Category: Uncategorized

The Best Online Wine Shop?

So, I have to confess my picks for the Sweet 16 college teams did not fare well. Each one has, alas, gone home.

My game is online wine shopping, and here is my choice for one of the Final Four

http://www.garagistewine.com

garagistewine.com is the most peculiar online retailer I follow. One reason is that its founder Jon Rimmerman who has been offering wines for over 20 years often presents his daily offers late at night.  He is based in Washington State which may explain some things.

He sometimes seems a bit chatty and becomes so excited and enthusiastic that he might belabor a point about a particular wine or region.

He is also insistent about when he will ship your wines and specifies the required temperature and humidity for proper shipping.

But these minor quirks are greatly offset by the pluses.

  • He seeks out wines that are organic, biodynamic and farmed sustainably  
  • He favors small artisan producers and family owned wineries
  • He obtains many wines direct so truly cuts out the middleman
  • He doesn’t use inflated scores from Somms
  • His wines are attractively priced
  • And he is unpredictable, sometimes offering olive oil, nutella, or food items. All high quality.

I enjoy reading his detailed notes because he truly knows his stuff. His background insights about vintages and regions are extremely useful. He is particularly on top of the vintage variations in France’s Burgundy and the Rhone.

He provided a detailed report on 2016 and 2017 based on travels and tastings throughout France and it is spot on. His remarks about 2015 and 2016 Bordeaux are the most reliable in the wine trade.

His analysis of 2016 in Burgundy and of the 2017 Northern Rhone are some of the best I’ve read.

And to this fellow Loire Valley lover, he has the inside track on Loire Valley wines:

“2018 is one of those “pinch me, this can’t possibly be true?” red wine vintages in the Loire. I can’t really compare it to anything else – it has the ripeness of a vintage like 1989 but the freshness of 1996 (another classic year.”

He also looks closely for super wines from Washington, of course but also Oregon. A recent Washington Tempranillo was remarkable.

He often locates super wines under $15 a bottle.

Here are examples of recent offerings:

  • 2018 Bourgueil, Domaine Cotellergie, $16.76
  • 2016 Scott Paul Pinot Noir, Chehelam Mts, $19.71
  • 2014 Rioja Riserva, Burgo Viejo, $13.98
  • 2017 Sancerre, Dezat $19.99
  • 2016 Renvoise “Jasmieres,” dry Loire Valley Chenin Blanc $16.70
  • 2015 Domaine de Cambes, Bordeaux $33.71
  • 2016 Ribbonwood Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough $7.99

He recently offered a lovely Provence Rose for sale at $9.99.

He found “the best Bordeaux you’ve never heard of” from 2011.

He comes across as frank, as in these recent notes:

“This is fastidiously produced Chardonnay without a smidge of pretense but the stuffing and expression to, well, pummel just about any other example from outside the Burgundian reach under $30. In addition, the impact is from fruit, stone and clarity, not from alcohol, wood or from winemaker strategic manipulation/enhancement.”

Or

“If you think “bargain” wine is devoid of potential pleasure or cannot be in the league of top-drawer entrants, guess again. This wine can easily compete with Sauvignon Blanc at 2-3 times the $ and many of its competitors are not as delicious to drink.”

Sometimes to keep prices low, he suggests buying 6 or 12 bottles or more which may seem like hype and hustle, but I think he is sincere and honest in his emphasis on offering value.

A maximum number of bottles a person may purchase is always listed, ranging from 6 to 60.

Pros:

Wildly eclectic selection not found elsewhere.

Excellent prices

Seeks out biodynamic and other green products.

Cons:

Complicated shipping procedures and delivery dates but only to assure wines arrive in fine condition.

Naked Wines: A Case for Going Naked, Again

Nakedwines.com wants this one-time angel back, and is putting some heavenly pressure on me. The tempting bait hanging out over my ex-angel head is this: 12 bottles, shipped free for $79.99.

I have a week to decide.

Roman, the Head Angel who wants me back, describes the deal as a case of “Naked Favorites.”  The non-angel price for the case would be $239.99.

If you read my detailed review of nakedwines.com, you know my feelings are, at best, mixed. Medal winning wines are so common these days that promoting “Award Winning” wines doesn’t impress me. And the retail price for non-angels is practically meaningless because these wines are only available through nakedwines.

