Norm Roby's Unfiltered Guide to Savvy Wine Shopping
Finding the best deals online & direct from wineries
Best Fall Sale this Week
With free shipping on select wines www.wtso.com is one to check out.
Act fast because a few sold out within hours.
Still available is an excellent Chardonnay: 2014 Cuvaison Estate Carneros, $15.99
And an excellent red: 2014 Chateau Hoyot Reserve Cotes de Bordeaux, $13.99
Another super Chardonnay with free shipping on 4: 2014 Iron Horse Estate Chardonnay, $16.99
Learn more about wtso at http://www.bestonlinewineshopping.com
Just when I was about to give up the search for an online wine site that not only offers good wines at good prices but also serves as a vehicle for educating and teaching about wine, I found one.
The Weekly Tasting, a relatively new site related to WTSO.com, is refreshingly sensible and informative. No membership requirements or hard sales tactics involved. No superficial program or pretend algorithm to create your tasting profile. Just two sommeliers working hard to select wines and to help you learn more about wine.
Such a change from the many sites that use sommeliers to shill for some overpriced wine by their rambling wine descriptions, overflowing with buzz words and baloney, to lead up to a rating of 95-100 points.
Each week, The Weekly Tasting usually offers 4 wines organized around a theme, and the packages are selected by two sommeliers, Elizabeth Schneider and Laura Maniec. Both are the real deal.
The themes are usually on a region or a varietal. As someone who has taught wine classes for many years, I can say It is not as easy as people think and so much comes down to selecting the best wines to illustrate the point or points you are trying to get across.
So, to get to my point, I find the wines selected for the different weekly tasting themes to be first-rate and reasonably priced. The package includes a video, tasting notes, wine pairing suggestions, all arranged in the box containing the bottles.
Let me cite a few examples to demonstrate why this is a vast improvement over the other so-called “curated” packages found elsewhere. The current weekly package focuses on Cru Beaujolais, a type that is probably not known to many, is not sexy or trendy, but might just appeal to red wine lovers looking for something different and delicious.
The current package is brilliant and performs a real service to those who truly want to learn about wine. Here is it:
“Cru Beaujolais. Do not confuse the Cru of Beaujolais with Beaujolais Nouveau or even regular Beaujolais – these are serious wines. In fact, the region of Beaujolais has officially designated these villages as the best of the best. Many people compare Gamay, the grape in Beaujolais, to Pinot Noir in Burgundy. They have similar textures, but Gamay has softer acidity and is more plush on the palate. At this price point, I’d go so far as to say these four wines have more finesse and elegance than any Pinot Noir.” -Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, MW
The price is $69.99 but with free shipping.
Then, I suspect many new wine drinkers buying Malbec by the boatload are curious about the difference between Malbecs from Argentina and France. So, here’s what is selected in another package:
What Elizabeth Schneider Has Picked For This Tasting
The price for this is $59.99, with free shipping.
Though everyone reading this is a wine expert, if you happen to know someone who would like a solid introduction to different wine varietals, consider this 6 bottle package:
See What Laura Maniec Has Picked For This Tasting
While unfamiliar with Windmill, I can understand how the other 5 are typical examples of the respective varietal.
Now don’t get me wrong; this is not master sommelier classwork. But the site and its packages are excellent starting points to wine education. The list of terms is solid as in the breakdown of the major wine varieties.
And yes, the point is to sell more wine. Learning about the wine before you buy it is not a bad thing.
This company has been acquiring wineries over the last decade and now owns over a dozen real wineries and brands.
The top names are B.R. Cohn, Clos Pegase, Swanson, and Sonoma Coast Vineyards.
Its private labels and brands are best ignored such as Purple Cowboy and Pro-mis-Q-ous.
And it is also responsible for the Game of Thrones wines which are frequently sold on E-Bay.
Here are two teasers of what will be included in this sale
Though no fan of global wine companies, I am comfortable with this one…so far.
