We aren’t just another wine club - we provide our club members with everyday wines along with a daily blog full of great wine information. Our articles are full of wine news, pairing suggestions, restaurant reviews, and party tips designed to help wine buyers ranging from complete novices to experienced drinkers looking for the next best bottle. Sure, we want you to purchase a membership to The South Beach Wine Club, but we also want you to stop by every day to see what's on our minds. And once you're here, we hope you comment on what you read.

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!

We keep it simple - 3 different tiers: 2, 4 or 6 bottles per month.

The price is listed in the total price - no hidden shipping costs at check out.

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

Perfect gift for those busy friends who always like to have a bottle of wine around.

Regularly updated blog to provide you with helpful party tips, wine suggestions, and pairing ideas.

An abundance of high-quality wines hail from France’s Loire Valley.  These wines are light and refreshing, and are great to use for any type of outdoor entertaining. Yet because most Loire wines are named for places within the region, many of these superb sips remain a mystery to wine lovers. Check out this quick guide to help you make sense of them all.

Named after one of the most renowned regions in the Loire Valley, Pouilly-Fume is a world-class aromatic white made exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Other regions that produce wonderful Sauvignon Blanc are Sancerre and Touraine.  Remember, when in the Loire section of your wine store, these wines will be listed by region, not varietal, so look for bottles that say Sancerre and Touraine, not Sauvignon Blanc (as they would if produced in the New World).

Vouvray lies at the eastern end of the valley near Tours. Slightly sweet but still delightfully dry, Vouvray wine is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc grapes. In addition to winsome dry wines, the large Vouvray district also produces excellent sweets and sparklers. If you’re looking for a tantalizing wine to serve with seafood this summer, give Muscadet a look. Some of the most interesting of these come from the sub-regions of Muscadet, which lies at the western end of the Loire Valley. Be sure to check for the words “sur lie” on the label, as these versions offer some of the most intense flavors of all Muscadets.

The Loire also makes fantastic roses that range from slightly, to fully off-dry (that is, a little sweet). Because these roses are lighter versions of red wines such as Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Gamay, the Loire’s roses make superb introductory sips for those who are new to wine. Some of the best can be found around the region of Anjou, about 200 miles southwest of Paris. Look for bottles labeled Rose d’Anjou.

Second only to the Champagne region as a producer of sparkling wines, Loire sparklers are required by law to be made with the same labor-intensive technique as their sassy competitors to the north. For great quality at bargain-basement prices, sparklers with Vouvray in their names are very hard to beat. There are also sweet wines made from Chenin Blanc grapes which represent the most outstanding incarnations of this varietal and style. As I mentioned above, Vouvray sweets are particularly notable.

Although it may sound silly, the largest challenge for wine buyers today is figuring out what THEY like, without having to rely on expert opinions and reviews.  Trying new wines is the obvious solution, but continuing to try wines in a category you don’t like may seem like beating your head against the wall.  A wine buyer should have an understanding of the general characteristics of wine varietals so as to know what to expect.  The following is meant to be an introductory guide to point you in your right direction for white varietals, broken down into a four part series.  The red varietal descriptions will come soon after.

Albarino – Extensively grown in the Rias Baixas region of northwest Spain, this grape produces light to medium straw-colored dry wines that are very aromatic. These wines offer flavors of ripe peach, apricot, and orange marmalade coupled with hints of minerality and fresh acidity.  Albarino is also grown in the Vinho Verde region of northwest Portugal.

Chardonnay – One of the most popular and well known varietal, Chardonnay is grown extensively throughout the world’s wine growing regions.  Planted in cool, warm, and hot climates, Chardonnay thrives in soil rich in calcium, but can show a range of characteristics depending upon where it is planted.  It is the classic white grape of Burgundy and Champagne, and has become a major New World wine grown in the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Chile.  In the Old World, its characteristics can range from lemon, green apple, hazelnut, chalky minerality, and high acidity when from Chablis (a region of Burgundy), to the apple/pear, melon, vanilla, and buttery butterscotch when from the Cote de Beaune (another region of Burgundy).  Chardonnay adds finesse and elegance into Champagne, being the sole grape in the Blanc de Blanc style.   New World Chardonnay can range from creamy, to slightly dry, to very dry, and usually displays ripe, fruit-forward characters of lemon/lime, apple, pear, melon, freshly churned butter, and higher alcohol.   New World Chardonnays may also display more characteristics of the oak barrels where it matures.  The addition of wood may produce flavors of toastiness, cinnamon, clove, or even coconut, depending on how long the wine is left to mature and how old the barrels are.