But this particular “naked favorites” case has me thinking.

One reason is that it offers wines from so many different, out of the ordinary regions, that even if the wines are ordinary, the experience could still be salvaged as educational.

To explain, here are the wines in the case that intrigue me:

Zinfandel from Calaveras. Yes, this is one of the historic regions in the old Gold Mining District. Its reputation today, like that of neighboring Amador County, is solid for Zinfandel.

Petite Sirah from Clarksburg. This wine is the pride of the Delta Region. Lots of old vine Petite Sirah is grown here.The best and widely available is Bogle Vineyards, selling under $10.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles. Sure, we all want to explore alternatives to high priced Napa Cabernets. And it is hard to screw up a Paso Cab. So, maybe this could be the one. But is it better than J. Lohr’s Seven Oaks Cab which sells between $10-$14?

Pinot Noir, France. From the southern region, not burgundy. But nevertheless, could be a pleasant surprise. And the winemaker is well-respected. But warm climate Pinot?

Pinot Gris, Hawkes Bay. Another curveball thrown my way. I visited Hawkes Bay during a trip to New Zealand and was wowed by the Sauvignon Blancs and Syrahs. So, hey, this Pinot Gris might also rise above the crowd.

Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa. Another wine well worth exploring. We all know South African Chenin Blancs have lovely, complex flavors.  

Portugal Red Blend. This one is from outside Lisbon, not from the better known Douro Region. Again, a surprise selection, Piqued my vinous curiosity.

Malbec from Argentina. Not, however,  from the Mendoza region, this one is from the cooler Uco Valley which grows my two favorite, and high-end  Malbecs: Zuccardi Q and the Salentein Reserve.

To sum up: this case of favorites is actually more like grape expectations, full of “could be” and “might be fine” wine.

Many winemakers from around the world participate in nakedwines. But the only one familiar to me is Scott Peterson, the person behind the California Cabernet.

I’m conflicted.

And the clock is ticking…

Stay tuned for my answer next week.

Alerting all Pinot Noir Fans: A Truly Great Discovery


Now offered by a website that usually over-hypes, and over rates every wine. But it got this one right!

2017 Eden Rift Pinot Noir, Valiant is on sale for $22.99

The revamped Eden Rift winery is the old Pietra Santa Winery in the Gavilan Range of San Benito County. That’s not too far from Calera.

I credit SF Gate’s Esther Mobley for discovering this winery and writing about the new developments in San Benito several months ago. She is a brilliant wine writer worth following.

The website offering this wine is http://www.vivino.com which typically mentions Robert Parker and then describes the wine in stange language such as: “A World Premiere — Profound Wild Berries and Violets! Legitimately Spectacular!”

And adds, “This Pinot Noir will put you back in your seat. The tension and vibrance is memorable…”

Impressed by the “profound wild berries,” its sommelier on duty rates it 98 points. Lucky guy, he apparently never tastes a wine rated below 95 points.

My Rating: 94 points

My bad: As much as I enjoy berries, can’t remember any as profound.

Sensible facts:

The winery is owned by Christian Pillsbury.

Cory Walker is the winemaker who was assistant winemaker at Calera.

The Eden Rift name draws from Steinbeck’s East of Eden and the fact that the area sits on the San Andreas Fault.

$22.99 is an excellent price, 40% below retail.

See www.vivino.com

A Blueprint for Small Winery Success

Great News for Small, Family Owned Wineries Selling Direct

We are talking about those wineries sometimes called Mom & Pop wineries…

The 4,000 or more  genuine artisans in California trying to successfully compete in a market dominated by the big boys.

Not talking about private labels and bogus brands, either. Just real wineries.

The fast breaking news is that with your direct to consumer sales and marketing efforts, you don’t have to go it alone. There’s another option, another card you can play.

But don’t relax with the club membership drives just yet. Maybe soon enough you can cut back on the concerts, theme parties, meet the winemaker dinners, and any other special events.

Not one, but two online wine sellers have come up with a win-win scenario to sell your wines. Sort of a blueprint for sustained sales.

First up is www.firstbottlewines.com the new offspring of www.lastbottlewines.com . A recent offering is a six-pack of Blueprint wines, part of Lail Vineyards, is a good example. For $299,  the sale includes these:

2016 Blueprint Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley(3)

2017 Blueprint Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley (3)

In addition to the obligatory 90+ score mentions and the bow to the 100 point winemaker, the site breaks new ground in two ways. First, it has a link to a recent background article about Lail and Blueprint wines from www.wineinsider.com.

