Wine Club Insider back with you…

I seem to be about 12 hours later than usual today, and I apologize… we have a large event coming up and I was in (unscheduled) meetings all morning, but here we are, so let’s call it Australia time, and we’ll be all square!

Earlier this week, I was thinking of the various wine clubs I either belong to or have belonged to, and began pondering what kinds of people join wine clubs, so I did some asking around, and the results may surprise you.

My first thought was that your regular wine schnobs like me would be the main culprits, and, to be sure, we make up a fair share of the members, but there’s an entire other segment of “wineclubers…”

Wine has kind of evolved into the drink of the hoi poloi, but if you do some research into the history of wine, you find that it was the drink of the people… the real people. It was the beverage that was drank at every meal, that was the water of life at weddings, at communions, at lunch with your falafel… this new “ooohh, wine is fancy” thing is, to a degree, understandable, but also has taken one of God’s greatest gifts out of the reach out of many, whether in price, or just in aura.

Some of our best friends are what you might call “redneck,” having come to the light from our a beer drinking background. “Pete” didn’t now squat about wine, but could speak eloquently about any of fifty kinds of beer. Now, they belong to three wine clubs (including one we gifted to them) and “Pete” enjoys a great red, and a nice glass (or bottle!) of port as much as anyone I know.

Another set of friends, “Keith” and “Sarah,” came from even further from Napa, so to speak, and after a couple of dinner parties, they enjoy a nice Gewurtz, and a spicy Pinot with diner now.

There are truck drivers I know that are on Pepperbridge’s list, a gas station owner who gets his allotment of Harlan, a meat salesman who is a ten year member of Leonetti, and a flower shop owner who is a long time customer of Araujo…

Yup. Turns out your job doesn’t have anything to do with whether you love wine. Turns out that drinking it out back by a fire pit is sometimes just as good as sitting in a chateau, and, if your real friends are with you, it can be even better.

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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WCI here again!

How’d you like to have snagged “wine.com” when the whole Internet thing started? Yeah, me too.

Well, www.Wine.com is a pretty cool site, though I hope they do even more with it over the next while… with a name like that, you’ve got to be the best, right?

Anyway, one of the things they do as well as anyone is organize their wines in their online “store,” and then offer you a truly amazing selection!

They are big on “name” wines… wine’s you’ve probably heard of, which is always a help when you’re not able to spend a lot of time perusing and tasting many of the smaller (Many excellent, some not!) production houses.

They have an excellent “Collectibles” section, where you can get your Silver Oak, your Caymus, your Chateauneuf-du-Pape, your top Barolos and the equivalent. Their prices are very comparable, and they have some oft-changing specials which are great deals. For example, right now, they have the highly acclaimed 2005 Concha y Toro “Don Melchor” Cab from Chile for only $59 per bottle, and the awesome 1995 Charles Heidsieck “Blanc de Millenairres Brut” for only $99, and this is an awesome bubbly, let me tell you! I’m actually thinking of serving it for our Christmas dinner this year.

Wine.com also has a variety of wine clubs, and though they are based on the seemingly-obligatory three levels system, the thing they do better than most is offer you almost guaranteed “No Miss” wines… Everything they send out has been judged and awarded high scores by a number of “reputable” (or at least famous!) wine critics. Now, there are lots of arguments, pro and con, about this system, and we’ll get into them over the next few weeks, but for all of the potential problems, they provide at least a fairly common ground for conversation, and even if, like me, you have never detected “the essence of underbrush with a tar finish,” you know the big boys won’t give a good grade to “plonk.”

Wine.com’s “90+ rated” club really has the good stuff, including the Jim Barry 2004 McRae Wood Shiraz (95 pts James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion), Clos Pegase 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (92 pts, Wine Enthusiast), Valdisanti 2004 Toscana (91 pts, Wine Spectator) and Parson’s Flat 2004 Cabernet/Shiraz (93 pts, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate) as examples.

Also, if you act quick, they have “1 penny” shipping on orders over $99… a perfect combination for the wine lover on your list!

See you down the dusty wine roads!

Cheers,

WCI

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WCI here again!

I was doing a little surfing, and I came upon this interesting little gem… I haven’t been a member (yet!) personally, but the premise looks pretty cool!

The site is Flying Noodle Wine Club, and it’s at www.flyingnoodle.com.

From what it looks like, they have four different gift packages, ranging from a three month wine club gift, a six month wine club gift, a one year wine club gift and a “seasonal” wine club gift that comes four times a year with seasonal wines included. You can choose from two reds, or a white and a red, and the list of wines they have shipped is pretty good. One of the other neat perks is they offer free shipping, too.

