Product was provided for free however the review is my honest opinion and includes affiliate links.

Being a wine guy, you get all kinds of wine questions all the time. People will call me from the wine store, with questions about what to buy. Others will email me and ask what they should pair with whatever they are cooking that night. By far, however, I am asked to recommend a wine club (either to join or to give as a gift).

And I never know what to say. I have only belonged to one wine club in my life (if you discount the individual winery clubs): the K & L Champagne Club. So I really do not have a frame of reference.

The idea of a wine club is certainly a good one, particularly for beginners or those who do not want to put in the effort of deciding which wine to buy. Each month, wine just shows up on your door.

Recently, I was contacted by the California Wine Club and asked to review some of the wines that are offered through their club. At first, I was hesitant since I really did not want to seem like a shill and be mindlessly plugging wines in order to make a little cash (although there are worse ways to make a buck, I imagine). After I was assured that they wanted my honest opinion of the wine (and seemed sincere about it) I decided to sign on.

The package I received was impressive–the wines were gift wrapped and were accompanied by an detailed packet of information on the wines, recipes, and general wine information. The two wines this month:

2009 Claiborne and Churchill Pinot Noir: Retail $30. Currently on sale for $12.99. I really did not know what to expect as I was opening the Pinot Noir. I have long been of the opinion that it is really difficult to find a Pinot under $30 that is really worth mentioning. Sure, I have tried dozens of sub-$30 wines and they have been perfectly serviceable, even enjoyable, but not particularly memorable. Nor have I had much of a desire to buy much more of them either. I was also a little apprehensive by the cover of the included Uncorked magazine, which proclaimed that “Alsatian Wines Still Centerstage at Claiborne & Churchill.”

Don’t get me wrong—I love Alsatian wines. I studied in Strasbourg while in college, still consider Alsace my second home, and I am a huge fan of Alsatian wines.

Except Alsatian Pinot Noir.

Sure, it is fun to drink and fairly inexpensive, but it is also rather austere and overly acidic. So yeah, I was a bit worried about this wine.

What a surprise—great red fruit and well-placed acidity, this wine is easy to drink on its own and would be great for a Thanksgiving Day wine. Honestly, at $30, I would likely pass, but $13? That is an easy one. Very Good. 88-90 Points.

Highest Recommendation (I would consider buying a case of it).

2012 Claiborne and Churchill Edelzwicker: Retail $18.00. Currently on sale for $10.99. I should have tried these in the reverse order. I knew that, particularly since I have had my fair share of Edelzwickers in my day. I studied in Strasbourg, France and had a limited budget, which usually meant that beer was the drink of choice (we would buy liters of Kronenbourg from the gas station for about 50 cents–trying to keep it classy).

When we opted for wine, the choice was Edelzwicker. It was relatively inexpensive, had some great acidity, and usually a hint of sweetness–the perfect gateway wine for Coca-Cola swilling Americans. The term comes from German, as you may have surmised: edel (noble) and zwicker (blend). Thus the wine was originally a blend of the noble Alsatian varieties: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat (but has since been deregulated and Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner can now be included)–kind of a kitchen sink approach (the C & C is a blend of Gewürz, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc).

Before I twisted open the Claiborne and Churchill Central Coast version, I was worried. I had never seen an Edelzwicker outside of Alsace (not even in Paris), let alone on these shores. I figured that the Pinot Noir was really good, though, so one out of two is not that bad at all, and I would suffer through the Edelzwicker.

Another surprise.

A great floral nose that really underlines the Gewürz–floral and fruity, with mango and papaya. Light on the palate, where the mango really comes through. The residual sugar nicely balances out the vibrant acidity. This is a very nice wine that would work well on the patio, with some grilled fish, and even on the Thanksgiving Day table. Very Good. 86-88 Points.

Recommended (I would consider buying it as an add-on to an order and happily drink it).

If this one shipment is any indication, if you have been considering giving a wine club as a gift this year, I would certainly take a look at the California Wine Club. Readers of The Drunken Cyclist can get 10% off by clicking on one of the hyperlinks and using the code “SAS10”.