

I recently had the opportunity to review some wines from the California Wine Club. I had heard of The California Wine Club and many times have looked at the site when wanting to purchase a gift for a friends. I never actually did it because I wasn't sure what to expect. But now I know.
I was sent a shipment of two wines. I received a bottle of Robledo Family "Los Braceros" Red Wine and a bottle of Robledo Family Lake County Sauvignon Blanc White Wine. When I received the shipment, I liked that the box was marked with exactly

I loved that the bottles came in a foam encasing. This guarantees that they will not get broken. I kept the foam case because I know sometimes when we go to a party, picnic or other event that requires us to bring wine, I can reuse it and ensure my bottles do not get broken. Yes, I have broken wine bottles when traveling.
Once I got the wine out, I was impressed that inside the box was a newsletter that was completely dedicated to the wine that was delivered. This was a great help since I am wine clueless. I found out about the winery. I loved that it included a recipe (I am all about

It also gave a lot of information on the wines shipped. It included the price of the wines and also some tips on what to serve with the wine. I loved the fact they highlighted the family who runs the winery. If I am ever in Northern California again, I am so visiting this winery!
Okay, onto the wine review. Again, I am not a wine expert. But what I do know about wine is cooking with it. First, I take the experts advice and never use a wine to cook with that I wouldn't want to drink. Thus, I tend to stick with the wines I have already used. But I have found that certain wines just don't cut it.

I decided to use the Robledo "Los Braceros" Red Wine to make a bolognese sauce to go with spaghetti. Bolognese sauce is a bit time intensive. You need a mirepoix to start. Remember mirepoix is: onions, carrots, celery. You cook that down, add spices and then add ground pork and ground beef and brown that up. Once that is done, you add the wine and some tomato paste. Remember this is willy-nilly cooking and my own recipe. For a true bolognese, you better look up a real recipe online!
Anyhow, you let that cook down and it gets thick and wonderful and delicious. Let me tell you that this was delicious. Because you have to add at least 3 cups of wine to the recipe and really no other liquid, the wine has to be good or you will have a nasty sauce on your hands. This wine was perfect for this recipe.
Of course, the cook must sample the wine before using it and I did. It was rich and full-bodied (see I know some wine lingo) and very tasty. What I loved about it was that it had a light sweet and spicy taste. The best thing

The Sauvignon Blanc was tasty too. I prefer to drink white wine and cook with red. I do use white wine in some recipes but not that many. This Robledo wine was clear and crisp. It had a fruity taste that actually went really well with some bread, cheese and fruit I had made as a snac

Overall, I felt the whole California Wine Club experience was great, from delivery to consumption! The California Wine Club Site is easy to navigate. If you want to join, all you do is sign up. There is no membership cost and you can cancel at any time. There are four different wine clubs to choose from. The price varies depending on how many bottles of wine you want to receive per month. I priced all the clubs out at 2 bottles of wine per month and here is the breakdown:
* Premier Club - The most popular club - about $36 per month
* Signature Series - For collectors and connoisseurs - about $94 per month
* International Selections - From small "mom & pop" wineries around the world - about $62 per month
* Aged Cabernet Series - Napa's most prestigious Cabernets aged 8 - 12 years - About $241 per month
Again, I priced these out for 2 bottles per month, so you will have to go

It is because they are the experts and as a consumer, it is great to have someone send me wines that they believe are good for me to try. I know I would consider giving some friends this as a gift for a few months. I would even like to this myself for a few months. Since I am wine clueless, it is a huge help to have someone recommend wines to me.
If you are looking for wine or gifts for friends and family, you should check out the California Wine Club. I think the concept is pretty cool and the wines are pretty tasty!
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