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Wine Region Gifts for all Occasions! |
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MONTHLY WINE CLUBS - FEATURED WINES FOR JUNE 2009PREMIUM WINE CLUBIndaba - South Africa"Indaba" is the Zulu word for "a meeting of the minds," or a traditional gathering of tribal leaders for a sharing of ideas. The brand was created as
a celebration of the democratization process in South Africa, and from its inception, the wines have conveyed the spirit of South Africa to American
consumers. A portion of the proceeds from the Indaba wines supports a scholarship for formerly disenfranchised South Africans who are interested in
wine-related careers. Through growth of the brand and via the affiliated scholarship, Indaba is proud to be a part of the positive changes that are
altering the face of South Africa's wine industry. Bodegas Aragonesas - SpainBodegas Aragonesas is part of the Campo de Borja Denomination of Origin, and its vineyards are located in the foothills of the Iberian Mountain Range,
in the northern part of the province of Zaragoza. All this area, which includes the foot of the Iberian Mountain Range and the high valley of the Ebro
River, also shared by Navarra and La Rioja, is a privileged area for growing vineyards, both for the quality of the soil and its climate. The Bodegas
Aragonesas vineyards occupy an area of 3,500 hectares, with a height of between 450 and 500 meters and with a formation of small hills facing southeast.
This area, cultivated by wine growers from Magallon and Fuendejalon, produces 12 million kilograms of grapes, with a predominance of the "Garnacha"
variety. Rim Rock Wines - Prosser, WashingtonRim Rock Wines is the secondary label of Snipes Gap Vineyards located in Washington States famed Yakima Valley. The consulting winemaker is the
legendary Dave Minick of Willow Crest Winery. Snipes Gap Vineyards originally only cultivated wine grapes and then sold them to Stimson Lane for production.
After years of this they felt that they were missing out on seeing the completion of the process that growing the grapes had begun, so they decided to start
their own winery. INTERNATIONAL WINE CLUBGlen Carlou - South AfricaGlen Carlou is situated in the heart of South Africa's scenic Paarl Valley. The warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters of this area combine with an
exciting variety of slopes and the riches of the soils to create unique winegrowing conditions. Glen Carlou was established in 1985 by one of the country's
most revered winemakers, the pioneering Walter Finlayson. In 1994 Walter was joined by his son David and together the Finlaysons have built the winery's
reputation and stature to become one of South Africa's premier wine producers. Today it continues to flourish under the ownership of the international Hess
Group. Southern Lights - New ZealandSouthern Lights Estate's vineyards consist of 178 acres that lie across the Omaka Valley in the heart of Marlborough's wine growing area. Marlborough, now
world famous for its production of Sauvignon Blanc and other cool climate varieties is characterized by its well drained stony soils and long dry growing
season with warm sunny days and cool nights. The first vines were planted in 1989 and further developed when Southern Lights Estates were established in
1992 by Geoff and Robina Jensen. Their winemaker Ian Marchant has been with Omaka Springs since 1997. Quinta Da Espiga - PortugalQuinta Da Espiga is situated in Alenquer, approximately 45 kms North of Lisbon, in a very traditional wine region and where the typical Portuguese rural
landscape appears in all its glory. Quinta Da Espiga has been a family owned company for several generations and was founded by Joaquim Santos Lima, who in
the turn of the 19th century, was a great producer and exporter. Other cultures like apples, pears and prunes are also produced, though the vineyard is
definitely the most important. The winery has benefited over the years, of numerous improvements and the introduction of recent technologies. A modern
bottling line was also installed. Tittarelli Winery - ArgentinaTittarelli is one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in all of Argentina. Founded by Enrique Tittarelli in 1915, just after his arrival from
Italy. Tittarelli owns over 1800 hectares (4500 acres) of vines right below the Andes Mountains, an area with an exceptional micro-climate which makes it
possible to grow high-quality grapes. The company is divided into two wineries, which combine tradition and technology to create wines of excellent
character. The 33 degree south latitude is a special geographic point as the climate of this zone is characterized by a large swing in temperatures.
