How many of you out there belong to a wine club? I happen to belong to three wine clubs. There are numerous wine clubs out there, with every winery having their own as well as independent wine clubs that are not associated with one particular winery. With the number of wine clubs out there, it can be overwhelming. There is a growing number of independent wine clubs popping up. There is an independent wine club out there with a cool concept of bringing its customers high quality artisan wines from passionate “mom and pop” wineries. This wine club is known as the California Wine Club.
A while back, I was contacted by Mom Spark Media to be a part of a review campaign for the California Wine Club. I will be sent two wines for a three month period to review and share with you. I look forward to sharing the wines I receive with you.
The California Wine Club as been around for over 20 years. You all might be familiar with Jonathan Boring…he’s The Boring Wine Guy! You might have seen some of his wine shows on YouTube. His family started the California Wine Club. Bruce and Pam Boring started the California Wine club to bring you wines from artisan winemakers that you might otherwise never get to experience. They have built up their reputation over the years to be America’s most trusted wine club. They offer four wine of the month clubs: Premier Club, Signature Series, International Selections, and Aged Cabernet Series. For purposes of my blog series over the next couple months on the California Wine Club, I will be focusing on the Premier Club.
The Premier Club is their most popular club. For the price of $49.95 per month (shipping included), you get two bottles of award winning wines, plus their award winning publication, Uncorked. Uncorked features the individual story behind the wineries featured in the club shipment. So, you’re probably wondering about the wines associated with the Premier Club. Over the next couple months, I will bring you some selections from the Premier Club. This month features wines from Fess Parker Winery in Santa Barbara.
Fess Parker Riesling and Parker Station Pinot Noir
I was sent a 2010 Riesling and a 2010 Parker Station Pinot Noir to taste. I started with the Riesling of course. I enjoyed it about 20 minutes after pulling it out of the refrigerator to allow the flavors in the wine to be more prevalent. If the wine is too cold, you will find some of the flavors to be a bit muted. This particular Riesling is an off-dry style, meaning there is some sweetness from the residual sugar. The wine poured a nice, light straw color in the glass. The nose was very fragrant with a perfumed bouquet of honeysuckle, pear, and citrus. There was a lot of flavor in the palate with fresh peaches, hints of tropical fruits, and citrus such as ruby grapefruit. The wine was balanced out by a nice, refreshing acidity, and finished long. This is a fun wine and a great one for a warm summer day. It would make a great pairing for spicy foods such as Thai or Indian.
The second wine was the 2010 Parker Station Pinot Noir. This wine is composed of 91% Pinot Noir from Monterrey and Santa Barbara and 9% Napa Valley Gamay. This wine poured a deep ruby red color in the glass. The nose is full of cherry, strawberry, vanilla, spice, and touches of oak. On the palate, you’ll get many layers of red fruits such as the strawberry and cherry along with some vanilla. The wine finishes long with the barest hints of oak and spice. This is not my style of Pinot Noir, however for those who like a fruitier, juicier Pinot Noir, then this is definitely your wine. A classic pairing for this wine is grilled salmon.
Parker Station 2010 Pinot Noir
This is a small sampling of the wineries and wines you will experience as a Premier Club member. The California Wine Club is offering a special gift to my readers who sign up for a new Premier Club membership. You will get four bottles, for the price of two when you sign up and use code: fab12 at checkout. Mother’s Day is just around the corner and a Premier Club membership would make a great gift for any mothers that you know who love wine. To join, please visit their website.
Both the California Wine Club and Jonathan Boring can be found on Twitter and Facebook:
California Wine Club on Twitter
California Wine Club on Facebook
The Boring Wine Guy on Twitter
The Boring Wine Guy on Facebook
Next month I will be featuring two more wines from the California Wine Club. Until the next time friends.
Cheers!
~Monica
* This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.
I’m always surprised how good Fess Parker wines are!
The Riesling was surprisingly
delicious. It’s a good wine to
have on hand for summer.
Unfortunately, I didn’t care
for the Pinot Noir.