To date, the parent company has maintained the integrity of wineries such as BR Cohn, Swanson, Clos Pegase, Sonoma Coast and Firesteed.
A few wines from Both Swanson and Clos Pegase have been hyped and discounted at vivino, so this is not the one and only online sale opportunity.
Before buying any wine, check out the price at www.winesearcher.com to se if you are getting a genuine deal
Partial listing:
Vintage Wine Estates is a group of winery estates and brands that include Clos Pegase, Cosentino Winery, Girard Winery, B.R. Cohn Winery, Swanson Vineyards, Viansa Sonoma, Windsor Vineyards, Cameron Hughes, Firesteed, Tamarack Cellars, Cartlidge & Browne, Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Middle Sister, Tall Dark Stranger, Pro-mis-Q-ous, Monogamy, Girl & Dragon, Purple Cowboy and a number of exclusive wine brands.
The first major online September wine sale is at www.cawineclub.com
And is a wonderful way to kick off the harvest season.
And stock up on all types of wine because this sale turns out to be a bargain hunter’s paradise with excellent wines from real wineries.
Take advantage of terrific discounts, a few over 50% off.
And the sale includes $1 shipping on 6 or 12 bottles. Shipping a case normally runs $38-40.
Check out this exciting “Harvest Wine Sale” which ends on September 30, 2018. Prices listed are per bottle.
2016 Cambria Monterey Chardonnay $8.99
2013 Tangent Grenache Blanc Edna Valley $9.99
2013 Zaca Mesa Syrah Santa Ynez $12.99
2014 Kieu Hoang Cabernet Sauvignon Napa $11.99
2016 Clos LaChance Central Coast Red $13.99
94 points, (tasted at the winery 23 August)
2016 Clos LaChance Central Coast Red $13.99
Combines Merlot, Cabernet, Malbec and Petit Verdot from home vyd in Santa Clara and nearby estate vineyards.
Crafted in a smooth, rich classy style. Classic blackberry, tea leaf, spicy aromas and flavors with light touch of oak. Serve this Meritage red to your snobby Napa Valley friends and they will think it is a $100 bottle.
Drink now or age this one for a few years This is the old Clos LaChance label that is being replaced next vintage which might explain the exceptional deal.
2015 Morgan Winery Pinot Noir, Double L, Santa Lucia Highlands $38.
This is the top of the line and is fabulous Pinot at any price.
See more at www.cawineclub.com
Check out more online deals and honest, detailed reviews of wine clubs at
Looking for truly outstanding wines under $20, wines that you can enjoy on a daily basis without compromising your standards?
Not to worry: we got big news for you.
This week, wine.com has gone all out to offer wines for under $20 that have been rated 90 points or more. If you act fast, you may be able to enjoy a special one cent fee for shipping a case or some other promo.
This website is ideal for one stop shopping. However, not all the wines are as good as they sound and not all are discounted. It is a long laundry list with over 900 wines.
However, we are happy to make your life easier by slogging through the list and highlighting the best of the best.
And we are happy to share a few buying tips to make the process less bewildering.
First, after going to “Wines Under $20” on wine.com, click on the sort by “Savings” feature to find the biggest discounts.
Our rule of thumb is buy wines online that are at least 20% below average retail. Otherwise, you might be better off at a supermarket or a Wal-Mart or Costco.
A good way to check prices, if you are concerned, is to go to www.winesearcher.com which is the best for showing average prices.
Also, try to obtain a special shipping price. Without it, you can end up paying $35 or more to ship a case. That likely wipes out any discounts.
What wines are most likely to deliver in the under $20 category?
Start with Argentinian Malbec, a no-brainer, but you still can get burned with a lightweight style. For instance, I’ve been disappointed recently by the Norton Malbec. Dont overlook Cabernets and red blends from Argentina.
