Wine of the Month Club

I was very lucky to receive two bottles of wine from the wine of the month Club at Gold Medal Wineries, to review. Many years ago my husband and I belonged to one of these clubs and enjoyed many different wines from California. We had even started a binder where we placed the labels and our comments so that we could find our favorites again.

We received a bottle of red and one bottle of white wine which were gift wrapped in lovely paper with a pretty ribbon tied around the neck of each. In addition to these we received a newsletter discussing the wine we received, the winery they came from, and the story behind the founders of the winery, the Hambrechts. Included in the newsletter were two recipes to go with the wines as well as "Judge the Wines Results," which is an ongoing tally of club members' returned score cards.

The wines themselves were quite pleasing to the palate. My husband and I both preferred the spiciness and fruitiness of the Zinfandel. The Chardonnay was good but a little dry for both of our tastes. We generally prefer sweeter reds.

All in all, the club is a great way to sample new wines from the smaller wineries and learn about their rich and varied histories.