Crusted Pie Cabernet Sauvignon
Review:
Crusted Pie Cabernet Sauvignon is a limited release from Bianchi Vineyards in Paso Robles, California, USA.
This wine is described as medium magenta in color and gave forth light aromas of licorice, violets and cherry. Quite elegant on the nose.
Its taste was smooth and enjoyable with earthy flavors of cherry and vanilla.
Tannins were very lush and developed slowly behind my upper lip.
Its finish was long and enjoyable, fully carried by the flavors.
Overall, this wine was very enjoyable, a smooth sipper and an easy choice for taking to a dinner party.
I could easily see this wine served with any grilled red meat. Delicious and another great choice for the club!
Great Wines Great Customer Service: Wine Access
Get this if: You want sommelier-selected wines shipped monthly, or you want the flexibility to build your own case.
Why we like it:SommSelect has many of the things we look for in a good subscription service. Aside from having the best-tasting wines of those from all the clubs we tested, SommSelect is transparent about who chooses its wines, and it gives you the option of shipping wines with an ice pack in warmer months. Apart from its various club options, SommSelect also allows you to build your own case of wine. This gives you autonomy over your orderits a great option if you already know what wines you like to drink. SommSelect has a good selection of wines that can be bought à la carte through its online store, including port, dessert wines, and organic/biodynamic wines. For a separate fee, SommSelect has options for private tastings and virtual events, as well as sommelier consultations.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The biggest flaw with SommSelect is its customer service. We had to leave a message each time we called because there was no one available. Someone always returned our calls, but because the company is based in California, it was sometimes as late as 8 p.m. on the East Coast. That said, the representatives we spoke with were very helpful and eager to answer our questions. The company said all of its customer service agents have some level of wine training. As with Wine Access, you can if you want to cancel your subscription.
Dear Fellow Wine Lover
My passion is, and always has been, fine wines. The two-tier tasting panel selection process we developed forThe International Wine of the Month Club ensures we feature wines that are both extraordinary and rare at greatvalues.
Don Lahey
Director of Product Development
Exploring the truly exciting world of wine can often be intimidating. I invite you to let us do the legwork foryou. My team and I travel to top wine-producing regions inspecting vineyards, meeting with winemakers, and mostimportantly, tasting wines. Were so proud of our featured wines that weve archived our Cellar Notes foreach one back to 1999.
…we feature wines that are both extraordinary and rare at great values.
I stand by every bottle of wine we feature, and our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and dedication torelationship-driven customer service will confirm your decision to entrust us with your business. My passionfor wine spans many decades. I hope to share it with you.
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Rated Wine Club 7 Years In A Row
- Each month we’ll deliver 2 full-sized bottles of hard-to-find, premium wines from award-winning and boutique wineries around the world.
- We feature two different wineries every month, one bottle from each winery, and you can choose between red wine, white wine, or a bottle of each.
- Every wine we deliver has been highly-rated by our independent advisory board of wine professionals and each monthly delivery is covered by our unbeatable “They’ll Love It!” Guarantee!
Monthly International Wine Clubs For You Or Someone Special
The International Wine of the Month Club works tirelessly to ensure we provide our members with onething and one thing only: the best wines from around the world delivered directly to your door. Eachmonth, members of The Premier Series,The Bold Reds Wine Club,The Masters Series, andThe Collectors Series, the four rare and fine wineclubs offered, receive internationally selected wines from award-winning boutique vineyards, along withour informative newsletter.
You can save up to $30 on your order with our promo codes and choose to receive either two red wines, two white wines, or one red and one white throughfour different membership types. You can even get creative and make your own with ourDesign Your Own Club program, which allows members tocombine their international wine club with other great clubs, like our Flower of the Month Club!
How Our International Wine Clubs Work
Our international wine of the month clubs work in four simple steps.
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Best Wine Club For 2022
Wine subscriptions abound in 2022. Find the wine club that’s best for you.
David Watsky
Senior Editor / Home and Kitchen
I live in Brooklyn where I write about food subscriptions, cooking, kitchen gadgets and commerce. Anything with sesame is my all-time favorite food this week.
Why not treat yourself to something exceptional with a wine club or subscription? Enjoying a tasting at a winery is the dream, but most of us don’t have the time and money for all of that, at least not often. But wine clubs offer something you can’t get from a single vineyard: variety. A club can introduce you to wines from more remote, smaller, new wineries, and often at bottom-barrel prices.
