Sampler Cases

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About our Monthly Mixed Sampler Case:

Mouthwatering Verdicchio fresh off the boat. Bright, silky Anderson Valley Pinot from an undiscovered producer. Forty-dollar Mourvedre from sultry Spain that now costs a tenner. The kind of wines you wish you could drink if only someone was hunting them down for you...

There are hundreds of reasons to purchase our monthly sampler case, and they'll be revealed to you, twelve bottles at a time. For around $150, or $12.50 a bottle, you'll get a mix of red, white, rose and sparkling wines that will perfectly enhance your meals, broaden your horizons, astound your friends and stock your cellar. There's no better way to go from wine-weak to wine-geek.

Wines in our sampler case are hand-picked, ruthlessly negotiated and delivered with love to your waiting glasses.

Each wine is discounted at least 15% off normal price because we Believe in these wines. Never look back!

Selection changes each month. An alternate Sampler Case with only red wines is available. Please call us at 510.525.9463 to inquire about Red Samplers or custom cases.

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2012 December Sampler Case

List Price: $205.00
Our Price: $165.00
You save $40.00!

Our December 2012 Mixed Sampler Case
$200+ worth of high-grade vino for $165

We're writing today about our December Monthly Sampler, every year our most popular and star-studded sampler case. That's because this set of a dozen wines is fanatically fine-tuned for this upcoming week of big meals and entertaining. This case is abundantly packed with amazing wines. It makes for a charming and memorable gift that rewards with each bottle opened. (The case includes tasting notes for all wines)

Cheers!

Case is available for pickup or shipment.

If you're not in our wine club, you should join up! Never miss an awesome case and enjoy a multitude of member benefits including free tickets to our special events. Click here to learn more.

What makes this case of wine so ludicrously good?

It's got a little bit of everything, but it's anything but random. With cool-weather classics from all over the world, it hits all the right spots. From full-bodied California reds to French standards from Bordeaux and the Languedoc, your dinner wines are taken care of. Going with Christmas crab? Pull out a bottle of a revered White Burgundy producer's Chardonnay. Start things off with a high-quality reserve sparkler from Spain and finish the meal the right way with a fantastic Ruby Port. In between, you can mix and match exciting imported reds and whites with any occasion and rest easy knowing it's all taken care of.

Click here to purchase online.
or call the store at 510.525.9463.
*Every case includes the full tasting notes included at the bottom of the e-mail.

You can pickup at any store or ship via UPS or FedEx.
We can include a gift message as well!

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Here are the wines for this month's case:

SAMPLERCASE-2-1

Red Wines

2011 Luli Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, California – Acclaimed Santa Lucia Highlands winemaker Jeff Pisoni knows how to make some good juice. Whether it be his $70 monster or the new project, it's all about that beautiful, rich Pinot Noir fruit. This one beats out many Pinots in the $40 range. Lamb, Chicken, Steak or Duck, this one can dance with most of the fauna that finds its way to our dinner table. $22.50

2010 Chateau La Roque, Pic Saint Loup, Languedoc, France – The swarthy reds of Pic Saint Loup are custom-built for pairing with the heartiest of stews and La Roque's version has me thinking it will be my winter house red. Cyriaque Rozier farms his prized ancient Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre vines biodynamically and ages the wine in old casks to round out the rough edges. At the same time earthy and refined, it's a classy wine from the rough and tumble southwest of France that will keep you warm all season long. $17.00

2011 Juan Gil "Honoro Vera" Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain – We've long been fans of the inky-black, barrel-aged Monastrell (aka Mourvedre) from Juan Gil. The un-oaked Honoro Vera may have a bit more bright acidity but I'm still blown away by the velvety texture and the deep blackberry fruit contained within. Fans of big, bold Zinfandels or California Syrahs will find a lot to love here and at $9, you won't find a more plush red for the price. $9.00.

