There are few things in this world that I would say I “hate”. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty that would fall into the “dislike intensely” category (I have really tried to embrace tofu over the years, but ugh), but I try to avoid using the word “hate”.

But I hate running.

Like a lot.

My years playing basketball in high school and college did a number on my knees and the thought of even running to catch a bus makes me save money like a fiend so I can take a cab. In fact, the reason I started cycling, way back in the day, was at the suggestion of my college basketball team’s trainer who indicated that cycling would actually help alleviate my knee pain.

A few years ago, I was on the board of a non-profit and they had an annual 5k fund-raiser. For years they begged me to participate and eventually, I caved and agreed to run in it. I trained, ran, and did pretty well (my time was 22:49, which is not too shabby), but I have not run another meter since, and the race was back in 2015.

That’s me (on the left) after the 5k. I have no idea why Elvis was there or why I took a picture with him.

But.

Next week, even though I am going to be in Spain, I will be participating in yet another marathon. I do precisely three a year, dating back at least a decade and I do not run a single step.

What I am talking about is Last Bottle‘s Marathon, which starts next Thursday, March 28th.

For those who might be relatively new to this space, Last Bottle is my favorite online retailer. So when the kind folks at Last Bottle contacted me last week to see if I would help get the word out about the Marathon, I happily agreed.

Almost as much as I avoid using the word “hate” I also try to avoid using superlatives. But. Last Bottle might just be the best online retailer. I can safely say that I have not been unhappy with a single purchase from Last Bottle and I have received a ton of wine from them (it is right around 1,000 bottles at this point).

I actually visited Last Bottle (they are in Napa) back in 2016.

Typically, they have one wine up for sale each day until it is sold out, but during the Marathon, they will likely go through hundreds (thousands?) of wines, each lasting only a few minutes (or less), all at pretty good prices, all with free shipping (to the lower 48 states, sorry Hawaii and Alaska) no matter how many bottles you purchase.

So why am I telling you all of this? Like I said, I love Last Bottle, and I have been expressing that love for some time now. In addition, every new client that signs up with Last Bottle using any of the links in this post gets $10 off their first purchase and I get a credit ($30) with the site. Over the years, those credits have added up and kept my wife and me happy with (mostly) champagne.

When I visited Last Bottle I actually took a picture of where they take their pictures. How meta.

Although it all started with Last Bottle, several sites are now run by the same folks. Last Bubbles focuses almost exclusively on champagne and sparkling wine; First Bottle is more of a “traditional” online retailer with a wider collection of wine; and Invino which is similar to Last Bottle.

So, if you have not already, click on any of the links in this article and sign up with Last Bottle (or any/all of the sister sites), I promise you will not be disappointed. And if you have already been a customer with Last Bottle, I would love to hear about your experience in the comments below!

For more information about the Marathon, click HERE.

There is a caveat, however. According to Last Bottle, during a typical Marathon, they sell about 70 times more wine than they do on a typical day. Yowza. And since they will group all the wine you purchase together during the Marathon, it might take a few weeks to get your wine.