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The club is designed for those who like to enjoy wine every day and those who know that wine helps make a party great - no matter what size! But who has time to make that extra trip after work to the wine store, trolling through endless bottles of wine? You should spend your time enjoying the wine, so we pick great bottles at great prices for you. No more guess work!

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Customize your shipment to be all reds, all whites, or a mix - because you never know.

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I enjoy sitting on my balcony, writing about wine, and how people can enjoy it more. As I sit here, experiencing all the exhilaration summer has to offer, I wonder: what should I serve my friends this weekend? Lighter foods and longer evenings spent with friends call for crisp whites and light-bodied reds. Here’s my thought process on how I decide what to serve.

I should begin with a couple of bottles of dry Riesling, a versatile white wine that is refreshing and compatible with a large number of entrees, such as grilled pork chops and broiled scallops. Because I’m thinking of Rieslings that are on the dryer side, I’m most likely going to be looking for Alsacians. I will also add a couple of crisp Sauvignon Blanc bottles, either white Bordeaux (very dry and minerally), or California versions with good acidity but more fruitiness, and of course bottles from Malborough. Knowing that I like throwing my guests curve balls, and introducing them to new wines, I may add a selection of Pinot Gris from Oregon, Sonoma Valley or northeast France.

Now I’m thinking pink. Rose wines are perfect for summertime entertaining, either as a refreshing aperitif or with lighter dishes such as grilled chicken and salmon. I could do a bottle or two of Pinot Noir rose from California. I could also do a few light reds such as Valpolicella from Italy and a Rhone Valley red from southeastern France. Valpolicella would be great with antipasto and other light Italian foods, including pastas with red or white sauces (I’ll have to check with Laurie about the menu). If we have meatier dishes, I’ll go with a slightly heavier Rhone red, expressing the tart and palate-cleansing flavors of Grenache and Syrah grapes.

Finally, I’ll add sparkling wines from the United States, Spain and possibly Italy. A favorite warm-weather bubbly of mine is Prosecco from Italy with its light touch of sweetness. Now that I’m thinking about it, I might also select a Cava from Spain. A sparkling wine from California or France (no, not a Champagne) will also be good to have. I’ll just have to make sure that if we start with bubbly, we have enough left over for the end of the night as well. I was contemplating throwing in a port or sherry, but that would inevitably lead me to breaking out cigars, and I don’t think I have enough Cohiba’s to go around.

Love Champagne and are yearning for a trip to France’s renowned Champagne region?  If you have the desire, but maybe not the time or funds to make a trip now, I’d recommend heading 45 minutes north of San Francisco to Los Carneros (”the Ram” in Spanish) for a little wine adventure.  Los Carneros is a California wine region unique in that it lies partly in Sonoma Valley and partly in Napa Valley.  Here, some of Europe’s most famous producers of sparkling wines have put down roots, including Spain’s Freixenet and Taittinger Champagne.

Why Carneros?  It’s one of the coolest grape-growing regions in California, making it the spot to grow crisp, high-acid Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes – the two main grapes used to make those powerhouse sparklers from the Champagne region of France. Keep in mind that Carneros isn’t just about sparkling wines; while Pinot Noir and Chardonnay make up the lion’s share of the grape crops, area vintners are coaxing terrific wines from Syrah and Merlot too. However, if you’ve come to Carneros for its links to the famous European sparkling wines, you’ll want to visit four of the best:

Domaine Carneros. Founded by France’s Champagne Taittinger, the estate is crowned by the sumptuous Domaine Carneros chateau, modeled after an 18th-century French chateau owned by one of Taittinger’s original founders. On a beautiful day, the terrace outside the tasting room is the place to be. With a glass of fine sparkling wine and a remarkable view, life can’t get much better.

Gloria Ferrar. This winery is part of the Freixenet Company, a famous Spanish sparkling wine producer. Here, Spanish influences, including graceful arches, red-tile rooftops, tapestries and antiques, adorn the winery, where three daily tours help visitors grasp the secrets of making sparkling wines in the time-honored traditional method. I’d recommend having lunch on their deck (with a glass or two of sparkling wine), and enjoy the view of the vineyards that sprawl out in front of you.

Artesa Vineyards and Winery. This outpost of the famous Spanish sparkling wine producer, Codorniu, Artesa mostly devotes itself to varietals such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The impressive grounds – including fountains, reflecting pools, sculptures and panoramic views from wrap-around terraces – delight visitors.

Domain Chandon. In the early 1970s, the great French Champagne house of Moet & Chandon made a decision to start making sparkling wine in California. They chose the Carneros region because of the ideal climate and soil, which enabled them to produce fine sparkling wines made in the French tradition. The name Domain Chandon was established and the winery produced its first vintage in 1976; today it is world famous for its quality of fine California sparkling wines. In addition to the wonderful wine, the landscaped grounds and the architecture make this property well worth the trip.

Any respectable wine store will have at least two of these producers on their shelves. I’d deffinitly recommend trying them – to learn more about California sparkling wine, and to compare/contrast against Champagne.  You’ll find that some sparkling wines are great values, while others seem to be just as expensive as Champagne. But if left to decide between a $30 bottle of Champagne, and a $30 bottle of sparkling wine from Carneros, please don’t let your autopilot tell you Champagne is the way to go. At that price, the sparkling wine could be the top of its class, while the bottle of Champagne could just be average.