SUB-ZERO WINE BLOG

With so many wine choices out there, it’s hard to weed through and find the “gems” that we Master Sommeliers look for: truly special wines that are great value. That’s because they’re usually limited in availability, so you don’t find them in the typical store. But with interstate wine shipping laws being liberalized, for many buyers there’s a new source for specialty wines – joining a wine club. Texas recently legalized winery-direct shipping, and a recent Supreme Court decision now makes Michigan and New York legal direct ship-to states.

If you like a particular winery, check their website for a club – I particularly like Franciscan’s (members-only wines from Napa and beyond, www.franciscan.com) and Lynmar (tasty Russian River Pinots, www.lynmarwinery.com). For Italian wine fanatics, look at the clubs offered by the Italian Wine Merchant (www.italianwinemerchant.com). And I’ve launched a club of my selections that are really unique, and offer incredible value for the money. Each shipment includes great (and easy!) recipes to pair with every special bottle (www.andreawine.com).