Try the latest wines at a barrel tasting

Wine Club barrel tastings

One event that wine clubs like the Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards wine club are known for is the barrel tasting. A barrel tasting is like other wine tastings, except that all the wines come straight from the barrel. You can taste last year’s wines at their earliest stage and try to make a guess as to how good it will be when it’s judged ready to be sold.

When you’re going to a barreltasting, the usual rules of wine-tasting functions apply. Don’t wear anything strong-smelling, don’t act like this is a bar, and don’t drink too much, especially if you’re visiting more than one vineyard and there’s no food. A designated driver might also be a good idea, just in case.

Barrel tastings at a vineyard near St. Helena

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, near St. Helena, holds tastings in its barrel caves. A tasting fee can be waived by joining their wine club or making a $100 purchase. The vineyard is a 40-acre estate just south of Howell Mountain, and has been owned and operated by the Anderson family since 1983.

One wine you might want to try Anderson’s Conn Valley is the Èloge. The most recent bottled vintage, the 2011 Èloge, is an elegant wine with an aroma and taste of plum, licorice and violet perfume, and a long and satisfying finish. Despite being the newest Èloge offered by Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards, the ’11 vintage is destined to become a rare vintage. There’s no better time to buy a bottle than right now.