I have been going back-and-forth and back-and-forth for awhile now on whether to join a wine club. On the one hand, it’s an additional expense for wine of unknown quality. On the other hand, often all I want is a decent table wine and I rarely have time to get to the wine store anymore. TheGuy does most of our grocery shopping (bless him) but I’m the wine buyer of the two of us, so I don’t even get the opportunity to scan the supermarket aisles for prospects.
I lived in the Finger Lakes region for several years and one club I’ve thought about joining is Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars. Learning about wine in the Finger Lakes means that I acquired an appreciation for Riesling – Dr. Frank’s makes a particularly good Riesling.
Today I came across a new-to-me blog from the New York Times called, cleverly, The Pour – about wine, beer, and spirits. In the most recent post, the author describes how Riesling has emerged from simply being the anti-Chardonnay to a more respected and interesting grape in its own right.
World’s best white grape? Does anybody really care about such silly designations? If I lived in the Mosel, I might insist riesling was the best, just as if I lived in Vouvray I would feel the same about chenin blanc, and if I lived in the Vallée d’Aoste I might think it was petite arvine. In other words, the best grape depends on where you are.Here in the United States, riesling has always been planted around the edges, but that is changing as the grape gains popularity. The Finger Lakes region of New York is perhaps the one area that has made riesling a priority, and its top rieslings are really good. But in my column on the wine panel’s tasting of dry and off-dry American rieslings, Washington state was the place that really shined.
Neat. Doesn’t help me decide about joining a wine club or not, though.
I ♥ Riesling. It’s my favorite.
Wine clubs are great if you want special wines froma winery you really like. Otherwise you can just buy through the internet what you really want.
Riesling is the best – From dry to sweet to super sweet (even sparkling!). No other grapes like it…
when I first moved here I had a wine club membership briefly, which I enjoyed — if nothing else, the “table wine” that you don’t have to shop for, or something to take along to a friend’s place. then, if you really like something, you can usually order more (at least, shop for a club where that’s possible) to stick in the basement. I recommend a club that’s just a half-dozen bottles or so per month, so that you will feel more pampered than pressed to consume — similarly, try to find one that matches your imagined consumption tastes (e.g., all-red or red+white, etc.). of course, it’s sort of a shot in the dark, unless you know something about the distributor or winery doing the club, but if you can get, say, a 6-month package, you should have a pretty good idea of whether you like any part of the process (as well as the specific wines being picked)…
of course, I live in a state with “state liquor stores” and other draconian nonsense, so eventually they cracked down on all out-of-state shipments and brought my fun to an end. also, I’ve gotten a bit more opinionated, so the pay-off of such chances shifts a bit. but Spouse got a few wines recently that were somehow a recommended batch and we were amused by the mix, even if not equally thrilled by all…
blah blah. your mileage may vary!