{"id":157,"date":"2015-12-29T16:22:41","date_gmt":"2015-12-29T16:22:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/?p=157"},"modified":"2015-12-29T16:26:12","modified_gmt":"2015-12-29T16:26:12","slug":"wine-clubs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/?p=157","title":{"rendered":"Wine Clubs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite the title, this is not really an article about wine clubs.\u00a0 In keeping with the Power Tasting credo, we are writing about the effect wine clubs have on the experience<\/em> tasters have when visiting Wine Country.<\/p>\n

These clubs are primarily an American phenomenon, although we have recently learned that a few European wineries are considering them as well.\u00a0 Here are the basics:\u00a0 joining a club is free but it entails a commitment to receive shipments from one to many times a year.\u00a0\u00a0 There are some clubs that require you to buy as few as six bottles annually and many call for purchasing a case each year.\u00a0 Some allow you to choose what you want to receive but most will send you whatever they want to send you (usually the bottles they have trouble selling otherwise).\u00a0 In return, you receive a discount on purchases, free tastings when you visit their wineries and invitations to special events.<\/p>\n

[There are a lot of qualifiers here: \u201csome\u201d, \u201cmany\u201d, \u201cmost\u201d.\u00a0 That\u2019s because each winery structures their clubs differently.\u00a0 Be sure to read the fine print if you plan to join.]<\/p>\n

Before considering the benefits of membership, let\u2019s look at the negative impacts on wine tasting visits.\u00a0 At some wineries, especially those with sit-down tastings, the servers do a lot of pressure selling.\u00a0 We have had bad experiences at Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel and Domaine Carneros in that regard.\u00a0 There you are, at a table full of bottles and glasses, and the nice person who has just taken you on a tour and poured you some wine says, \u201cNo pressure, but\u2026\u201d and begins the sales pitch.\u00a0 If you have some decent sales resistance, it\u2019s no problem.\u00a0 But it does detract from what would otherwise be a very pleasant experience.\u00a0 And since there is usually a fairly hefty charge for these seated tastings, you\u2019ve paid to be a sales target.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve ever been to a sales meeting for time shares, you will recognize the nasty feeling it leaves with you.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, being a member can really enhance your overall tasting experience.\u00a0 At the present time, we are members of six clubs, and there are about as many again that we once joined and then left.\u00a0 As members, you are more likely to return to that winery often and the staff will get to know you.\u00a0 That alone makes your visit more pleasant. In most cases, wineries have a menu of what is available for tasting that day. \u00a0However, wineries generally have no inhibitions about opening everything they have for people who are already committed to purchase in quantity every year.\u00a0 So you wind up with more to taste of wines you\u2019ve already selected as favorites.\u00a0 The fact that you\u2019ve tasted all of them in the past is no drawback; each wine is different each year.<\/p>\n

Many wineries have special areas that are for members only.\u00a0 A bit snobbish perhaps, but you\u2019ll appreciate this if you\u2019re visiting on a weekend.\u00a0 And you can bring a few friends with you, so having a private area makes it more fun for your small party.<\/p>\n

What we have found best of all is the invitations we receive to our clubs\u2019 private parties.\u00a0 If you reside near the wineries, you can really live it up.\u00a0 For those like ourselves who need to take a plane and stay at a hotel, it\u2019s difficult to take advantage.\u00a0 Still, the ones we\u2019ve attended range from good fun to grand events.\u00a0 We have always had the chance to meet and chat with the winemakers and often the winery owners (although now that so many are owned by big corporations, that\u2019s harder to do).\u00a0 They always serve food that complements their wines.\u00a0 (We once decoded a particularly good ragu and will post the recipe separately.)<\/p>\n

\"20150627_180221\"<\/em>The guest of honor at Etude\u2019s annual pig roast
\n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>And then then there are the big blowouts.\u00a0 Last summer we took up the invitation to Etude\u2019s annual pig roast.\u00a0 Seated at a table on the lawn outside the winery, we feasted on a whole porker that had roasted over an open fire all day.\u00a0 Cooks brushed it regularly with olive oil soaked laurel branches.\u00a0 We were fortunate to sit next to Jon Priest, the winemaker-in-chief.\u00a0 Oh, and the wines \u2013 a selection of pinots from across the top of Etude\u2019s line, including Heirloom, their finest.\u00a0 Was it worth the membership?\u00a0 It sure was!<\/p>\n

\"20150627_193853\"Lucie sips while Etude\u2019s Jon Priest says a few words<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite the title, this is not really an article about wine clubs.\u00a0 In keeping with the Power Tasting credo, we are writing about the effect wine clubs have on the experience tasters have when visiting Wine Country. These clubs are primarily an American phenomenon, although we have recently learned that a few European wineries are … Continue reading Wine Clubs<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=157"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":162,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157\/revisions\/162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}