The cost if pretty reasonable for the quality of the wines at around $34 per month average, but the neat thing is the other things they offer…

Besides Wine Club Gifts, the Flying Noodle has twenty six other gift clubs that you can add on, or choose special gifts from. Some of the choices include the Steak of the Month club, Lobster club, flower club, chocolate club, pasta, cheesecake, dessert, ice cream, coffee, olive oil… you getting the idea?

How about the salsa of the month club? The tea of the month club? Cigar of the month? Peanut Butter (!) of the month club?

Yup.

It’s kind of a one stop shop for gifts… Choose your wine club gift, and then add on a 3 month supply of lobster to go with it…

A couple of the other neat ones are the dinner and a movie of the month club, which includes a gourmet pasta dinner, popcorn, and a Block Buster movie card… perfect to go with the wine of the month gift!

Tomorrow, we’ll be taking a look at another cool find, just in time for Christmas!

Until then,

Cheers!

WCI

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Yesterday, we were talking about Cellars Wine Club (www.cellarswineclub.com), and the eight programs they offer.

We discussed their Premium Club, the Platinum club, and the West Coast club, and today we’ll finish the remaining 5.

The fourth choice is the International Club, which, as the name suggests, offers wines from around the world. From Europe to Australia, from South Africa to South America and all foreign countries in between, you’ll get to sample wines from a new country every month. You may get an Italian Sangio, and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc one month, and next month, you might get an Argentinean Malbec with a Tempranillo from Spain. it runs $39.95 per month.

The 90+ point club is for those folks who live wine, more than just drink it. You’ll get to sample the world’s finest wines from the most renowned regions, and the choices are all carefully selected to ensure they meet expectations of the discerning palate. Their cellaring potential is also considered. It is only available to 200 members, so hurry up and call! It’s $79.95 per month.

Their top of the line offering is called the Cellar Club, and  focuses on the Ultra-Premium, Allocated, Highly Rated, great Cellaring Potential wines of the world. A perfect gift to indulge a top client or that certain special loved one, or just pamper your own taste buds. Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux style blends and other reds with aging potential are predominately featured. Of course, this is a limited enrollment opportunity, but the $149.95 includes shipping.

Another unique club they offer is the Champagne-Sparkling wine club, for $49.95. Every month members will try two different sparkling wines from the world’s top producers. You could end up with a fine French Champagne, or an Italian Spumante, or a Spanish Proseco,  or even a California Cuvee or an Australian Sparkling Shiraz. It’s a great way to celebrate! 

The final offering is the Case Club, for those who can’t decide. For $299.95, you get an entire case of wine chosen from 6 of their clubs. You can choose from mostly Red, to 1/2 red-1/2 white. It’s a great way to build a cellar or really give someone that awesome gift!

So, there you are… a bunch of great choices, and with the holidays right around the corner, remember that if you need any help deciding, I will gratefully accept and thankfully test out any wines you care to send my way! :)

Cheers,

WCI

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WCI back with you on this 2nd day of December!

As we continue on our trek to discover the best of the fruit of the grape, here’s a club I think you’ll enjoy…

I’m not a member here, but a very well informed friend speaks highly of them from personal experience, and their offerings are among the best, with eight clubs to choose from.

Cellars Wine Club (www.cellarswineclub.com) is based out of Monroe, Washington, and as I mentioned, they have eight programs to look at. Every month you’ll receive two bottles of red, or a red and a white, a newsletter, discounts on ordering, and a custom gift announcement if you decide to bless someone else with the gift of wine!

The Premium wine club is perfect for the wine novice or for anyone interested in discovering wines they normally do’nt have access to.  They offer wines from the classic regions of Italy, France, and California as well as more recently discovered premium regions in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa.  The best known varietals such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are all covered, but , you’ll also get a chance to try lesser known red varietals such as Tempranillo, Carmenere, Malbec, Pinot Nero, Shiraz, and other white varietals including Pinot Grigio, Semillon, Alvarinho and Torrontes.

The cost is only $39.95 per month.

The Platinum Club is $59.95, but offers a nice selection of more upscale choices, for the more seasoned aficionado.  These wines are produced in limited quantities from boutique wineries & vineyards and include all the favorite varietals as well as lesser known varietals often from grapes indigenous of a particular region. 

The third choice is the “West Coast Club.” Just like in real estate, success is all about location, and in the USA, the West Coast reigns supreme!  They cover the standard California areas, as well as Oregon and Washington, and add Pinot Noir and Cab Franc to the favorite varietals list. It runs $39.95 per month.

I’ll be back tomorrow to finish the rest of Cellars’ fine offerings, but remember, you only have 22 shopping days until Christmas, and what better gift for the wine lovers in your life than the gift of a wine club!

Cheers,

WCI

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WDI here. Welcome back.

I was going over some of my past and present wine clubs, and a couple stand out above the rest. The Gold Medal Wine Club (www.goldmedalwine.com) is one of those.