The best wine subscription services also access limited-batch and private label wines, as well as international and boutique wines. And many will personalize selections based on your specific flavor preferences so you can avoid the roller coaster of novice wine buying: the thrill of choosing a gorgeous label, only to be followed by the disappointment of a lackluster glass.
The best wine clubs and services go far beyond simply asking if you prefer red wine, white wine, rosé or sparkling. With advanced algorithms and rating systems, they’ll plumb your palate over time and learn the wine you really love. But finding the best wine subscription will ultimately depend on your palate, preferences and budget.
How Do I Pick The Best Wine Club For Me
You may want to start by asking yourself a few questions that go beyond red or white, flat or sparkling. Do you want a wine service that is highly curated to your specific tastes and favorite wine types? Do you have a roster of usual wines or would you rather try new wine? Perhaps you’d like a master sommelier sharing their tasting notes and opinions of certain bottles? Are you looking for premium fine wine or a bottle of some other artisanal specialties? Then there are vegan wines, naked wines, organic and biodynamic wines to consider, each with a niche wine club or two specializing in them. Most importantly you must decide what a high-quality bottle of wine should cost. From there, you can use our list to find the best wine club or subscription service for you.
This article was written by J. Fergus and originally published on CNET’s former sister site Chowhound.
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The Vintners Series Membership
- The wines in this club represent a higher level of craftsmanship with an expanded set of varietals and regions.
- The wines in this club are chosen for their higher level of quality and would normally be found for $18.00 to $20.00 in a local wine shop.
- With each delivery you get two bottles delivered to you.
- You can choose , or .
- You can choose a delivery frequency of monthly, every other month, or every third month.
- The cost is $33.96 plus tax and shipping.
Can I Give Wine Of The Month Club Membership As A Gift
Our Rating 5/5
I’m scoring Wine of the Month Club 5 because you can purchase gift plans, wine packs, and a host of accessories as presents.
You can give any of the 12 membership plans as a gift for a friend or family member. Additionally, there are wine gift baskets and assortments available to send loved ones. They are packaged beautifully and arrive with a card.
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What To Know About Shipping Wine
Before you choose a wine club, its a good idea to familiarize yourself with the basic alcohol shipping laws in your area. If youre noticing that a club wont ship to your state, that may be because it is prohibited by law. Most laws today are arbitrary holdovers from the Prohibition era. And some laws are so complicated theyll make your head spin, said John Hinman, a lawyer specializing in the alcoholic beverage industry. We wont bore you with the nitty-gritty details, but here are the main shipping policies you should be aware of:
- Regardless of where you live, youre legally required to show ID and sign for your wine delivery when it arrives. However, in our own experience we found this varies based on the delivery person .
- Some states, like Utah, dont allow direct-to-consumer alcohol shipments at all. One way to get around these more-restrictive laws is to have your wine shipped to a friends address in a neighboring state that legally allows out-of-state wine shipments. Technically, though, youd have to pick the wine up in person and consume it there, because you cant ship alcohol or carry it across state lines if you dont hold the proper licenses.
Wine Of The Month Club Gift Memberships
As I mentioned above, the Wine of the Month Club also offers Gift Memberships that you can give to someone as a gift.
All their clubs that Ive listed are available as gift memberships.
You can choose a limited duration for the gift membership, including 4-months, 6-months or 1-year. I like this option because theres no question or surprises about how long the gift is for.
With the gift memberships, the gift recipient gets their wine in a beautiful linen Burgundy box. They also get a gift card that you personalize for them.
The club also offers other gifts as one-offs, including wine gift baskets, assortments, gift certificates, accessories and more. Great for the holidays or special occasions.
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Benefits Of Becoming A Member
Early access to wine Blowout discounts from 30% to 50% off regular prices
Special offers on members-only allocations and exclusives
10% to 20% off purchases of wine and cider
Immediate dispatch of current club selection*
Customize your club shipments with no hassle
*If you join within one week of upcoming club shipment, you will receive upcoming selection instead of current selection.
A Tightly Curated Club For Burgeoning Oenophiles
SommSelect
- Number of bottles: 4 or 6
- Delivery frequency: Monthly
- Types of wine: Red, white or variety
If youre a fan of Netflixs Somm, youre bound to get a kick out of this box, which is curated by master sommelier Ian Cauble . Subscriptions begin at $99 a month for four bottles, and each one has a themea certain region, a particular varietal and so onmaking SommSelect an ideal option for newbie drinkers. Theres also a membership option called the Blind Six, which is essentially a monthly club that delivers a premium blind tasting experience .