Chenin Blanc – Grown extensively in the middle of the Loire regions on Anjou and Touraine, Chenin Blanc is renowned for producing Vouvray, Saumar, Coteaux-du-Layon, and Savennieres.   Savennieres is a still dry to medium white wine; Vouvray and Saumar can be dry, medium, or sweet and can be still or sparkling; Coteaux-du-Layon wines are medium sweet to sweet and are higher in alcohol.  These Loire wines offer quite a bit of acidity, balanced by lemony citrus, baked apple, and honey flavors, along with minerality.  South African and US style Chennin Blanc exhibit more tropical flavors of melon, and less minerality.

Folle Blanche – Used in the production of Cognac, Armagnac (under the name Picoul), and Gros Plant in the Muscadet region, this grape produces a thin, dry, highly acidic white wine.

More to come in part 2…

Despite the notoriety of the mint julep and the fact that it has been Churchill Downs’ signature drink since 1938, I think some bubbly is in order for any Kentucky Derby party. Wine is certainly needed for any derby party, but on should always celebrate a smart bet with a glad of Champagne or any fine American sparkling wine. And while you’re at it, you’ll have something to serve your guests that that can accompany most derby party menus. Not to mention the lower alcohol level in a glass of wine or Champagne versus a mint julep. The goal of the party is indeed to get a little toasted, but people will eventually have to drive home. So here are some Kentucky Derby party staples, and a few pairing ideas.

Henry Bain sauce. Named after its inventor, who was the head waiter at Louisville’s Pendennis Club. Bain made the sauce in 1881 as an accompaniment to wild game, and it’s been a Louisville tradition ever since. A sweet, tangy, spicy concoction, this sauce is best served with beef tenderloin. Rose champagne with its dry fruit and spice should accompany this sauce very nicely. Heavier than a typical sparkling wine, a rose offers the red fruits known to go well with red meats. However, the effervescence will not detract from the sauce as much as a big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon would. Perhaps try both and let me know.

Hot Brown sandwich. Created by the chef of the Brown Hotel, this open-faced sandwich consists of two slices of toast topped with juicy roast turkey, tomato slices, crispy bacon and a blanket of Cheddar-Parmesan cheese sauce. The sandwich is then broiled until the cheese sauce turns golden brown. White meats and heavy cheeses can be touch. The elegance of a Bordeaux (or Bordeaux blend such as a Claret) are a good choice. Lighter than a more elegant than a Californai Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux offers a blend of grapes. The blend adds complexity to the wine, enabling it to pair well with the different flavors of the sandwich.

Tea sandwiches. Expected at many derby parties, these sandwiches contain basil and mayo, tomato, watercress, or salmon. Cucumber sandwiches are also usual suspects on the buffet table. As much as the traditional white bread, cucumber sandwiches are still popular, any kind of bread and filling is possible. Light wine is best – Pinot Grigio’s and very light California Sauvignon Blancs are the way to go. The subtle acidity from the citrus on stone fruits will liven up any tea sandwich.

Baked brie with fruit. Wrapped in puff pastry and topped with preserves, baked brie is a wonderful cheese for crackers, fruit (apples), or French bread. Rieslings will are a great choice with brie. The fruity acidity will not only brighten the preserves; it will cut through the thickness of the cheese. German Rieslings will offer a honeyed sweetness, while American Rieslings show more of a sugary sweetness. The preserves and fruit served will dictate which style of Riesling is the better accompaniment.

Salad. Served in any fashion, salads can play as the backbone of what is served at a derby party, or it can be any number of side dishes. Some typical salad choices could be: three bean salad, potato salad, fresh greens, Caesar salad, chef salad, seafood salad, egg salad, or chicken salad. White wines are the way to go with most salads, and these are no different. Italian Pinot Grigio are exceptionally good for Caesar salads. French Sauvignon Blanc, such as a Touraine will go nicely with seafood salads. California Chardonnays will go well with salads that are heavier or have a creamy texture.