These conditions, together with the scarce rainfall and the sandy and permeable soil make the 'cuyana' area the most suitable for growing grapes, making
it possible to compete with and even excel the best and most traditional European wineries. WEST COAST WINE CLUBForis Vineyards Winery - Cave Junction, OregonFounded by Ted and Meri Gerber, Foris Winery and Vineyards is family-owned and family-managed. Foris is located in the coastal Siskiyou Mountains just
six miles from the Oregon/California border. The diverse Rogue River Valley appellation comprises three distinct valleys with progressively warmer
microclimates. Foris produces a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from its Klipsun Vineyard overlooking the Yakima River in Washington State. Heron Wines - American Canyon, CaliforniaHeron Wines owner and winemaker Laely Heron has a specific goal. To make serious, soulful wines with great balance, flavor and character by using
small-lot hands-on winemaking techniques and French oak. By selecting grapes from the best regions for each particular variety - primarily low-yielding,
maritime-influenced vineyards - Heron is able to consistently produce wines that over deliver. Over the last decade, Heron has become a "cult wine" among
master sommeliers and chefs, a favorite "by the glass" pour in the nation's top restaurants. Mankas Hills - St. Helena, CaliforniaMankas Hills Vineyards is a family-owned enterprise located in the upper Suisun Valley, just a few miles east of the southern slopes of the world-renowned
Napa Valley. Committed to quality in all aspects of wine making, they focus on growing ultra-premium grapes and crafting them into the highest quality wines.
In Piedmont and other regions of northern Italy, the name Piola was used to describe a place where villagers and visitors would gather and dine on simple
food and the local unsophisticated but witty wines, many times straight out of the barrel. The name has also been used by Italian immigrants to describe
something that is cool, pleasing, or enjoyable. Canyon's Edge Winery - Mabton, WashingtonCanyon's Edge Winery is located along the southern rim of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. Established in 2002 as a family owned estate winery specializing in
taking the wine from the soil to the bottle for your enjoyment. Established on August 5th, 2005 Horse Heaven Hills AVA is one of Washington's newest AVA.
This AVA has several unique traits that produce superior wine grapes. It is bounded on the South by the Columbia River, has ideal south-facing slopes, warm
temperatures that allow for ripe grapes and early harvest, and low rainfall, which gives total control of watering to the grape grower. Currently there are
nearly 8000 acres in wine grape production accounting for roughly 30% of Washington State wine grape production. RED TRIO WINE CLUBBodegas Aragonesas - SpainBodegas Aragonesas is part of the Campo de Borja Denomination of Origin, and its vineyards are located in the foothills of the Iberian Mountain Range,
in the northern part of the province of Zaragoza. All this area, which includes the foot of the Iberian Mountain Range and the high valley of the Ebro River,
also shared by Navarra and La Rioja, is a privileged area for growing vineyards, both for the quality of the soil and its climate. The Bodegas Aragonesas
vineyards occupy an area of 3,500 hectares, with a height of between 450 and 500 meters and with a formation of small hills facing southeast. This area,
cultivated by wine growers from Magallon and Fuendejalon, produces 12 million kilograms of grapes, with a predominance of the "Garnacha" variety. Mankas Hills - St. Helena, CaliforniaMankas Hills Vineyards is a family-owned enterprise located in the upper Suisun Valley, just a few miles east of the southern slopes of the world-renowned
Napa Valley. Committed to quality in all aspects of wine making, they focus on growing ultra-premium grapes and crafting them into the highest quality wines.
In Piedmont and other regions of northern Italy, the name Piola was used to describe a place where villagers and visitors would gather and dine on simple
food and the local unsophisticated but witty wines, many times straight out of the barrel. The name has also been used by Italian immigrants to describe
something that is cool, pleasing, or enjoyable. Quinta Da Espiga - PortugalQuinta Da Espiga is situated in Alenquer, approximately 45 kms North of Lisbon, in a very traditional wine region and where the typical Portuguese rural
landscape appears in all its glory. Quinta Da Espiga has been a family owned company for several generations and was founded by Joaquim Santos Lima, who in
the turn of the 19thth century, was a great producer and exporter. Other cultures like apples, pears and prunes are also produced, though the vineyard is
definitely the most important. The winery has benefited over the years, of numerous improvements and the introduction of recent technologies. A modern
bottling line was also installed. SINGLE BOTTLE WINE CLUBBodegas Aragonesas - SpainBodegas Aragonesas is part of the Campo de Borja Denomination of Origin, and its vineyards are located in the foothills of the Iberian Mountain Range,
in the northern part of the province of Zaragoza. All this area, which includes the foot of the Iberian Mountain Range and the high valley of the Ebro River,
also shared by Navarra and La Rioja, is a privileged area for growing vineyards, both for the quality of the soil and its climate. The Bodegas Aragonesas
vineyards occupy an area of 3,500 hectares, with a height of between 450 and 500 meters and with a formation of small hills facing southeast. This area,
cultivated by wine growers from Magallon and Fuendejalon, produces 12 million kilograms of grapes, with a predominance of the "Garnacha" variety. Rim Rock Wines - Prosser, WashingtonRim Rock Wines is the secondary label of Snipes Gap Vineyards located in Washington States famed Yakima Valley. The consulting winemaker is the legendary
Dave Minick of Willow Crest Winery. Snipes Gap Vineyards originally only cultivated wine grapes and then sold them to Stimson Lane for production. After
years of this they felt that they were missing out on seeing the completion of the process that growing the grapes had begun, so they decided to start their
own winery. PLATINUM WINE CLUBTamarack Cellars - Walla Walla, WashingtonTamarack Cellars was founded in 1998 by Ron and Jamie Coleman. They are dedicated to the production of small lot, hand-crafted wines from select
vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain and Columbia Valley appellations. The winery is located in a restored WW II fire station
and barracks at the Walla Walla Airport Complex. Wines made are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, DuBrul Vineyard Reserve, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Firehouse Red.
