Norm Roby's Unfiltered Guide to Savvy Wine Shopping
Finding the best deals online & direct from wineries
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”
Leave it to Jon Rimmerman, the unpredictable guy behind www.garagistewine.com to issue this challenge.
His pick: the 2015 Trinity Hill Pinot Noir, White label, Hawkes Bay for $9.98.
That’s right…under $10.
The average price is $15.00.
You can order up to 20 cases, so he has a sh…or make that boatload on hand.
And yes, this is delicious Pinot from one of New Zealand’s best producers.
It sure beats Cupcake’s Pinot Noir. Or Smoking Loon.
Is there a better deal now?
Ever?
Can a wine club be exclusive, limited to a few hundred members, hosts private special events, make great wines and be non-snobby?
I added that last point because the ATTITUDE you encounter in some wineries is a real turn-off, at least to me. (Are you listening, Napa Valley?)
Some people may think being made to feel uncomfortable and being talked down to by some twit on a script is part of the wine club deal. And attending over-subscribed winery events with boring speeches is the trade-off for buying expensive wines.
A good club, we can all agree, offers something more than high-priced, hard to find wines. The personal service should be attentive and the events should be more than tasting wines and listening to a sales pitch.
But membership should also be a positive experience, as in fun and a rewarding experience, as in learning.
The educational element is all too often non-existent in wine clubs today.
Drinking wine is easy; thinking about it as in expanding your knowledge, well, that’s a different thing.
So, if you share my interest in a wine club that has it all, except the attitude, look no further.
http://www.claricewinecompany.com
This is the new venture of a seasoned pro, Adam Lee, who founded Siduri Wines in the early 1990s and came to know every unusual Pinot Noir vineyard from Oregon to Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey. And Santa Barbara. And San Luis Obispo. Well, you get the idea.
I was among his many fans who enjoyed Siduri Pinot Noirs because each was a lesson in its place of origin. Yes, they were great studies in “terroir.” Still are.
I also liked the Syrahs made under the Novy label. Make that: loved them.
Having sold Siduri in 2015 to Jackson Family, Adam has been working on a new brand and a unique wine club concept.
The concept has 3 key elements: fine wines for members only, educational discussions, and community.
It is limited to 625 members, and the wines are offered only to members.
Here’s the deal:
“As part of the Clarice Wine Community, members will enjoy two exclusive parties a year, one focusing on the Clarice Pinot Noirs and the other spotlighting a fellow winemaker and their wines, during which members will learn about their viticulture and winemaking, taste their wines, and receive special discounts. Finally, members will receive a case of Clarice Pinot Noir as part of their membership.”
Membership fee is $964.00 a year. But is it payable in six monthly installments.
The case will be available each October. The first vintage was 2017.
Granted, plunking down $160 a month is a big commitment, and once you begin, well, you are in.
The add-on to me is the personal touch in the educational programs. Members will learn about many facets of winemaking such as oak barrels, how they are made and what they add to wine.
Better to let Adam explain the educational aspect:
“From vineyard management and barrel making, to winery accounting and wine distribution — and so much more — you’ll learn from and interact with the true leaders of wine. In addition, you’ll gain access to a growing library of wine-related articles, written by a who’s who of industry experts.”
So, you will earn what the “MT” designation on an oak barel means.
Also, Clarice will offer private social media forums to handle members’ questions or concerns about wine and restaurants, or in Adam’s words:
“Wondering which restaurants have the best wine lists? Need help deciding what to add to your cellar? Join our private social media groups to share knowledge and recommendations.”
To me, that says they are willing to put a ton of effort into making members happy and a part of the family or community. The number of members is limited by the amount of wine produced each year.
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.
Rated 5 out of 5 in 4 of 5 main categories
Navarro could well be the granddaddy of all wine clubs. Still family owned and operated by Deborah Cahn and Ted Bennett, Navarro has been selling direct through its mailing list since 1974.
Over such a long run, the winery fine tuned the wine club program and in many ways wrote the book on how to make it work.
And, most important, these guys how to keep members’ loyalty over the years.
Almost all wines are sold direct from the winery, and with rare exception, they are not sold in wine stores. So the exclusive angle is strong.
First, the staff, many of whom have been there for many years, is extremely knowledgeable and attentive. They have first hand information about the winemaking and get involved in the evaluation and marketing of all wines.
Members are offered all wines before non members can buy them. This is a big plus.
Normally wines are pre-released in the Spring and in the Fall. Members are notified about new wines by mail or email, and either way, the information is cleverly presented in a personal, no baloney prose style.
Memberships remain active by purchasing a case a year. The choice is yours, but the winery also offers special case samplers around a theme like “Springtime Whites” or “Hearty Reds.” Typically, six different case samplers are offered.
Without question, the wines are of high quality as evidenced by the inordinate numbers of medals won each year. I’ve judged their wines on several occasions and they almost always steal the show.
The flagship wine is the high end Pinot Noir, “Methode a l’Ancienne.” closely followed by the Barrel Fermented Chardonnay.
But if you have never liked a Gewurztraminer or a dry Riesling, you owe it to yourself to try Navarro’s, each the best of the breed. My favorite is the Sauvignon Blanc.
But there are wide choices for members as the winery normally bottles 20 or so wines per year. There are 3 different Chardonnays and 3 Pinot Noirs as a rule.
And there is always something new going on…a new varietal to the roster, a new vineyard source, or a new technique.
Some wines are offered in half bottles and a few magnums are available.
Prices: range from $16 to $50 a bottle. There normally are 3 or 4 wines priced below $20 a bottle.
Discounts range from 20% to 25% for members
Twice a year timed with the Pre-Release events, the winery offers 1 cent shipping on each full case.
Special Events and Member Perks
Located in the remote town of Philo, the winery makes its facility open to members. Two Pre-Release events are held each year.
The picnic area is tranquil and lovely. Non alcoholic grape juice is available for kids to sample.
The family also owns the successful Pennyroyal cheese company, so often a selection of cheeses is available.
Best deal:
Pinot Blanc, new to the roster and far better than any Chardonnay below $20. A super everyday white!
The Anderson Valley Pinot Noir at $22 a bottle is a fantastic red wine deal.
When to buy. Wait for the window of one cent shipping and stock up.
When not to visit. Late afternoon on any Friday when tourists heading to the Mendocino Coast clog the tasting room and slam down the samples.
The Happy Family Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn
Aaron and Sarah Cahn Bennett
Address: 5601 CA-128, Philo, CA 95466, USA
Hours: · 8AM–6PM
Phone: +1 800-537-9463
Norm Roby's Unfiltered Guide to Savvy Wine Shopping 