Wine clubs — wine as a way of life

Wine clubs of California

Wine clubs are a part of California wine culture. If you don’t know how they work, you join by agreeing to buy a certain number of bottles a year. Joining should be free. The most exclusive wine clubs are able to find quality lesser-known wines and introduce them to you. You can avoid a common complaint about wine clubs — that members sometimes don’t get their wine because the club is waiting to receive it —by joining a wine club associated with a particular winery.

A most exclusive wine club near St. Helena

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards produces world-class wines at affordable prices, and has its own wine club. By agreeing to buy six bottles a year in groups of three, you can get Level I membership with discounts on their wines, tickets to parties and invitations to a complimentary tasting. Agreeing to buy 12 bottles a year, or 24, gets you higher levels of membership with even more benefits. Once you’ve chosen a membership level, buying additional bottles won’t count toward your annual allocation.

An example of a library wine that might be available at an Anderson’s Conn Valley wine tasting is the 2009 Èloge. This dark ruby red wine, born from a particularly mild year, has a deep, full, layered aroma of cedar, cigar box and crème de cassis, with hints of red currant and toast. Its flavor is deep, full and layered, tasting of concentrated dark fruit, spice and mocha. Club members save $25 on the ’12 Èloge. Join the Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Wine Club today.