Recommend a local wine-of-the-month club
December 16, 2022 12:50 PM Subscribe
My partner enjoys wine so I'd like to give the gift of a monthly bottle delivery. Ideally from local (pacific northwest) producers and catering to their particular tastes. Recommendations desired!
My partner describes their wine preferences as "dry red", but they also enjoy some sweetness (19 Crimes' The Banished is a favorite). Furthermore, they don't like Syrah or Chianti as they find them too vinegary. They sometimes, but rarely, like white wines.
For more examples of their tastes, here are some more examples of wines that appeal to them (excerpted from this list):
My partner describes their wine preferences as "dry red", but they also enjoy some sweetness (19 Crimes' The Banished is a favorite). Furthermore, they don't like Syrah or Chianti as they find them too vinegary. They sometimes, but rarely, like white wines.
For more examples of their tastes, here are some more examples of wines that appeal to them (excerpted from this list):
- Kirkland Signature 10-year-old Tawny Porto: This 10-year-old Tawny Porto is produced by Kobrand house Via Nova de Gaia — very appealing with rum raisin, black currants, toasty oak and caramel notes on the palate Lot of raisins, dulcet plum and dry fruits, with caramel on the finish.
- 2020 Kirkland Signature Malbec Coming from Mendoza and made at the well-known Broquel winery, this 2020 Malbec offers chocolate and tobacco leaf with blackberry pie.
- 2019 Kirkland Signature Saint-Julien Bordeaux This is an unusual blend for the region, combining 76% merlot with the remainder cabernet sauvignon. It’s soft and approachable, showing good viscosity and weight. Cassis, blackberry cobbler, coffee grounds and wet gravel on the palate. Tannic, this wine needs at least two hours of air if enjoying in its youth, but it is well made.
- 2019 Kirkland Signature Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Made by winemaker Allison Crowe, this delivers sweet black licorice, black currants and black cherry flavors. Forward and juicy with good acidity I’m getting a lot of plums and ripe fruits. You can tell it’s been aged in American oak with the lingering vanilla on the finish.
- 2017 Kirkland Signature Brunello di Montalcino It’s delicious — smooth tannins and soft approach. Red plum, white pepper, dusty soils with red currants on the palate. This is a modern style of Brunello. I would drink this with any world-class Italian fare.
Another thought, the wineries and companies that ship wine to homes need to cover their shipping costs. If you were interested in spending $20-25/month, for instance, with shipping costs you may be restricted to wineries that produce lots of $10-15 wines, and pay $10/month of your wine budget on shipping. Buying in person from a local wine shop would mean no ship-to-home charges, and therefore, more options that fit the budget.
Okay, you asked about recommendations! I'm not familiar with anything that fits just what you're looking for, but you could go online to somewhere like wine.com and filter for Pacific NW wineries and your price point, and go from there.
posted by happy_cat at 4:02 PM on December 16, 2022
Okay, you asked about recommendations! I'm not familiar with anything that fits just what you're looking for, but you could go online to somewhere like wine.com and filter for Pacific NW wineries and your price point, and go from there.
posted by happy_cat at 4:02 PM on December 16, 2022
I can’t help with the wine of the month part of things, but I can point you toward some PNW wineries that have some tasty wine!
Rolling Bay Winery - they have a wine club, but it only ships twice a year. Their reds would probably suit your partner’s tastes. I’m a fan of their Tempranillo and their Malbec especially, but all of their reds are tasty.
Teutonic Wine Company - their reds might be a bit light, but their wines are super interesting.
posted by Maeve at 4:36 PM on December 16, 2022
Rolling Bay Winery - they have a wine club, but it only ships twice a year. Their reds would probably suit your partner’s tastes. I’m a fan of their Tempranillo and their Malbec especially, but all of their reds are tasty.
Teutonic Wine Company - their reds might be a bit light, but their wines are super interesting.
posted by Maeve at 4:36 PM on December 16, 2022
You might look at the wine club options that Red's Wine Bar offers. They're located in Kent, so the PNW is likely to be pretty well represented overall, and if the $60-75/month price point works for you (not including shipping, but your profile location puts you close enough to pick up from the shop if you wanted) the Premier Washington Red Club on that page sounds like exactly what you're looking for. I can vouch for all the brands featured in that photo as solid producers with house styles that should fit the preferences you list.
One thing to note is that Syrah is a pretty major red varietal for Washington state, so any club that features Washington wines would likely include them fairly often. Oregon red wines are dominated by Pinot Noir, which may not be to your partner's liking based on the wines you list in your post. They're going to be significantly "thinner" than everything on that list.
posted by Jawn at 4:41 PM on December 16, 2022
One thing to note is that Syrah is a pretty major red varietal for Washington state, so any club that features Washington wines would likely include them fairly often. Oregon red wines are dominated by Pinot Noir, which may not be to your partner's liking based on the wines you list in your post. They're going to be significantly "thinner" than everything on that list.
posted by Jawn at 4:41 PM on December 16, 2022
I would recommend signing up for the Wines of Washington club as you can then get selections from a variety of wineries in...wait for it...Washington State. All memberships can be "red wine only."
posted by brookeb at 4:46 PM on December 16, 2022
posted by brookeb at 4:46 PM on December 16, 2022
Hi! We live in the growing Eastern Columbia Gorge wine area, and there are some great wine clubs from very small and delicious wineries along the river between Oregon and Washington. We have been members of all of these, and so have friends, and we've all been very happy.
Cor Cellars
Analemma
Loop de Loop
posted by MonsieurBon at 6:08 PM on December 16, 2022
Cor Cellars
Analemma
Loop de Loop
posted by MonsieurBon at 6:08 PM on December 16, 2022
Cathedral Ridge in Hood River, etc does a wider variety of reds than most Willamette Valley vineyards. I've had Barbera, grenache and zinfandel from them. They do whites but their thing is Bordeaux or Italian inspired reds.
They are not cheap, but it's usually 5+ bottles every quarter.
There are other wineries in the Columbia Gorge area on both sides of the river that might offer wine on a monthly basis. I recommend that area because the climate can vary hugely depending on how far from the rain shadow the vineyards are located and it tends to be 10+ degrees hotter out there.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:24 PM on December 16, 2022
They are not cheap, but it's usually 5+ bottles every quarter.
There are other wineries in the Columbia Gorge area on both sides of the river that might offer wine on a monthly basis. I recommend that area because the climate can vary hugely depending on how far from the rain shadow the vineyards are located and it tends to be 10+ degrees hotter out there.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:24 PM on December 16, 2022
If they’re in Seattle, I’d recommend Vino Verité. My best friend has been in their wine club for years.
posted by matildaben at 12:19 PM on December 17, 2022
posted by matildaben at 12:19 PM on December 17, 2022
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posted by happy_cat at 1:16 PM on December 16, 2022 [1 favorite]