Second, a click on to other Lail wines presents other wines in stock. So, in effect, this site serves as a wine shop representing the winery with no middle man.

What also caught my attention was the extra nice personal touch in giving lots of credit where credit is due to Robin Lail who is indeed a Napa Valley icon.

Moving on. Next up is www. regionwineclub.com  which is more than another wine club. Located in Sonoma, it is owned by a chef who is also a wine broker. The focus is on small wineries, real wineries. In his words, the mission is:

“To find the hidden gems, not found in your average supermarket wine isle casino.”

So no wines from the massive portfolios of Constellation, Treasury and Jackson Family.  No private labels. What, no Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc? no La Crema Pinot Noir? No Prisoner?

Right now, it offers wines from first-rate wineries such as Madrigal, Saracina, Talisman, Eric Ross, Rued, Copain, and Crocker & Starr.

The breakthrough here is the direct channel to the wineries. If the wine featured for sale is from a winery with a website, there’s a link to that website and its wines and wine clubs.

If no website, it provides contact information from email address to telephone numbers.

The extra touch here is that regionwineclub provides in-depth background for each winery it works with.

And, for additional real, helpful information instead of the hype and hysteria common to many websites, there are links to the websites for the Napa Valley Vintners Association and the Sonoma County winery association, a link to The Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and the Wine Institute.

Finally, you can even find private chef services in Sonoma County: www.chefadair.com

He is the man behind region wine. It is a new website, so apparently he is not quite ready to quit his day job.

So far he is working with wineries in Sonoma and Napa, but would likely add other regions.

To continue, totalwine & more has a featured category called “winery direct.” But it is not quite the same. For starters, it offers 3,329 wines direct from the winery, including 469 Cabernets.

A single winery can’t expect much of a personal relationship here. And many Bordeaux wines are included in the Cabernet section which makes me question Total’s definition of winery direct.

So, check out firstbottlewines.com which has a massive mailing list

and regionwineclub.com which will connect to the winery website and wine club.

 

 

 

Great Deal from St. Emilion’s Neighbor

2016 Chateau Canon Montsegur Côtes de Castillon, Bordeaux, Direct Import, $14.99

An exclusive offering from:  www.invino.com

Having visited this château when I lived nearby, this has to be one of the best deals from this exciting vintage. Mostly Merlot (pictured above) with a touch of Cab Franc,  this is one Bordeaux to enjoy over the next several years.

The vineyard in Castillon site is ever so close to St. Emililon.

And, yes, $14.99 a bottle. At this price, your friends will think you have insider information. 

And you do: for more about invino and other online wine deals, go to www.bestonlinewineshopping.com

 

Two Great Direct from Winery Deals!

 

Special January sales

From 2 top-tier, limited production wine producers. Not the typical online wine stuff. Both wineries have amazing track records.

Act Fast if you love Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Testarossa’s specialties

And no one else makes Zinfandel and Syrah, better than Easton/Terre Rouge 

#1. Terre Rouge/ Easton Winery: Special Case Sale. The bottle prices are phenomenal. All the wines are excellent, 90+point calibre.

You can mix and match any 12 to qualify for the case sale.

Here are the Wines:

  • 2011 TERRE ROUGE Enigma ~ $25 reg. / $13.25 sale
  • 2012 TERRE ROUGE Tête-à-Tête ~ $22 reg. / $14 sale
  • 2014 EASTON Zinfandel, Amador County ~ $22 reg. / $14 sale
  • 2007 TERRE ROUGE Syrah, High Slopes  ~ $40 reg. / $23 sale
  • 2008 TERRE ROUGE Syrah, DTR Ranch ~ $40 reg. / $23 sale
  • 2008 EASTON Zinfandel, Estate ~ $35 reg. / $18 sale

Email the winery for inquiries: sales@terrerougewines.com

#2. Special sale from Testarossa Winery: Special 1 cent shipping on 4 bottles or more

Check the website for availability and price. The prices are not discounted, but the

shipping deal is extremely attractive for wines of this quality.