It offers five different clubs to meet most any taste or budget, and they also offer a couple of unique choices, such as a Pinot Noir club.

Their standard club is the Gold Series club. This level ships two California wines per month, one red and one white, rated 88 points or better. Each shipment is around $34.

The Pinot Noir club sends two different California or international Pinots every other month for about $69 – 89 per shipment. This is a unique opportunity, and is well worth the cost.

The Platinum Series sends you two highly rated (90+ points), limited (usually less than 1000 cases) wines every month for between $69 – 99 per shipment. They’re all California wines, and sometimes include some pre-releases, or “winery only” selections.

The International Series features two reds and a white from around the world. They’re shipped quarterly for between $65 – 105 per shipment. They also send you three gourmet food items with each shipment.

The Diamond Series is their top of the line club, and has the price tag to prove it: each shipment ranges between $159 – 179, and is sent out quarterly. Each wine has been rated 93 points or better, and the club is limited to only 500 members, so get your name in early.

Members can order their favorite wines at 35% off the club rates, if they wish to re-order.

You also get a very nice newsletter (and a cool leather binder for the Diamond Series!). There are no membership or sign up fees, and their customer service is very good. Their phone number is easy to remember: 800-266-8888.

They also have a unique “Plus!” program, where a limited number of very small production wines are made available to members on a request only basis. If you let them know, they will add on one bottle per shipment of these rare finds.

I think you’ll like this one!

See you tomorrow!

Cheer,

WCI

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WCI here! I hope your holiday weekend is going well, and you are enjoying time with family, friends, and fine wine!

I had mentioned that we were going to have a Bruce Pinot with our turkey dinner, but on a whim, I switched to a 2001 Elk Grove Pinot Noir instead, and it was awesome! Deep, big, and still lots of fruit. It was a perfect match for the Thanksgiving Day feast. The Ste. Chappelle Reisling was excellent as usual, and the “Huck” huckleberry wine was a surprise hit! I also switched dessert wines, going for a 2003 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc from Gold Digger Cellars. It was still nicely acidic, and was a good pairing with the Pumpkin cobbler we had for dessert.

Please send me a comment with your Thanksgiving Day pairings so we can post every one’s traditions!

Today I’d love to chat about the Vinesse family of wine clubs (www.vinesse.com).

Vinesse actually has 6 different clubs you can choose from. Here’s a brief description of each:

1) The American Cellars club sends you either 2 or 4 bottles a month of wines from small distributors. Usually between $12 – 15/bottle.

2) The World of Wine club sends you interesting wines from a different country each shipping. You get 6 bottles every other month, and they range from $15 – 20 per bottle.

3) The Four Seasons club sends out 5 shipments of 4 bottles each year, basically once for every season, plus a special bonus holiday shipment. The wines are selected to match the food of the season, and are about $20 per bottle.

4) The California Treasures club ships about every 8 weeks, and features 4 bottles from boutique wineries from around California. About half are from Napa and Sonoma, and the rest are from areas around the state. They average about $12 – 15/bottle.

5) The Elevant Society features exclusive, big, bold reds from the US and around the world. They range from about $29-35 per bottle, and you get either 2 or 4 bottles per month. I’ve belonged to Elevant for almost 4 years, and have never been disappointed!

6) Being a big dessert wine fan, I’m also a member of their “Light and Sweet” club, which features a wide variety of lighter, sweeter wines from around the world. Some are sparkling, some are roses or blushes, but all are fun to drink. You get either 2 or 4 bottles every other month for between $12 – 15/bottle.

Vinesse also has 3, 6 or 12 month gift subscriptions, and if you contact them now, they’ll have them at your friend’s doors by Christmas!

Have a great day, and I’ll see you tomorrow along the dusty wine roads!

Cheers,

WCI

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WCI here again… welcome back.

So far, we’ve talked about a variety of wine clubs, with the majority being “Winery” clubs… clubs operated by an individual winery, selling only wines from that winery. Today, I’d love to tell you about another great find!

On our way out of Napa (headed for Sonoma, which, I know, I know, is a terrible sacrifice), we drove north through Calistoga, and came upon the Wine Garage (www.winegarage.net), located in, yes, you guessed it, an old garage just south of the Petrified Forest turnoff to Sonoma.

We’d heard rumors of this place, and so, still having a little room in the car for more wine, we stopped in.

Let me tell ya, this place is cool! Their “grabber” is that no wine in the store is sold for more than $25/bottle, even if it’s worth more.

Todd, the owner, searches the valley (s) high and low for great and interesting wines, buys the lot, and passes the savings on to you, by pricing the wine between roughly $10 up to $25 per bottle… this is an awesome wine club gift opportunity!

