Last month, I told you about the great opportunity that The Texan and I had to sample two delicious wines from California Wine Club. We received our second shipment this month and it was equally as impressive.
Our Wine Club Shipment
We received the Daniel Gehrs Central Coast Merlot and Santa Barbara County While Hills Vineyard Chenin Blanc. Both of these wines lived up to winemaker Daniel Gehrs’ thought that “Life is too short for boring wines.” Typically, I avoid Merlots as I find them to lack substance. I find them boring. I have to admit that I was very reluctant to sample the Central Coast Merlot, in my mind I didn’t want to like it. My tastebuds were pleasantly surprised!
The Central Coast Merlot is fermented in stainless steel, that leads to a smoother finish with no oaky aftertaste. (A plus in my book.) The wine is not a stand alone Merlot – it’s a perfectly balanced blend of 87% Merlot, 9% Malbec, and 4% Cabernet Franc. I picked up on black cherry right away, and the tasting notes indicate a presence of blueberry and cranberry. The Texan noted the leathery fragrance, I missed out on that.
I mentioned in my last review of the California Wine Club that we typically reserve white wines for the warmer months, but after our great experience with the Merlot I looked forward to sampling the Chenin Blanc. The 2010 Chenin Blanc was the first produced from Santa Barbara grapes since 2004. That alone intrigued me! Another stainless steel fermentation led to a beautiful, crisp wine with a fruity finish.
Included with each unique shipment is their own newsletter, Uncorked!. Uncorked! is an informative magazine with recipes, interviews with winemakers, interesting facts, and wine reviews. A California Wine Club subscription is the perfect gift for anyone on your list.
California Wine Club is a perfect way to sample wines that are not available at your local wine shop. The wines offered are hand selected by Bruce and Pam from limited production wines. Find out more about the California Wine Club by visiting their website, www.cawineclub.com, Twitter and Facebook pages.
If you’re planning to give wine as a gift this holiday season, a subscription to the California Wine Club is perfect! Keep in mind that the Ground Shipping Deadline is December 12th. Any orders placed after Dec 12 incur expedited air charges for Christmas deliveries.
Oh, I nearly forgot, one lucky Nap Time is My Time reader is going to win a $50 California Wine Club Gift Certificate! Entry is easy by completing the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is open only to readers aged 21 and older in the United States, excluding Utah.
Disclosure: This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a 2 month Membership to the California Wine Club for the purpose of this review.
***Note: This giveaway has ended. Congrats to Stacey P! Please visit this page for current giveaways!***