My choices:

2016 Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, $41.00

2017 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, $51.00

Not on a budget, then check out the other beauties at http://www.testarossa.com

Orders can also be placed by calling (408) 354-0797, emailing clubt@testarossa.com, or by visiting our Los Gatos or Carmel ValleyTasting Rooms.

Promotion expires January 31st, 2019. Penny shipping is UPS Ground.

For more tips for buying wines direct, go to:

http://www.bestonlinewineshopping.com

 

Mind the Gap: Wine Marketing 101

Selling Wines Online: Two Different Approaches

Wines under the Wind Gap label are being unloaded. Garigiste.com offered several a few weeks ago, and today, two websites offered a Wind Gap wine at $15 a bottle.

As we start the New Year, which would you buy based on the website’s offer?

Here are your choices:

  1. Buy a wine associated with a guy in prison for fraud who claimed to be rich, spent lots of money, not always his own and also made by an excellent winemaker. And it was “millions” of dollars. And you are led to believe he, the guy in prison, spent tons of money on the wine.
  2. Buy a wine described in bright, uplifting terms made by an excellent winemaker.

#1 A Wind Gap Pinot Noir as offered by www.vivino.com

“What you are about to read may be the most significant cloak and dagger event in the wine industry ever!

June 27th, 2017 Wine Industry Tycoon Charles Banks was sentenced to 4 years in prison for fraud after excessively overspending to craft the best wines in the world.

The Players:

Charles Banks – His Resume:

✔️Screaming Eagle / Jonata: former co-owner / co-founder

✔️Managing Partner: Terroir Capital – $200 million in winery assets (including Wind Gap)

✔️Defrauds two NBA stars out of millions: (somewhere around $22 million)

Pax Mahle – The Winemaker:

✔️100 point superstar – founder of Pax Cellars and Wind Gap

✔️Possibly more 94-100 point scores than Heidi Barrett and Philippe Melka combined”

 

#2 A Wind Gap Syrah offered by  www.lastbottlewine.com

“BIG, bold, in your face Syrah from none other than Pax Mahle (yes, the guy who just scored 100 points for his $50 Sonoma Hillside bottling under the Pax label) that is made in a drink-me-now-with-gusto style. Bright, perfumey and juicy, this isn’t real heavy or meaty at all, just a warm, friendly, lovely, MIND-BLOWING DEAL if we have EVER seen one. Pax and his wines are all the buzz these days, so it’s particularly thrilling for us to have a little (little!) parcel to sell. PLEASE don’t miss! WILL sell out in the blink of an eye!

(oh, and Happy New Year, also, please hurry on this as Pax Mahle’s Wind Gap is more popular than a roomful of newborn kitty cats and we don’t have very much)”

 

So please cast a vote.

Shameless or frivolous?

 

2018 Wine Website Annual Awards

 

Now that the post-Christmas sales are over and we can wrap up this absolutely crazy year for online wine sales, the results are in for the year’s winners and, yes, losers.

So, without further ado and other clichés, here we go:

BEST FOR ONLINE DISCOUNTS

One site kept improving its offering throughout the year while maintaining healthy discounts usually over 50%, sometimes approaching 70%.

The same site actually apologizes when the discount on a special wine falls below 30%. Others brag when they can offer something at 25-30% below average retail.

And the winner for best discounts in 2018: www.wtso.com

As a footnote, this site was sued 2 years ago for mis-representing average retail prices. So it has really cleaned up its act to become a role model.

We can only hope that other sites relying on false and misleading prices, scores, and narratives take note.

BEST ONLINE WINE DISCOVERIES

This category looks for wines that are not available either in traditional wine shops or on most websites. The focus is on discoveries of unusual, limited production wines that are true to their type. But NOT EXPENSIVE.

Every wine lover is on the lookout for something different, a wine not in the mainstream.

Such as outstanding wine from Greece or Slovenia as well as wines from Germany, Spain, Italy and France. A wine that is highly enjoyable and comes with a rich and exciting history.

And the 2018 winner for presenting the best wine discoveries is: www.sommselect.com

BEST WEBSITE FOR CULT-LIKE WINES

We know there’s a market for 95+ point rated wines priced on the high end. This wine buyer is interested in not only California cults (Cade, Pahlmeyer, Insignia, Shafer, Harlan) but also in the top rated Bordeaux and Brunello, as well as the Super Tuscans like Sassicaia.