Otherwise, for Cabernet, consider those from Australia and places like Paso Robles and Lake County before automatically thinking Chilean. Washington’s Columbia Valley Cabs can be fabulous deals. It is possible to find tasty and on point Bordeaux, especially from 2015.
For white wines, check out those from Russian River, New Zealand of course, and also Pinot Gris from Oregon and Gruner Veltliner from Austria.
Finding quality, discounted Chardonnay is a real challenge. Of the 86 listed on wine.com, only two appealed to me, the MacRostie and Terlato Family.
If you want wines with those tiny bubbles, Gloria Ferrer is still reliable but see our selection of Alsatian sparkling wine, surprisingly rich and delicious.
As for vintages, go with 2015 for wines from France, Italy, and Spain. Avoid those from 2011 and 2013.
Dont forget old favorites, tried and true places. For instance a 2015 Moulin-a-Vent, Cotes de Rhone, or Bordeaux Medoc can come through as super deals.
A word about point scores and critics. Honestly, a wine rated 92 is not better than one rated 90. Rating wine has become a silly game not to be taken too literally.
With these things in mind, we have cherry picked the lengthy list of under $20 wines offered by wine.com.
All of our top wines are sold for at least 20% below retail.
Our list is a mix of whites and reds, and one sparkler to enjoy this Spring. These are wines to buy and enjoy.
Heading To Sonoma Wine Country This Weekend?
Check out the exciting deals at www.invino.com this weekend.
Maintaining its #1 ranking in my top 7 web retailers, invino is holding a Warehouse sale both Friday and Saturday in Sonoma, just off the Plaza.
For more buying tips and a detailed review of invino.com, go to: www.bestonlinewineshopping.com
(Online only and does not include flash sales.)
Excellent finds/discounts in CA wines and direct imports.
Recent selections demonstrate a serious effort to find hidden gems. Moved to the top with new Italian wines and super California wines like Cuvaison Pinot and the unusual Marsanne from Mendocino’s Campovida. Offering 2013 “Prime Solum” Napa Cabernet from Bill (William) Hill tipped it for me.
Totally eccentric, often brilliant selection of imports.
Upgraded this week after securing excellent wines under $10 and super older wines like Qupe 09 Syrah. Provides excellent background on Bordeaux vintages.
Most complete and reliable site with decent discounts.
Showed well this week with 1 cent shipping option and much improved Bordeaux selection.
Solid, all-purpose site, part of the Wine Enthusiast.
Broke into the top 7 list this with several exciting offers.
Among them, Ferrari Carano’s Siena under $20 and lovely, all-purpose Primal Roots red for under $10.
Solid for discounted Italian and Spanish wines.
Enjoyed a strong week with exciting Barolo and Brunello deals,and specials on imported Roses. A double magnum of lovely Rose? Worked for me.
Rapidly improving. Best for CA wines.
Added hard to find wines from Tor and Jones Family, and Vermillion from Keplinger. Not all wines are discounted, this is more like a specialty online wine shop.
A go-to site if you love exploring new, small wineriesfrom Sonoma County. Added a Sauvignon from Bodkin and a new red from Jigar this week.
This site recently showed remarkable versatility with good deals on McLaren Vale Grenache, RustRidge Napa Zin and Phelps Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
Recently, sitting on top of a delivery from Macy’s was a $160 voucher to purchase 15 bottles of wine for $89.99 and free shipping. Two days later, out of the blue, Alaskan Airlines sent a voucher for $130 for 15 bottles of wine. But it included 2,000 bonus miles, and the cost was $69.99 with a shipping fee of $19.99.
Clearly, somebody sensed my wine cellar was shrinking.
But before I could decide what to do, my United Airlines card hit me with an offer of 5,000 bonus miles with a purchase of 6 bottles for $41.94, plus 1 cent shipping. Possibly sensing my dilemma and weakness at basic math, it explained that these “hand-picked wines” would save me $117.