Ron Coleman serves as winemaker and general manager. He comes to the job after a long career in the wine industry with experience in wholesale and retail
sales, as a sommelier, and through cellar work for Waterbrook and Canoe Ridge wineries. Dusted Valley Vintners- Walla Walla, WashingtonLocated in the epicenter of Washington State's premiere Wine Country, Dusted Valley Vintners (DVV) calls the Walla Walla Valley home. This rolling
valley, back dropped by the Blue Mountains, has historically been landscaped by golden wheat fields, green vegetable fields (such as the Walla Walla
Sweet Onion) and fruit orchards. However, this oasis has quickly become home to world class vineyards and wines. DVV is committed to sharing their love
of wine with all of you enjoying what life has to offer. Although, they will never be able to turn water into wine, they have hunted for the best fruit
and with the least amount of intervention DVV will wave a magic wand and turn the grapes into distinct and memorable wines. Elderton Wines - AustraliaElderton Wines is a small, family-owned winery, situated in the heart of Australia's Barossa Valley that has shot to world acclaim producing some of
Australia's most highly regarded Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Elderton vineyard which was planted in around 1900 by Samuel Elderton Tolley, was
purchased by the Ashmead family in the late 1970's and started producing labeled bottled estate wine from the 1982 harvest. The second generation of the
Ashmead family, brothers: Cameron and Allister now run the winery day to day and are passionate about producing wines that are balanced, varietally correct
and classic in nature. 90+ POINT WINE CLUBDomaine Louis Moreau - FranceDomaine Louis Moreau was born from the passion of a family settled in Chablis in 1814. As soon as the late 19th century, the love of this family for
great wines brought her to purchase plots in Grands Crus and Premiers Crus. Nowadays, proprietor of parcels in 5 of the Grands Crus, including a monopole,
the Domaine works many plots within the appellations of Petit Chablis, Chablis and Premiers Crus, in full respect of the environment. The most prestigious
of its wines is the monopole Chablis Grand Cru Clos des Hospices dans les Clos whose acquisition was made by the Moreau family in 1904. Louis Moreau, who
has been heading the Domaine since 1994, elaborates wines of unique style, combining minerality, fineness, elegance and purity. Antonio Sanguineti - ItalyAs happens sometimes in Italian families, there was a disagreement about what to do with the Sanguineti family's land. This happened while Antonio was
still a young man and, in the end, it wound up being sold. Despite his love of wine, Antonio was left without a vineyard. But the accomplished young
winemaker, dubbed 'Il Maestro' by his colleagues, was not to be deterred. He parlayed his wine knowledge into consultant work, and now trades his expertise
for the right to select the best grapes from two wonderful estates. Without the ongoing overhead of a vineyard, Antonio is able to produce truly outstanding
wines. Goose Ridge - Richland, WashingtonGoose Ridge Estate Vineyard and Winery is a family-owned and operated winery dedicated to limited production, handcrafted wines from select, estate-grown
grapes. The Monson family's vineyard is planted on a south-facing slope in Washington's Columbia Valley adjacent to Red mountain that consistently yields
rich, ripe grapes. Acclaimed winemaker Charlie Hoppes has his pick of the vineyard. Fermenting and aging wines in small lots from a handful of blocks
carefully selected for their exceptional character and complexity is exactly what the Monsons had in mind for Goose Ridge when they founded the winery in
1999. The family has farmed in the Columbia Valley for four decades and is known for their commitment to quality. Goose Ridge Vineyard is built on that
tradition. THE ULTIMATE WINE CELLAR CLUBCantina Terlano - ItalyTerlano Vineyards is particularly renowned for its white wines, which are fruity, with big body and full complexity. Remarkable heights are reached by
the fantastic Pinot Blanc and the wonderfully aromatic Sauvignon Blanc, followed by the harmonious and refined Chardonnay. These dramatic white wines have
an unusual capacity for maintaining a fresh vitality and enduring minerality that goes beyond common varietal standards on a several fronts. This is a