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Is A Wine Club For You
There are plenty of reasons why a wine club may or may not be a good fit for you. Here are some things to consider:
Reasons to join a club:
- Youre stuck in a rut of buying the same wines, and you want more variety.
- You get intimidated when buying wine in person, and/or youd rather have an expert choose for you.
- Youd like the convenience of having bottles delivered to your door.
- You dont live near a good wine shop that carries the bottles you like.
- You want to learn more about wine and prefer to have detailed information about the bottles youre drinking.
- Youre open to receiving different styles of wine from around the world.
- You want to get a wine subscription for someone as a gift.
Reasons not to join a club:
- You want to have more control over your selection.
- You don’t want to deal with the hassle or cost of delivery.
- You already have a good wine shop nearby, with knowledgeable staff members who can choose bottles for you based on your preferences.
See our section on how we picked wine clubs to learn about red flags you should watch out for when choosing a wine club.
Wine Of The Month: Which Club Is The Best
The only thing better than wine is having your favorite selections delivered straight to your door. A Wine of the Month clubs gives you the opportunity to expand your wine palate, as well as provide you the convenience of home delivery. Cant take that trip to wine country this year? No problem! Savor the best your favorite vineyards have to offer with a wine of the month subscription. You can choose the type of wine you would like to receive, how many bottles to receive, as well as the frequency of delivery. Which club is the best? Here are some of the most popular options to choose from today. Check them out and see which wine of the month club best suits your needs.
Exclusive, hand-picked wines from the best places on earth: These wines arent available at your local store. This is the stuff that you stumble across on a backroad trip through Tuscany, the gems that local restaurants save for a special occasion.
Started in 2015, Vinebox is one of the newer arrivals to the wine of the month club scene but has already made a big splash. The subscription offers quarterly releases which start at $72. Receive 9 different wines by the glass based on your preferences. The unique by the class option allows you to savor a greater variety of wines, plus you are not stuck with an entire bottle of wine that you do not care for. Enjoy the samples offered, then order more of your favorites.
Delicious handcrafted wines, delivered straight to your doorstep.
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What Is Wine Of The Month Club
Wine of the Month Club is a long-standing club that was launched in 1972 and is a family business that acts as your personal sommelier. Thereâs a superb range of membership plans for all wallets featuring high-quality wines from all of the major world wine regions plus organic, biodynamic, and keto-friendly reds and whites. Each label is hand-picked after a personal tasting by owner Paul Kalemkiarian. The club backs its selection with a 100% satisfaction guarantee so you can be confident of getting wines you enjoy.
Wine Of The Month Club Packaging
Our Rating 5/5
Wine of the Month Club Packaging is not only secure and protective but usually very pretty with special wine-related designs and educational material inside. I give it a wholehearted 5.
Your reds and whites arrive in an attractive, elegant box accompanied by a brochure that provides full details on your order. Information includes wine origin, food pairing suggestions, and tasting notes plus details on the winery and winemaking process.
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The Classic Series Membership
- This is the original club started in 1972. Only 1% of the 400 wines they review each month make it into this club.
- The wines in this club are chosen for their value and would normally be found for $12.00 to $15.00 in a local wine shop.
- With each delivery you get two bottles delivered to you.
- You can choose , or .
- You can choose a delivery frequency of monthly, every other month, or every third month.
- The cost is $23.96 plus tax and shipping.
Best Overall Wine Subscription
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What To Know About White
Many aggressively marketed, algorithm-based wine subscription services sell private- or white-label winesthat is, wines that are bought via the bulk wine market and relabeled or rebranded to be sold by the club . Though theres nothing wrong with drinking these wines, its nearly impossible to trace where the grapes came from or know what additives may have been used to make them. The quality of private- and white-label wines varies a lot, depending on where the grapes were grown. Some might be homogenized blends of grapes from a slew of vineyards, while others could be from prestigious appellations within a particular region. Some people may not care where their wine comes from or how its made, but we still think its important to know how the quality of these wines differs from that of other wines. Bottom line: We dont think you should pay too much for private- or white-label wines if you decide to join a club that sells them. See this article for a detailed look at how private- and white-label wines are made, as well as how they differ from other wines and how you can recognize them.
Why you might be overpaying for your wine club
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White- or private-label wines can offer a good value if you know what to buy. But often bottles sold through wine clubs arent the best quality and are overpriced.
