Metasip

A Wine, Beer, and Spirits Review Site

Quick Takes

Quick Take: DrinkersBox

As we mention our latest Quick Take, we’ve learned that the fastest way to critical mass in selling alcohol-related products…is not to sell alcohol.

Metasip Quick Takes

Think about that for a half-second – while we tell you that this is an AFFILIATE LINK to today’s “Quick Take” – here in the USA, 50 different states have 50 different sets of rules about selling and shipping alcohol. And there’s that whole thing with “reciprocal states;” it might be worth your while to establish residence in some states to be able to drink their stuff. Bringing us to a unique service called “DrinkersBox” and their monthly mystery box: everything but the alcohol. It’s INSANELY clever. From the site:

“Brought to you by the guys who’ve brought you the awesome reviews on TheDrunkPirate.com for the past 7 years, DrinkersBox is a monthly box full of awesome drinking-related gadgets, apparel, hangover cures and anything else the postal service will let us ship – All automagically delivered to your door each month.”

Here’s a screengrab of what their actual box looks like – it varies from month to month, but might be worth trying out!

DrinkersBox

 

Quick Takes: Wine Bee

Metasip Quick Takes

Hey, we’re back with another Quick Take – in this one, we introduce you to Wine Bee, a unique site that takes you all around Italy – twenty wine regions covered by their buyers – to . As with all the Quick Takes so far, this is an Affiliate Link, which means if you take advantage of a deal by clicking on this link, we’ll be compensated. But if we get compensated, we can keep bringing these Metasip reviews to you. And other cool stuff. Time for you to meet Wine Bee!

Quick Take: Wine Bee

WineBee.com is the link, and what we noticed first about the site is the imagery. I love wine, but, to quote Liz Lemon, “I want to go to there.”

But back to wine for a second or two…

Cavalchina Bardolino DOC

Yum. This guy over here looks like a steal at $16.40 per bottle. I think I want two.

NOTES on this wine: “The grapes used for this Veneto region wine mature late and it is necessary for there to be a good climate at the end of the season to realize the potential of these grapes. When this happens we have one of the most distinguished wines in the Italian panorama: not too deep in color but with an intense bouquet, nuances of cherries and marasca. On the palate it has a persistent peppery, spicy character.

“To ensure these characteristics the grapes are, after destalking and pressing, fermented for 72 hours at 280C then the temperature is lowered to 220C up to the end of the fermentation, to avoid over extraction of tannins. The average maceration is 10 days followed by the malolactic fermentation. The wine is kept for 3 months in stainless steel vats.”

This is one of the…well, it looked like HUNDREDS of wines on the WineBee.com site.

Give it a try, you may like what you taste over there.

Big Asterisk Here: only a few states are on their list – “We provide shipments to the following states: California, Alaska, District of Columbia, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, West Virginia and Wyoming.”

See you next time for another Quick Take.

Quick Take: DirectCellars.com

Here’s a new Quick Take for ya, and this one is an affiliate link. There’s a kicker at the bottom, and it actually really got my attention. Really. Read on for more!

So today’s Quick Take is from DirectCellars.com – and they have a pretty interesting concept in the whole wine world. First up, here’s a link: DirectCellars.com-Great Wines, Exceptional Prices, Delivered to Your Doorstep! Click here!

Really, though, DirectCellars.com is different…HOW?

I see three different varieties of membership. Hmmm. Here they are:

Wine Lovers. Basic, two reds, two whites, or one of each. $50 a month.

Red Wine Trio. They do the hard work. “Hand-picked reds of the world.” $60 a month. Three bottles.

Connoisseur’s Choice. Two bottles, but “best wines on the planet.” $75 a month.

But, Dave, what’s that kicker that really got your attention?

“Always free shipping.”

So wait, think about that for a second. Schlep over to the wine store, or use another club that charges for shipping…or go for the “all in” price above. I like the thought of not having that extra shipping charge every month.

Here’s that link again – it’s an affiliate link to DirectCellars.com. Good luck and happy shopping!

Quick Take: California Wine Club

Today’s Quick Take is, for us, a trip down memory lane. All links in this post are Affiliate Links – so we may be compensated if you sign up as a result. Read on!

Way, way back when – we’re talking MID-1990s – we signed up for a deal with something called The California Wine Club. It was our first foray into a wine club – and, given the fact this was actually pre-Internet, a really novel concept for the time. This Quick Take revisits the California Wine Club – and finds tons of options to choose from.

The Drill…

It’s one of the first non-magazine subscriptions we ever signed up for. Every month, we received a couple bottles of wine – and there were tasting notes and recipes and more in each shipment. It was a great way to learn about wine, and to discover wines and wineries that weren’t household names. A great deal for us newbies.

They’re still at it over there at The California Wine Club – and you can use one of the links below to sign up.

California Wine Club

Mom and Pop Wines? They’ve got that: The California Wine Club – Handcrafted, Quality Wines from “Mom & Pop” Wineries. No Bulk Wine.

Actually, the variety is pretty stellar – we could send you to a variety of different products:

Buy The California Wine Club’s Signature Series for yourself
OR
Buy The California Wine Club’s Aged Cabernet for yourself
OR
The California Wine Club’s International Wine Club for a global wine experience.

Free Shipping?

We love this deal – if you give a Premier Club membership as a gift, you’ll get free shipping. Free Shipping Offer.*read the fine print over at the landing page.

Considering they go BEYOND just California – there’s International, there’s Pacific Northwest! – tons of stuff to try out over at The California Wine Club!

Quick Take: Plonk Wine Club

Back with another Quick Take. If you missed yesterday’s from Cameron Hughes, well, don’t fret. Here’s another thing you can take a look at.

Quick Take: Plonk Wine Club

Today’s Quick Take is on the Plonk Wine Club, and we’ll tell you up front this is an Affiliate Link. That means we will be compensated if you sign up using this particular link:

Plonk Wine Club Signup Form

Alas, this is one of those wine clubs that uses a combination of smarts, savvy, and, dare we say it, sex appeal; all done to make sure you get the best possible wine selection. Want an example of what we’re talking about? Check out the video and get to know Etty, who knows her stuff.

One of the cool features of this club – tasting notes with recipes, and they’re right on the website. For instance…here’s what they say about one of the wines available this month.

Brack Mountain Fable Charbono 2010
Napa Valley, California

Charbono, also known as Bonarda (in Argentina) or Douce Noir (in France), is an obscure red variety with historic roots in the Savoie region of France. This fantastic California grown example hails from the Napa Valley, is fermented with native yeasts, and aged in neutral oak barrels. You’ll see tons of black currant, blueberry and blackberry fruit here as well as a firm core of acidity that maintains a wonderful liveliness on the palate. Only 518 cases produced.

Pair with:

Recipes courtesy of
Fun, eh?
Check ’em out…we plan on sampling the wines in the near future and we’ll give you our review. But Etty has turned Plonk into a name you can trust, so, if the price point is up your alley, give it a whirl.
Cheers!

Quick Takes