Monday, February 28, 2011

Wine Clubs

Shortly after my 21st birthday, I discovered Malibu Wines and their amazing tasting room/grounds.  Shortly thereafter, I joined their wine club, my first and only wine club.  I decided to join the wine club for several reasons, but mostly because of its proximity to home.  Most wine clubs offer free tastings and other on-site events to their members, but unless you live near them or are able to visit them frequently, the only perk of the wine club is the wine that you get in your “shipments,” ie. the wine you commit to buy.  Now, at some wineries, the wine that you get to buy is not available to the public.  And, at just a few wineries, the only way you can buy their wine is to be a member of their club.  But that is just a small percentage of wineries.
Back to the reason I joined Malibu Wines' club.  I live near there and their outdoor tasting room makes for a great afternoon/date/place to get away.  Unlike most tasting rooms, you can actually buy a bottle of wine here and have it with a picnic.  And, with tastings for $10, if you go twice every four months, being a wine club member pays for itself just in free tastings, and you still get the wine!
Malibu Wines is home to the Semler and Saddlerock labels.  The Semler label is named after the founder, and the Saddlerock is named for the AVA the vineyard is located in.  The Saddlerock AVA happens to be one of the smallest AVAs in the nation.  The winery focuses mostly on red wines.  In fact, on Semler, their premium label, they only produce one white, a Sauvignon Blanc.  Their concentration is with Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine they have been making for 10 years now, and one that is quite good. 
If you live near a winery, I highly recommend looking into their wine club because they advantage of proximity to a winery lets you take full advantage of all that the wine club has to offer.  Also, if you are in the Los Angeles area, take a trip up to Malibu Wines sometime.  It is a great place to spend an afternoon.

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