Today is my birthday, and I found a very great surprise when I opened my email this morning. It was a birthday card from Tricia and Eric (my partners here in wine club reviews and over at beer club reviews).
After watching the funkadelic birthday video (which was cool, as it was customized with my name and “do some wine tasting” in the song!), I read their message. In summary, it said “Go to Simply Wine to pick up your gift.”
You see, Eric and Tricia know that I have a really cool wine shop in my town, called Simply Wine. I love that store! I'm a member of their monthly wine club and have recently taken a six-week course on wine tasting there. I've gotten to know the owners, Maria and Laura, and their staff quite well over the years.
…and luckily, they know me. In particular, they know my preferences in wine tastes.
So, it's no surprise that the wines that Tricia and Eric had selected for me were exactly what I'd love to drink!
As I was driving home from picking up this wine, I was thinking about two things:
1) How soon until I can I drink this wine?
Apparently, “day drinking” is frowned upon. Plus, I have work to do. So, I'll have to wait. And later this evening, my son has a high school choir concert, so I can't drink it beforehand during the family dinner. (Man, I hope this concert goes by quickly!) That means I'll have to wait until after 9 PM tonight to taste this wine. I really hope I can hold out. Bonus question: Which will I dink first? The Syrah or the Cab? Decisions, Decisions!
2) If I didn't have my wine store here, what would Tricia and Eric have sent?
Well, of course, they'd send me wine. (Duh!) That's a stupid question for me to ask myself. Jeesh.
But really, what about other people who don't have their own cool, boutique local wine shop who's owners know their wine preferences and tastes? How could someone send a gift of wine to a friend or colleague, and know that the wine will be loved, just as I'll love the wine I received from Tricia and Eric today? My answer: Send a great wine club!
In addition to my birthday, it's the holiday season and a lot of people are signing up with our favorite wine clubs. (No, Simply Wine doesn't deliver. You need to come in to their store to pick up your wine. But the wine clubs we review all deliver to your home or business. Check to see which of our favorite wine clubs deliver to your state here.)
We're hearing from a lot of people that they're ordering the Premier Wine Club from California Wine Club, or the Premiere Series from MonthlyClubs.com. (See a list of our top wine clubs here. You can't go wrong with these as gifts.) Regardless of the choice you make from our top recommendations, I know you'll be happy with your purchase and the recipient will love the wine!
So, if you want to give someone a gift like I received today, I'd suggest you work with one of the clubs we recommend and make your gift recipient wonder, “How soon until I can drink this wine?”, too!