Their wine club works a little different, as well, as you tell them basically whether you like rad, white and mixed, and every few months, they send you 6 bottles of small lot, interesting wines that you just can’t find in most wine shops. They also guarantee the wines they send you: if you don’t like them they’ll buy them back from you or exchange them.

One of the other cool things is that you can order quantities of ones you like, all at a good discount.

Their variety is really amazing, and though they don’t have the “big” name wines (usually because they are priced prohibitively) the ones they have sent me stack up great, at a fraction of the cost. They’re maybe not the most famous, but they are well crafted wines destined for good things, including my wine cellar!

I highly recommend the Wine Garage, so check them out and tell them WCI sent you!

Tomorrow, we take the dusty wine roads over to Sonoma!

Cheers,

WCI

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Ah, the joy of the dusty wine roads!

We finished at Jarvis and headed north on the Silverado Trail, meandering very shortly into the Stag’s Leap District (www.stagsleapdistrict.com), one of the highlight appellations of the Napa Valley. It’s a small “valley within a valley,” just a mile by three miles, home to twenty or so fine wineries, many conveniently located very near the main road!

Trying to be eco-conscious, we tried to pick clusters of wineries we could easily stagger… er… walk between, and so, our first stop was the famous “Stags Leap Wine Cellars” (www.cask23.com) considered one of the “first growths” of Napa Valley.  As a matter of fact, it was in the famous “Judgement in Paris”–the 1976 tasting where their 1973 “S.L.V.” Cabernet shocked the world by beating the best of France in horizontal blind tastings.

Their three signature wines are called “S.L.V.,” “Fay” (after the founder of the Stag’s Leap District), and “Cask 23,” truly a magnificent wine. (They have since added another famous wine entitled “Artemis,” which is a bit more available (and affordable!)) I was forced to purchase a bottle or six of each of these fine products. To speak of their enduring quality, I still have a bottle or two of that original purchase, and whenever a special occasion comes up and we open one, they amaze me again with their depth and quality.

Right across the street was Pine Ridge (vineyards.com">www.pineridgevineyards.com), and their premium offering was the Andrus Cabernet, which is, to this day, one of the finest I have had. (I have one bottle of the ’95 left, waiting for someone who appreciates fines wines to come by for a visit and give me an excuse to drink it… any takers?)

Next we hit Silverado Cellars (vineyards.com">www.silveradovineyards.com) but it passed in a bit of a blur, other than the fact we had a great picnic lunch on their grounds.

I have to say I was a bit preoccupied by this point, not just because of the great wines we had enjoyed, but because our next stop was along the Oakville Crossroad… Silver Oak, makers of my first great glass of wine, and one of the “must sees” on my list!

Until tomorrow…

Cheers!

WCI

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WCI back ‘atcha!

So, my friends, I had my two wine clubs, and was getting a whopping four bottles per month, of which I drank twenty… how’d I come up with that math?

Well, like any good aspiring wine fanatic, I was diligently working toward my “bottle-per-day” minimum quotient. I was starting to spend some serious coin on vino, and loved every bit of it! I had found a couple of very nice, affordable “everyday” wines from Parducci (www.Parducci.com) and Mondavi (www.robertmondavi.com), and started “collecting” the good wines from my wine clubs…

Clubs, you say? Ah, you are an astute reader!

I soon found that wine collecting was nearly as fun as wine drinking, and turns out I had a bit of a knack for it.

How did I decide which clubs to join? Simple… I went to Napa to audition them in person!

Yes, indeed. A couple of months later, just as Spring was springing, I landed in San Francisco, rented a charming mid-size, and headed north along 101 for my first real visit to the “Magic Valley.”

I’d done a little investigating in terms of lodging, and had settled on a great little B&B just south of Calistoga along Hwy. 29. The Zinfandel House (www.zinfandelhouse.com) was and is owned by George and Bette Starke, and is a charming, eclectic house high on the western hills above Three Palms Vineyard, with an awe-inspiring view.

George had been the owner and winemaker at Napa Cellars in the late seventies and early eighties, and was one of Robert Mondavi’s closest friends. He also made one of the finest wines I have ever tasted, the 1980 Napa Cellars Cab.

George and Bette also led the first-ever American wine tour to France, where they toured and tasted at some of the most famous wine chateaus in the world, long before they were closed to the public. Can you imagine drinking ’45 Mouton, or ’28 Margaux right from the cellar?

We started a friendship that lasts to this day, and they helped set my itinerary, and in large part, were my mentors as I discovered the joys of Napa and Sonoma.

At our first breakfast, we discussed the wineries I should visit, and George made some calls to get me in to a few wineries not as well known, or a little harder to get into, and for three days, I lived in wine buyer’s heaven.

Stay tuned for a wine weekend of a lifetime when we meet again tomorrow, and continue tripping down the dusty wine roads.

Cheers,

WCI

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