Recently, I received a shipment of the 5 Seasons Wine Club from Vinesse Wines. (Why 5 Seasons? My daughter asked me the same question! The 5 Seasons are Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and the holidays).
- 2013 Mr. Riggs ‘The Ring In' South Australia Shiraz
- 2013 Long Street Winery California Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2011 Andrea Tirteo Langhe, Italy Nebbiolo
- 2013 La Remonta ‘Reserva' Mendoza, Argentina Torrontes
- 2013 Nu Wines Carneros Pinot Noir
- 2013 Neirano Provincia di Pavia, Italy Pinot Grigio
- 2013 Bramble Ridge California Chardonnay
- 2013 Rietburg Pfalz, Germany Riesling
- 2012 Saint Lafayette Bordeaux, France Sauvignon Blanc
- 2010 Chateau Barbe Cotes de Bordeaux, France Merlot Blend
- 2013 Knoll Haven Winery California Merlot
- 2013 Marisco Vineyards “The King's Favour” Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc
I'm a fan of larger shipments of wine clubs, as you get a greater selection to choose from when trying to pair your wine with a meal. This shipment contains bottles ranging from $15 to $20.
Your initial 12-bottle shipment is $90 plus $20 shipping and handling ($110, or $9.17 per bottle), and includes 2 bottles of Carneros Pinot Noir (14 bottles total).
Future shipments are $144 plus $20 shipping (164, or $13.67 per bottle).
The shipment contained tasting notes for each bottle, and a few recipes to try out. I really liked the individual half-page tasking notes, as I like to keep the notes with the bottles (to make sure I'm properly pairing my wines with dinner). Other clubs will include a newsletter, which have the notes from 2-3 bottles on just a single sheet. But these half pages wrap nicely around the bottles, and can be kept close by (or given with the bottle, if you give the bottle as a gift).
This club is comparable to the Wall Street Journal Wine Club, but it seems the wines are a better value. While the first shipment of the WSJ Wine Club is noticeably cheaper than 5 Seasons, future shipments are just $5 less. Therefore, if you're going to buy a club just to drop it, and don't care about quality, look at WSJ Wine Club (or another Direct Wines club). But if you want better wine, or plan on staying in the club beyond the first shipment, the 5 Seasons Wine Club from Vinesse Wines is a great choice.
