cdaresort.com. The party was held in a private room off of Beverley’s, the exquisite fine dining room on the resort’s 7th floor that overlooks beautiful Lake Coeur d’ Alene. As an aside, Beverley’s has one of the world’s greatest wine cellars and wine lists, with over 2000 labels in one of the most beautiful displays I have ever seen.

At the party, another of the guests started waxing poetic about a small(ish) winery in Paso Robles, California named Four Vines Winery, or “4V.” They can be found at www.fourvines.com, and their website is as eclectic and interesting as their wines!

Started by Christian Tietje, who quickly partnered with Susan A Mahler (“SAM”), they started out to create a great old vine Zinfandel winery. Well, not only did they succeed, they also managed to create an amazing no oak Chardonnay, named “Naked.”

They were producing 14,000 cases, but were getting swamped by the work load, so they invited friend and financier Bill Grant to join them. A couple of years later, bingo, they were at 40,000 cases, and were creating a “cult,” not only because of their wines, but because of the whole attitude and image of their winery: edgy, eclectic (I know, I know… I said that already, but it’s true!) and irreverent.

Most importantly, their wines are great!

Besides their Chard, they over five Zins, named “The Biker,” “The Maverick,” “The Sophisticate,” a wine club member’s only Zin from Dusi Vienyard, and a Zin Cuvee.

They do also offer a nice wine club, called “Incident,” which sends out three shipments of their wines each year. When you sign up, you commit to a one year term (three shipments) but that doesn’t look like a struggle!

They also offer two killer Syrah’s, and this is only under the “normal” part of their list! They also have a section entitled “Freak Show,” where they have such things as a inky, black Petite Sirah (not related to the regular Syrah, BTW… it is a completely separate varietal!), a Temperanillo blend, and two unusual blends named “Anarchy” and “The Peasant,” which contain such interesting pairings as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and even Counnoise!

To top it off, they get my vote because they also make two different ports – a Zin port and a Syrah port! Ahhh… my kind of place!

I can’t wait to visit on my next trip to central California! It looks like a great place to spend an hour or six!

Cheers!

Wine Club Insider out!

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