Month: August 2021

The 2021 Marathon Wine Sale is On

August 26 and 27th

9:00 am Napa Time

At www.lastbottlewines.com

Plus, FREE GROUND SHIPPING on ALL ORDERS (contiguous states)! TRUE, UTTER MADNESS. Yup, you read it right — FREE SHIPPING ON EVERY AND ALL ORDERS, regardless of # of bottles.

That’s it – madness it is, and all first come, first served!!

This year is different & This is Awesome!!

This 2021 marathon is all about TEACHERS, supplies, and support. We’re donating $1 per order (last one was 83,000) to the Napa Valley Education Foundation to directly benefit teachers’ needs for nearly every school in Napa County, many of which are strained to the maximum post-Covid.

A Little Background

I have bought from this site, and never had a problem.

I also still enjoy the crazy, super-paced descriptions.

Based upon the flash sale model, lastbottlewines is headquartered in Napa Valley and has been gaining momentum and clients since its humble beginning in 2011. Its Three partners (Cory Wagner, Stefan Blicker and Brent Pierce) have good connections in the wine world.

If you order too late, you get an empty wine case image with the not so subtle snooze you lose message. If you happen to buy the last bottle, they give you a $25 credit. 

The comments are obviously aimed at millennials with an overuse of CAPS, preponderance of buzz words from awesome, bang, boom, wow, and references to a killer Vintage or “Rockstar winemaker.  Then you usually encounter more exclamation marks and 3 dots than your English teacher ever thought possible in one paragraph.

So many ROCKSTARS, so little time. The 2018 Ridge Lytton Springs quickly sold out.

The 2016 Luna Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford was an out and out steal.

Other recent examples of wines offered that’ll rock your world are excellent Brunello and Barolo. Recently a 2016 Douro was tempting as was a Malbec from Cahors. Yes, they have an importer’s license and can offer super discounts on imports. Sorry I missed out on a super St. Emilion, the 2016 Château Haut-Sarpe, the real deal from St. Emilion.

 I couldn’t resist the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc from  Matahiwi Estate, NZ, for $10. The 2018 Rivetto Langhe Nebbiolo for $18 was so tempting. And so on and on…

Making Wine Fun Again

Just discovered One of the most exciting wine clubs, bar none. 

Honest.

It not only meets but also exceeds my 4 very demanding standards:

1.High quality wines

2. Wide variety of wines, unusual wines, and wines at all price points

3. Membership has real value, VIP, being part of cutting edge thinking, something trending

4. Fun

Well, the “fun” requirement eliminates about 90 of all winery wine clubs, the snobby places with way over the top prices.

Also those wineries where members feel pressure to buy or else get dropped. And those with the weekend traffic and the crowds? 

So  hello Paso Robles, the home to high quality wineries owned by crazy, gifted, fun loving, creative, enthusiastic and, well, nice people.

If anyone is thinking Paso is in the middle of nowhere, let me remind you that this is 2021, the era of Zoom, virtual tastings and websites with real human interaction. Besides, typical members visit the winery once or twice a year.

And one more major thing, this winery is within reach of TinCity, home to dozens of other wineries, a few artisan breweries, and a food vendor or two. Yes, part of a wine destination!!

And THE winery is: Tooth & Nail Winery

www.toothandnailwine.com

This oddly named winery offers several types of wines under 4 different brand names:

Tooth & Nail: Creative, unconventional wines with unusual names and stunning labels. For example, “The Fragrant Snare” brings together Chardonnay, Albarino, and Viognier

Amor Fati: Syrah, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all from cool climates.

For me, these 4 were love at first taste. All scored 92 points or higher. See reviews at 

http://www.winereviewonline.com

 Stasis: Pinot Noir from Santa Maria and a Viognier. Both excellent.

Destinata: Drink now, no fanfare Chenin Blanc, Riesling, and Syrah. All good. All fun. Especially the drink-now style Syrah. The dry Riesling and Chenin will surprise you.

Bundles: special packages at 20% off prices. 

There’s a Pure Bliss” bundle and a” Once in A Lifetime” bundle you should check out.

BTW: the labels are so artsy, so creative, and so collectible!

Who’s Behind these Wines?

Rob Murray is the owner. After making Rabble Wine a raving success, he sold it to start Tooth & Nail. With Rabble, he was the first to use augmented reality technology in wine labelling, thereby injecting a sense of movement and play onto a bottle of wine. When it comes to label artwork and design, he is far ahead of everyone. He also earmarked a percentage of profits from Rabble for “1 % for the Planet”, joining companies like Patagonia, Boxed Water and Honest Tea, in giving to vetted environmental non-profit organizations.

Winemaker Jeremy Leffert’s motto is: “Pour now. Live for today.” He has a degree in Environmental Science and later studied at Cal Poly. At Tooth & Nail, Jeremy leans toward the philosophical and is ever alert to avoid “the dominance of the winemaker’s hand.” With that in mind, he views himself as a shepherd as much as a maker. “My approach is to treat everything with such care that the voice of the vineyard shines through the wine,” he says. “It’s all about respecting nature’s intent.”

Wait! A winemaker without a BIG ego? Not puffed up about high scores, not an icon or living legend? Just a highly skilled professional making wine clubs fun again.