It’s a really clever concept, when you think about it: a wine club wrapped around a restaurant. Or is it a restaurant wrapped around a wine club? Anyway, we aim to tackle these questions and more as we ask the age-old question: Is Cooper’s Hawk Worth It?

I can tell already: this is going to take a little finesse. Metasip, after all, is a site that is (1) just getting off the ground, (2) reviews alcohol, and (3) relies on affiliate relationships and sponsorship to pay the bills. Meanwhile, we need to be fair and balanced – not THAT fair and balanced – and ensure that we’re recommending the right experience for our readers.

I’m choosing my words carefully when I really shouldn’t have to: we don’t have a relationship with Cooper’s Hawk, and they didn’t know we (or, more accurately, I) were coming to review the “experience.”

I’m babbling, so let’s cut to the chase.

Is Cooper’s Hawk Worth It?

What I’ve learned is this: one man’s fine dining is another man’s Ponderosa. One woman’s divine bottle of wine is another’s Boon’s Farm.

In my half-dozen years in the wine business, I have bumped into all types. I’ve met people shopping at Costco who need assistance because they want the $250 bottle that’s under glass. I’ve chatted with people in supermarkets who won’t spend more than $5 on a bottle of anything. And everyone in between.

I am trying to make this site – this Metasip Experience – something that provides a little bit for the expensive shopper, but mostly for the “value” shopper. So I’d say we’re somewhere in between the two examples above, because the value shopper hits Costco because they want to get the most bang for their buck.

Bringing us to Cooper’s Hawk – where, dare I say, you can find some value. But you’ve got to be smart about it.

Plus

Diners can get two “tastes” – I’m going to guess an ounce or two – per visit. This is smart – you don’t have to buy anything.

Minus

Take a look at the menu below. None of this, to me, says “value-priced.”

Plus

Wait a minute – you’ve got to look a little closer…actually, not pictured is the “Flight” option. $14.99 for a flight of reds – 3 ounces each (according to our server), four different wines. That’s a pretty good deal, actually.

Minus

“Sweet Red.” And a bunch of fruity-frou-frou wines. Stuff that, for the most part, the discerning palate ignores.

Plus

Shut up, Dave – this blog is supposed to be approachable. Remember that scene in the movie “Big Night” when that restaurateur said he was successful because he gave the customers what they wanted? THAT.

Enough Plus/Minus: How Was the Wine?

First, we tried the “Winemaker’s Blend.” Which they said was their proprietary Meritage and…it was good. It had a cab-meets-merlot character to it, not a ton of fruit, dry, quite a few tannins. (Metasip Grade: B. Better than average, not phenomenal.)

Next, the Barbera, which, after the taste sip thingy, we ordered a glass of. More to our liking and worthy of a higher grade – though not an A-level drink, a Metasip Grade of B+ is certainly respectable. I think the tannins they talk about on the menu really appealed to us. In fact, we ordered a burger and this struck us as something that would be a really good steak wine.

Now comes the bigger question…is the wine club worth it?

[EDITOR’S NOTE: We rely on affiliate links to help pay the bills…not to sound like a PBS pledge drive here, but we’d love it if you check out the Clubs over on that part of the site. Thanks. Back to the review.]

So here’s a link to the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club pricing, and we’re at least a little confused. $80 for a one-bottle wine club shipped to you? I know shipping wine is complicated and expensive and the rules vary from state to state…but that seems a bit much.

However, and here’s where I think the real value is – and why we’d say that it’s a possible win:

If you live near one of their restaurants, the pick-up option makes total sense.

This is positioned as Premium wine, so $18 for a B+-rated or higher wine, per bottle, is a rather good deal. And, if you’re the kind of person who won’t spend more than $20 but also won’t spend less than $10, this is in that range. (Such an animal exists – actually, this was feedback I received over and over in my wine-selling days: under $10 is usually a gamble. More than $20 is a waste.)

What About the Food?

This isn’t a food blog, so I’m not going to do a restaurant review here. I had a burger, it had jalapeno cheese and bacon on it, I ordered it “medium” and it came…medium. It was tasty. The fries were good. Service was excellent and very attentive.

Overall?

I don’t think it’s fair to give the entire winery a grade based on sampling two different wines, so I’ll hold off on that. And, down the road, we’re eager to try a little more of their stuff.

However, the fact that I’m already plotting my next trip is, in my book, another thing in the “Plus” column for Cooper’s Hawk.