The Wine Bottle

If you’re trying to pick the best wine of the month club, you may be absolutely overwhelmed by all the choices out there. From the California Wine Club to The International Wine of the Month Club to so many others that operate locally and online, a wine lover can easily be distracted by all the choices and feel tempted to throw in the towel and just go back to purchasing wine one bottle at a time.

But before you give up on a membership to a great wine of the month club, let us help you decide on what to look for and how to separate the good from the bad when it comes to clubs.

First, find out how long the club has been in business. There’s nothing to say that a new club won’t do a great job in choosing your monthly wine, but it’s usually best to entrust your membership with someone that has been doing this for some time. There are many wine of the month clubs that have been around for ten years or more and these are the clubs that you probably want to stick with.

Also, what are you looking for in a wine of the month club? Do you have a particular preference when it comes to wines such as red or white and would you like to be able to make your own choice in this regard or will you like anything that the club will send your way? Some wine clubs allow you to enter some of your preferences while others simply choose what they feel is best and may just split their choices between red and white, or whatever they feel is best that particular month. How many bottles of wine are delivered per month? Can you opt to a lesser or higher numbers per month or are you limited to a specific numbers by the wine club?

Ask how the wine of the month club makes their options. Far too many simply choose closeout options or mass produced wines. Obviously they are just choosing whatever is cheapest and aren’t giving much thought as to how the wine will actually taste. Some other wine clubs personally hand-select each and every month’s selection, and this means you’ll be getting a higher quality wine every month.

Check out the past selections of the clubs. Look up these selections in a separate guide and see how they are rated. If you can find them in other guides and they are highly recommended then you know that this wine club is making their choices on flavor and quality. If you cannot find an outside review of any of their choices, it may be a warning sign.

And you’ll want to see about their policies to opt out of the club. If you join and don’t like the first few choices, then what? If you find a wine of the month club that allows you to opt out after a few months then you know your choice will be much safer. You never want to join any wine club that forces you to join for a long period of time. If they do then it is usually because most of their members are not satisfied with the service, price or selections of wines that have been delivered.

The families who grow California wine are pioneers and visionaries.  The warm summer and rainy winter and spring in the coastal areas produce superior tasting wines. The winemakers in the various California wine regions have an appreciation for the territory in which they live and work that makes it possible to create palate pleasing world class wines.

The original Spanish pioneers had a large effect on the California wine growers. As the California missions were being setup in the 18th century, the Spaniards would create a vineyard. Grapes were needed by the Catholic monks for reigious ceremony as well as basic provision. The vineyard would be sown with the common black grape that was transplanted from Mexico. This grape species, often referred to as the “Mission Grape,” was the chief varietal of the early mission vineyards.

The largest expansion in populace and wineries in the California areas of Sonaoma and Nappa Valleys was during the years of the gold rush. During this time well known wine companies such as Buena Vista Winery, Charles Krug Winery, Inglenook Winery and Schramsberg Vineyard were founded.

California Wine Regions

There are distinct California wine zones. They are separated in to 4 separate locations.  First, there is the North Coast region that refers to an area north of San Francisco that includes the Sonoma and Napa Valleys as well as Mendocino and Lake County. Second is the Central Coast of California that are areas west of San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara County that includes well known places such as the Paso Robles, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and more. Reaching all the way to the Mexican border from Los Angeles is the third section referred to as the South Coast vineyards that also include the Antelope and Temecula Valleys. The fourth region is the Central Valley which includes, of course, the central valley and the Sierra foothills and Lodi.

Types of Grapes and Wines

The California Wine country grows hundreds of variety of grapes. There are French, Italian and Spanish grapes as well as hybrid grapes and new varieties being developed all the time.

The most familiar grape varieties are the Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah and the Zinfandel. They also grow red wine grapes that you may be familiar with such as the Barbera, Grenache, Malbec, Petite Sirah and Sangiovese. They are also known for the white wine grapes of Chenin blanc, Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris,etc.

The New World Style California Wine

California wine is often referred to as “New World” wine.  California wine is produced with a riper grape which gives it a rich, fruity flavor and higher alcohol content. California wine making more often uses aged oak to produce full bodied wines.

Winning California Wines

More attention and rave reviews have been coming from the international arena as California wine producers craft higher quality wines each year. The rest of the world is quickly discovering the treasures of the California wine industry through the wine of the month club.  Another wine club worth mentioning is the California wine club which offers offers premium California wines at great pricing.

