One of the best ways to learn about wine is to take two or three bottles of wine made from the same grape but from different regions, and try them side by side. The old compare and contrast we used to do in school.
Napa’s The Bounty Hunter has a wine club that serves this purpose perfectly. The Varietal Reference club involves quarterly shipments of three wines. For example, the recent Pinot Noir shipment had a Pinot from New Zealand, one from Monterey, California, and one from Burgundy. They were great with dinner on Saturday evening with some friends, and really helped show the styles and characteristics of those wines.
The club isn’t cheap: $90 to $145 (US) each quarter, plus shipping, but if you’ve got the cash, this isn’t a bad way to go. The shipments come with information and descriptions of each wine so you have a little bit of guidance before you sample them.
If I’ve written about this wine club before, forgive me. But even if I have, it’s good enough to merit another mention.
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