Flush with 3 potential savings opportunities, I did something unusual: I read the fine print and did heavy-duty research based upon what I read. I then checked out 20 other wine clubs.
Happy to share what I learned.
First of all, these are introductory offers, teasers of sorts, and enticements to get us to join a wine club. Typically, wines are shipped to members’ door several times a year, depending upon your preference. And of course, the per bottle price is 2-3 times higher than that of the introductory offer. Shipping can be another major expense.
Knowing that, it becomes important to be able to cancel your membership anytime. Of the two dozen wine clubs I researched, they all had a cancellation clause. However, some, as you discover from the Yelps, are easier to drop out of the others.
What I soon discovered is that the key point to all of these tempting, money-saving offers is the actual source of the wines.
hat turned out to be far less complicated than it sounds because there are three major suppliers used by most of the airlines, most corporations, major newspapers, and most organizations from AARP to the NRA offering a wine club.
This suggests that many companies presenting a wine club basically outsource to another company to supply and service their wine clubs.
The three primary suppliers are Laithwaiteswine.com, vinesse.com and tastingroom.com also known as Lot 18.
Over the past year, I’ve reviewed all three in great detail on my website and follow them on a daily basis. Go to http://www.robywine.com for more details
Spoiler alert: the best offers are Alaskan if you want the bonus miles and Macy’s if you don’t and prefer free shipping.
Why the tie? Well, they both use Laithwaites and the wines offered are basically the same. Sure there are some minor differences if you select all reds, or whites, or a mix. But the deals are the same.
The more important answer: of the big three, Laithwaite simply has better quality wines and a much wider selection for those who remain members. It is strong in French, Spanish and Italian wines, and shows some depth in its California selections.
Continue reading “INSIDER’S GUIDE TO WINE CLUBS OFFERING POINTS AND/OR MILES”
As the dust settles on Cyber Monday, only 4 wine websites showed any real effort to compete for our attention. The others seem to sleepwalk through the 4-day weekend, offering a super deal or unusual wine among a long list of the usual suspects sold online year-round.
There was one clear-cut winner offering 10 exciting values: www.wineaccess.com, while the three other active sites hung in there with solid efforts.
See my picks and more details at http://www.bestonlinewineshopping.com
2014 Three Wine Company, Zinfandel, Contra Costa $23
2013 Bouchaine Pinot Noir Carneros $20
2015 M. Sarrazin Bourgogne Rouge, Vieilles Vignes $24
2015 Akarua Rua Pinot Noir, Central Otago $21.99
2015 Domaine de la Colline, Vacqueyras, $24.99
2015 Albert Bichot Vire Clesse $19.00-30
2016 Lioco Chardonnay, Sonoma County $22
2015 Domaine Roger Sancerre, $20
2015 Richmond Plains Sauvignon Blanc, Nelson, NZ $17
2015 Silkman Semillon Hunter Valley $22
Discounts were as high as 60% on several wines with free shipping. There were other added incentives for bigger orders.
This site is now well-balanced and includes many of the big names for the big spenders such as: Caymus, Amuse Bouche, Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne, Laurent Perrier Rose, Lagier Meredith Syrah, Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot, Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet
www.wine.com was active all weekend and wrapped it up with 1 cent shipping on orders of $29 or more on Monday.
www.invino.com continues to impress as it picks up new wines from around the wine world. I liked the rarely seen Meyer Family Anderson Valley Chardonnay at $19.99, and all Foppiano wines, especially the 2014 Estate Zinfandel at $15.99.
www.cinderellawine.com kept coming up with intriguing deals over the weekend.The most amazing was the 2015 Chateau Saint Roch Chimeres, Cotes du Roussillon, $13.99 and free shipping on 6 bottles. In the Roussillon, Minervois regions, 2015 is an excellent vintage and this is one major league deal!
The other sites I monitor kept a low profile and seemed to have decided to lay low and let Amazon enjoy the spotlight.