2009 Cantele Salice Salentino Riserva, Puglia, Italy – We drank Puglian wine and ate decidedly Berkeley slices of pizza with Gianni Cantele a few years ago. His Pugliese wines are modern though politely local in name. Released under the spell of three years growth, this Salice Salentino tastes anything but chewy. Silky plums and sexy leather. In the most flattering of ways. A fine Negroamaro for wood-fired eats. $12.00

2010 Chateau du Juge, Bordeaux, France – On cold winter nights, we can't help but crave the dark, brooding fruit and intense earth & tannins that have made Bordeaux the darling of the 1%. This modestly priced Merlot-based beauty from Chateau du Juge is from the soon-to-be classic 2010 vintage, and delivers loads of complex aromas and plenty of stuffing. A delicious foil for holiday roasts and it's easy to see what the 2010 hype is all about. $14.00

2007 Snows Lake "ONE" Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Hills, Lake County, California – We've stocked a few wines that seemed too good to be true. In this case, local winemaker Peter Molnar suggested we take a look at this epic mountain Cabernet made by David Ramey. It's quite possibly the best Cabernet ever made in the Red Hills of Lake County. With customers like Stag's Leap and Cakebread, Snows Lake is a primo Cab vineyard. It's not often we can offer this caliber of wine for $16. This is an ageworthy mountain Cab that will drink superbly for the next decade. $16.00

White, Sparkling and Dessert Wines

N.V. Bohigas Gran Reserva Cava, Catalonia, Spain – With a history of growing and producing wines dating back to 1290, the vineyards at the Bohigas estate are among the oldest in Spain. The Bohigas family took over the estate in the 70's with organic farming as their mission, and they decided to include a bit of Chardonnay in the Gran Reserva bottling to give their best bubbly a bit more heft and aromatic complexity than your typical cava. An excellent choice for a NYE toast. $22.00

2011 Tertre du Launay, Entre-deux-Mers, Bordeaux, France – Word gets around about a wine like Entre-deux-Mers. Coral reefs are found abandoned and shellfish pack up and split town. Goats go on strike due to ridiculous demands for cheese. Frogs everywhere get price quotes on wheelchairs. Because of Entre-deux-Mers' terrifying tastiness, food matches around the world are on edge. Aromatic, fresh, stony and silky. Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle. $14.00

2011 Weingut Binz Pinot Gris, Nackenheim, Germany – Talk about an absolute bargain for a luscious, dry Pinot Gris from Germany. More Alsace than Oregon or Italy, Binz packs in the quince/pear/nuts without crossing the sweet line. Fruit-a-plenty, but so too is acidity and mineral. Very useful wine with tricky food combos involving hot spices or any sweet-sour flavors. $13.50

2011 San Giovanni Lugana, Italy – This squat lil' bottle of Italian deliciousness is sure to become a favorite here. Lugana is the local designation for white wines made at Lake Garda from Trebbiano di Lugana - supposedly a nobler type of Trebbiano. It can often taste like a fat Macon-Villages sans oak, but with lovely orchard fruit crunch and honey scent. Dry and luscious. Do it. $20.00.

2009 De Montille Chardonnay, Bourgogne, France – The de Montille family has holdings in some of the most prestigious vineyards in Burgundy, farming them using biodynamic principles and adhering to traditional winemaking methods. Even though this Bourgogne blanc comes from vineyards outside their domaine, the same exacting standards are used, though a larger portion is aged in stainless steel rather than oak. Freshness is the goal and they've certainly succeeded here, with bright acidity and clean fruit flavors making this a perfect match for fresh catch. See the film Mondovino for more about this classic winemaking family. $23.50.

Niepoort Ruby Port, Douro, Portugal – Ruby port sees no oak. It goes directly from fermentation to tank to bottle, which means it's the purest expression of fresh port fruitiness on the market. Raspberry and sour cherry preserves anyone? How about a little coffee and milk chocolate notes thrown in? This small-production version is the best pairing for holiday pies. But if you don't believe us, bring in a pie and let us a prove it. $16.50.

* If we sell out of a wine, we reserve the right to substitute for greater or equal value.