Not limited to the current favorites but also interested in the next great cult wine.

This is a hotly contested category.

Over the year one site has proven itself to be the one-stop shopping for the cult and cult-wannabe wines of the world.

The 10-20% discount and free shipping on orders of $149 or more cemented its place on the top.

The proven track record for reliability doesn’t hurt either.

And that site is: www.wineexpress.com

 

BEST WEBSITE  FOR INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE SHARING

This category may surprise those of you all too familiar with the non-stop hype that highlights fake scores, 100 point winemakers, “greatest vintage ever” nonsense so common on wine websites. 

You may be surprised that the category even exists.

But it does. And we reviewed many websites for their content and found that…

One site offers helpful background information about regions and vintages as well as insights about the wine producer.

One site knows the prime regions of France and offers insider insider information about recent vintages.

One site finds the best values available in Washington and Oregon, both fast-changing wine regions, as well as the occasional gem from California.

The winner is this category also seeks out wines that are organic and NOT MASS produced.

The winning website which is also a good read is www.garagistewine.com

BEST ALL PURPOSE SITE FOR WINE SHOPPING

Think of amazon prime but only for wines. And, no, sorry but amazon does not yet have a good, all purpose wine department.

Check out my review at www.bestonlinewineshopping.com

So for now finding an all-purpose wine website offering  wines from all regions, in all price ranges, including top sellers and cult-like wines is of extreme importance.

It can’t possibly have everything, but we looked for the one site that offers close to everything.

And the winner in 2018 is:

(We interrupt this awards program because it is New Year’s Eve and the Head Judge

just heard the sound of a Champagne cork…)

To be continued next year.

 

And the Award for the Most Creative and Unusual Holiday Wine Selection Goes To:

www.sommselect.com  

For this remarkable discovery:

2015 CREMISAN WINE ESTATE, “STAR OF BETHLEHEM” BALADI RED WINE

BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK, $24.00

Nobody can top that!

This choice makes the over-priced cult wannabes offered by all other sites seem so lame.

We singled out http://www.sommselect.com as the site to watch.

Trying to be humble, but Love it when I’m right!

 

Last Minute Gift Ideas to Wow the True Wine Connoisseur

 

Yes, people into wine are almost impossible to shop for because you, a normal person,  don’t have all that much time and inclination to devote to wine.

But if the wine person in your life truly appreciates fine wine and is not one of those nouveau snobs seeking out high-priced, faux-cult wines for bragging rights, then this buying tip is for you.

One online wine site I follow regularly comes up with spectacular, out of the ordinary choices, wines that are excellent but not your mainstream wines. Wines that hit the WOW factor and will have people asking,”where did you find that?”

Interested? Then

Check out:

http://www.sommselect.com

On December 15, it offered:

2014 CLOS DU MOULIN AUX MOINES, SAINT-ROMAIN, Cote de Beaune. This is a super red Burgundy from an unusual, make that esoteric place. Authentic, fabulous French Burgundy.

Another unusual wine offered earlier the week was the 2004 Morgon Domaine Calot, Vieilles Vignes

A wonderful Morgon like this at 15 years old would surprise and delight even the most jaded wine lover.

I also appreciate the fact that sommselect provides a ton of background information while avoiding the hype and silly comments found on most wine websites.

For instance, here’s what they say about that 2004 Morgon:

“We were shocked when they revealed this small stash of 2004, even more so when they told us why they were holding it back—because of sediment! They didn’t think customers and restaurants would want it! Well, we checked a bottle overseas and one more when it arrived at our warehouse. It’s exactly where any 15-year-old, unfined, unfiltered Burgundy would be! To avoid the little that is there, stand the bottle upright 24 hours prior to opening and then carefully decant (stopping when you see the “smoke,” or wisps of sediment) for about 15 minutes before serving at 60 degrees in Burgundy stems.”

“It has entered its peak drinking window but still has lots to offer over the next several years.”

Finally, these two examples and most wines from www.sommselect.com are reasonably priced. Reasonable to me means under $100 a bottle. Way under.

The Morgon is $30 a bottle with free shipping on 4.

So while others looking for great wines to buy are frantically going over lists and trying to make sense out of vintages and point scores, relax, go to www.sommselect.com and then buy something for yourself.