Vivino just published its 2018 Wine Style Awards which it describes as “the only awards within the industry wholly decided by the public.”
Here is how it works: “Over 26 million wine lovers from around the world have chosen the 1,490 winning wines, that span 149 wine style categories, by rating them on Vivino over the past 12 months.”
The full winners can be viewed at www.vivino.com/awards.
Vivino founder and CEO, Heini Zachariassen, commented:
“The Vivino Wine Style Awards showcase the democratization of the wine world, by putting the power into the people’s hands.”
“Through our 26-million strong community, we’re not only able to deduce which are the best wines in the world, but also a host of other interesting wine trends…”
If you don’t know much about vivino, see my review at www.bestonlinewineshopping.com which is generally favorable.
Vivino is certainly one of the most dynamic online wine sites.
A few business articles have suggested it is trying to become the Amazon of the wine world. No harm in trying.
But let’s try to figure out what this list is and whether it has any real value to consumers or the wine trade. Is this a list of “the best wines in the world” or simply the “most popular” to vivino’s subscribers? Or are they one and the same?
Having read through all 1,490 wines listed, I came away thinking it is primarily a re-listing of the most famous, most expensive wines in the world.
With few exceptions. This is especially true of all French and most Italian and Spanish categories. But also of California. And Argentina led by high-end wineries such as Via Cobos and Catena.
I was hoping for some exciting trends to emerge, breakaway producers, dozens of new wineries pushing the old guard aside. But this was not the case. Instead you get all the oldies from Antinori to Petrus to Chateau d’ YQuem with only minor shuffling within categories.
I’m not opposed to ratings from the wine community, consisting of people with widely different levels of expertise. I’m supportive of anything that might be more useful than the 100 point system.
Posting notes and comments empowers some people and makes wine tasting fun. It also forces them to focus on the wine and to develop a vocabulary to support their opinions.
Best of all, it frees wine lovers from relying on ratings from any and all professional critics.
So why didn’t this concept of “putting the power into the people’s hands” yield some amazing newsworthy or at least some totally new stuff?
Too many categories? Too many reviewers? Something clearly did not click when the top White Rioja is one from 1986 priced at $899.99 and when the best Amarone will cost you $546 a pop.
And for one more example: the best northern Italian white is the 2011 Gaja Chardonnay at $241 a bottle!
Maybe the answer lies buried in the French Burgundy categories. One has to wonder did 194 Vivino members taste and review the 2006 DRC “La Tache?
And did 127 taste the 2012 La Romanee which retails for $14,962?
So how does any of this high priced stuff, to quote from the press release “help producers better understand consumer behavior and demand”?
The news release mentions the inclusion of Tannat from Uruguay and the growing interest in Cremant as a sparkling choice. Both wines consumers should know better.
The ten best New Zealand Pinot Noir list is excellent with several newcomers to join oldtimerFelton Road. Also found some excitement in the Chilean Malbec list and in the Spanish Syrah list.
In the various California categories, it was newsworthy to see such solid names as Frank Family, Rombauer, and Cakebread continue to be recognized.
And, yes there were a few new names such as Garguilo for its Cabernets, Robert Lloyd for Chardonnay and Arkenstone for Sauvignon Blanc. They google very well.
So what is the takeaway after studying this list of “The Year’s Best wines chosen by 26 million people?
One idea that keeps coming back is that since one assumes these amateurs actually bought the wines with their own money,
It is normal to want to love the most expensive wine. Especially if you bought it.
Who wants to shell to out $795 for the Harlan Estate or $1,4962 for the DRC only to admit to friends and family that the wine really wasn’t that great? And then rate them both 3 out of 5.
Not gonna happen!
Nor am I going to slip in a comment about the occasional failure of the democratic process to come up with the best.
It is an imperfect system.
Norm Roby's Unfiltered Guide to Savvy Wine Shopping 