California wine is an example of the farmers and artisans who craft their wine.  The unique taste of these wines is due to the consistent weather conditions and fertile ground in which their grapes are grown. California wine areas believe in achieving the highest quality, best flavored wines through good stewardship of the land and using sustainable practices in winegrape growing.

The Spanish influence on most California wine is quite obvious. The Spaniards first planted vineyards in the 18th century as each mission was established. The grapes were grown for use in religious sacraments as well as for daily life. Early vine cuttings came from Mexico from the common black grape. This grape species, often referred to as the “Mission Grape,” was the chief varietal of the early mission vineyards.

The gold rush period in California saw the biggest growth in residents as well as wineries in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. Celebrated vineyards such as Buena Vista, Charles Krug Winery, Inglenook and Schramsberg were established at that time.

California Wine Regions

There are distinct California wine zones. They are separated in to 4 separate locations.  First, there is the North Coast region that refers to an area north of San Francisco that includes the Sonoma and Napa Valleys as well as Mendocino and Lake County. Second is the Central Coast of California that are areas west of San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara County that includes well known places such as the Paso Robles, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and more. Third on the list is the South Coast region which denotes the area south of Los Angeles all the way to Mexico which includes the Temecula Valley, Antelope Valley, San Pasqual, Ramona Valley, etc. The fourth region is the Central Valley which includes, of course, the central valley and the Sierra foothills and Lodi.

Varieties of Grapes and Wines

There are a number of types of grapes cultivated in the California wine regions. For instance, there are the French, Italian, Spanish grapes and new hybrids springin up each year.

You have probably heard of most of the popular grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel. They also grow red wine grapes that you may be familiar with such as the Barbera, Grenache, Malbec, Petite Sirah and Sangiovese. They are also known for the white wine grapes of Chenin blanc, Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris,etc.

New World Style Wines

California wine is commonly called “New World” wine.  The temperate and warmer climate in California ripens the grape earlier making for a frutier flavored wine with 13.5% alcohol levels. The oak aged California wine making process produces a wonderful full body taste.

Rave Reviews for California Wine

The locally treasured California wine has emerged as an international treasure as well. California wineries compete in wine events all over the world and consistently earn high marks making California one of the sources for premier international wine of the month club.

Reasons To Join A Wine Club

If you love to drink the “nectar of the gods” then joining a wine of the month club can provide you with more than just a few benefits. Many people are choosing wine as their hobby because it is considered slightly more refined than “kegger parties” or “making homemade lye soap”.

Joining a wine of the month club offers the opportunity to meet other enthusiasts and taste a lot of wines you may otherwise never have the chance to try.

More and more independent vineyards and bottlers are increasing their market share through self-promotion via wine clubs and mailings. If you are considering joining a wine club, I have listed the top 5 benefits for you to read. This way you are able to see that joining a wine club can bring much more to your table than just “a bottle of the good stuff”.

1. Your wine will arrive in an inconspicuous brown wrapper; perfect if you happen to have nosy neighbors.

• Wine clubs all deliver their goods via UPS in plain brown boxes, so you’re your nosy neighbor doesn’t have to see what’s being delivered to your home (it’s really none of their business anyway).

2. Impress your friends. People will be amazed at your wine collection, which will have some rare and unusual bottles – but you’ll know that you really didn’t spend a lot on your collection. You can tell friends that those bottles of small-bottling Petite Syrah in your cellar cost hundreds (they didn’t cost you hundreds, but they don’t have to know that).

3. Make Money. You can take advantage of your collection by hosting a wine tasting at your home! If you were so inclined, you could even charge a fee for the food and drink served at your tasting.

4. Saves Time and Effort. Being in a wine club can keep your wine collection well stocked, all without having to run out to buy wine. You’ll never have to run out at the last minute to find a bottle for dinner again!

5. Ha-Ha Time….Wine club benefits include the ability to play dozens of new practical jokes…

• You will be the only one who knows the exact features and description of the wine in the bottle, so if you decide to challenge friends to a wine taste off…….hey, you’ll beat the experts. A really good wine connoisseur may know the aromas and flavors but he sure as heck will not know exactly when and where it was bottled…..only you will know that it is from McQuiqqleburry Lantern Vineyards….

• Fill the empty bottles of really good wine with cheap stuff that you bought on sale and serve them to any of the pretentious snobs that you might know…. You know the ones that we are talking about, I’m sure. Make sure that others get the best wine you have and only your select guests should have glasses filled with your special “house wine”.

The wine snobs will probably spend a lot of time trying to rave about the wine as much as everyone else. This can be a great prank to reveal later; that is, if you can keep a straight face through dinner.