cooperative winery that has been around for over 100 years and is comprised of over 100 members. With 300+ acres of vineyard located largely on porphyry,
basically volcanic rock, the wines exude elegance and varietal complexity. Each bottle is the product of the exacting standards of their winemaker, Rudi
Kofler, who has a long experience in the production of authentic and traditional wines. These wines are well suited for aging. Bodega Enrique Foster - ArgentinaIn the center of the world's premier location for Malbec - Lujan De Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina, Bodega Enrique Foster has built a state-of-the-art gravity-
flow winery surrounded by 80-year old vines. Their objective is nothing less than to produce the best Malbec in Argentina - which is to say the best in the
world. No expense has been spared, from the latest vineyard management to the stainless steel equipment and the new French oak barrels in the underground
cellars. At each stage of winemaking, cranes and a multi-level freight elevator combine to move the wine without pumping, thus avoiding its detrimental
effects on wine. To achieve gravity flow on the flat terrain of central Mendoza, they built a moveable overhead I-beam crane which could lift the crushed
grapes up and over the fermentation tanks, a deep cellar for the barrels, and a multi-stage freight elevator to raise the aged wine above the blending tanks
and bottling equipment. In order to fit this equipment into the traditional Mendoza winery design of three equal naves, they raised the roof of the central
nave, creating the profile of a church - entirely appropriate for the worship of the grape. Fidelitas Wines - Benton City, WashingtonFidelitas is a family owned winery faithful to Cabernet Sauvignon, loyal to Bordeaux winemaking techniques and true to Washington State's Columbia Valley
terroir. With over 20 years of experience under his belt, Fidelitas owner and winemaker, Charlie Hoppes, has gained a depth of understanding few others will
ever achieve. He's crafted more wines in a single vintage than most winemakers will touch in a lifetime. He knows his growers. He knows their vines. Most
important, he knows how to get his hands on exceptional fruit and transform it into something uniquely his own. He's a roll-up-your-sleeves type of guy, fair
and authentic-and that authenticity comes through in the wines he crafts. Faithful. Loyal. True. That's Charlie. And that's Fidelitas. SPARKLING WINE & CHAMPAGNE CLUBReilly's Cottage Wines - AustraliaThe Clare Valley is recognized for producing some of Australia's finest wines and so it was a natural choice for Tom and Heidi Reilly to establish
Reilly's Cottage Wines. They began operations in 1993 as a small producer of fine quality hand-made wines. They make Reilly's wines on their premises at
Mintaro in the Clare Valley using grapes from their non-irrigated vineyard. The 75-year-old vines are located just outside Watervale and depend solely on
rainfall, yielding limited quantities of small delicious berries. The grapes are hand-picked and fermented in open vats, prolonging contact of skins and
juice. The fermented wine is then hand basket-pressed. Reilly's Cottage Wines' range of award-winning wines includes Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz,
Tawny Port and Riesling. J Vineyards & Winery - Healdsburg, CaliforniaJ's mission is to create world-class wines reflecting the rich terroir of Sonoma County's Russian River Valley and to craft wines that enhance special
moments in the lives of its customers. J Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1986. Judy Jordan, owner and CEO, leads the J Team with a free spirited horizontal
management style that emphasizes quality and creativity. Her vision is to weave together the vines of tradition with those of contemporary innovation. J
Sparkling Wine is just the beginning. The family of J wines continues to grow with the introduction of still wines including Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and
Chardonnay all from their estate vineyards in the Russian River Valley. They do and shall remain steadfastly devoted to the land whose bounty is gently
enhanced by the artistic hand of J's winemaker.
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