I love to try different wines. Though I tend to prefer sweet varieties it’s nice to taste something new. I’m not what I’d call a wine connoisseur so sometimes I don’t even know what I haven’t tried and what I might like! The idea of a different wines delivered to your door for you to try each month sounds awesome to me. California Wine Club does just that.
The California Wine Club is owned by Bruce and Pam Boring who travel around all the family-owned wineries in California to share with their club members the best wines in their region. What a great concept, and I absolutely love that buying from them supports small family-owned businesses. The vast majority of the wines they sell are sold locally only and you’d never find them in a store near you. So members of the California Wine Club get a taste of the wineries in Napa, Sonoma, the Sierra Foothills and more that you probably wouldn’t get to try unless you lived there or hopped on a plane. They bring California Wines to you. Right to your doorstep, to be specific!
So how does this work? First, there’s no membership fee and you can cancel at any time. So you don’t need to worry that you’re getting roped into a big, expensive commitment. Secondly, they guarantee their wines so although we all have different tastes, if you get a bad bottle they’ll replace it for free. Finally, their membership plans are really flexible and can suit any taste and budget.
The California Wine Club offers four types of memberships. Their Premier membership includes two bottles on wine for $49.95 per month, shipping included. Choose to have this delivered every month, every other month, or quarterly. Then you can select to receive two bottles of red, two of white, or one of each. The Signature Series option includes options for delivery at the same intervals as the Premier membership, but with this one you can also choose to have two, three, or four bottles of wine delivered. These wines are the most highly rated and prices range from $150 to $275 per shipment. The third club option they have is the International Selections. These shipments include 2 bottles of international wine, choose from either all reds or mostly reds (an occasional white thrown it) and they are about $60-$75 per shipment. Finally, the Aged Cabernet Series includes Napa Valley Cabernets aged 8-12 years. Two bottles average $150-$235 per shipment.
I got to try two shipments of two wines. The first I reviewed here, and the second shipment I’ll tell you about here! It included one red and one white. I’m more of a white wine drinker so we started with the 2011 Santa Barbara County, White Hills Vineyard Chenin Blanc from the Daniel Gehrs Winery.
Aromas of plums, wild flowers and clover honey lead to a fruity palate of ripe Barlett pear and melon flavors. The finish is crisp and zesty.
My husband and I both really liked this one. This wine was sweeter that last month’s selection and a little fruity. Right up my alley! I’d definitely drink this one again.
We were also sent a bottle of Daniel Gehrs 2009 Central Coast Merlot, a dark red wine:
Dustiness, tanned leather and earthiness add complexity to the lush signature black cherry fruit. Tannins are smooth, lending backbone and a long finish.
I’m not a good judge of this wine because I really don’t care for reds to begin with. To me this one was too dry and bitter, but my husband likes red wines and he really liked this one. That was the same story last month! We just have different tastes and that’s one nice thing about the California Wine Club: you can try a variety of wines that provide a favorite for everyone.
A membership to the California Wine Club would make a fantastic gift for anyone who loves to try new, unique wines. And it would be fun to join yourself and get a surprise on your doorstep every so often! Check out their website at www.cawineclub.com and learn more. Then follow the California Wine Club on Facebook and Twitter to be the first to hear their latest news!
California Wine Club is generously giving one of my readers a $50 gift certificate to use on their site! This giveaway is open to US residents ages 21+. Sorry, they cannot ship to Utah. The giveaway ends on December 10. Orders must be placed by December 12 for Christmas delivery via ground shipping! You can enter to win [HERE].
This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a 2 month Membership to the California Wine Club for the purpose of this review. The opinions in this post are 100% mine. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
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