Archive for the ‘Platinum Series’ Category

2007 Hillside Estate Primitivo – Sonoma County – Platinum Wine Club

Monday, March 12th, 2012

A special 93 Point Primitivo (Zinfandel)

“The Highest Rating ever by Connoisseurs’ Guide, is available in very limited quantities.”

On rare occasions, while searching for exceptional wines to feature in our upper-level wine clubs, we discover a no-brainer, must-have-wine that deserves extra special attention.

Order Now! 

Holiday Gifts for the Wine Lovers on Your List

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

It’s that time of year again. The twinkly lights are out, the décor is up, the festive music is on, and the malls are packed – everyone is out and about and searching for that perfect gift for everyone on their gift list. It’s the Holiday Season, and time to do something special for the loved ones in your life. If you’re tired of resorting to the cliché gift ideas (or if you have no idea where to begin), then why not step outside the box and surprise your friends and family with something different?

This year, Gold Medal Wine Club helps solve the dilemma with an assortment of new gift packages and wine clubs designed especially for everyone from the wine novice to aficionado. Wine makes a great gift because it’s not something that will be put away and forgotten about – it will immediately be opened, shared, and enjoyed with friends and family. What’s more is with a wine club gift, your recipients will have something to look forward to not just during the holidays, but throughout the year.

Wine Clubs also make a great gift for your boss in the office – or if you are the boss, think about giving wine to your best accounts, employees, and business partners. The Holiday Season is a time to look back on the success you’ve had over the past year, and thank those important people who helped you get there. What better way to show your appreciation and commemorate the year than with a special bottle of award-winning wine?

With a multitude of wine clubs out there, it can be hard to decide which one is the best fit – maybe your Dad is into those really prestigious wines with small production and top-of-the-line ratings, whereas your Son or Daughter might benefit from a wine club more catered to featuring “everyday wines” that still introduce their palates to nicer wines, but without the intimidation factor. With five different wine clubs to choose from, ranging in price point, wine varieties, and quality level, Gold Medal Wine Club is a one-stop-shop for everyone on your holiday gift list.

The most popular gift choice from Gold Medal Wine Club is the Gold Series wine club, featuring hard-to-find, medal-winning wines from small, family-owned California wineries. Each month, your recipient will receive two outstanding bottles, beautifully presented in gift-wrapped tissue and bows and a full color newsletter publication called “The Wine Press.” This exclusive publication presents information about the wines, the fascinating backgrounds of the winery owners, a behind-the-scenes tour of the vineyards, and special food pairing recipes direct from the winemakers themselves. Starting at just $35 per month, the Gold Series is a great value and truly an impressive gift.

Gold Medal Wine Club also offers upper-level and international wine clubs to help you find the right fit for everyone on your gift list. The Platinum Series features 90+ rated, ultra premium wines from California; the International Series highlights a different country with each shipment and offers a special add-on option of gourmet imported food items; the Pinot Noir Series is the perfect choice for the Pinot lovers in your life; and the Diamond Series selects only those most prestigious bottlings with legendary 93+ rated marks and serious “wow” factor. Sure to be enjoyed by any wine enthusiast on your list, the wine club offerings from Gold Medal Wine Club are just plain hard to beat.

For a limited time, find FREE Bonus Gifts (stainless steel corkscrews, neoprene totes, and Vinturi Aerators – just to name a few) included with various wine club gift options (www.GoldMedalWineClub.com/gift_guide). It’s an easy way to make that holiday gift extra special.

In business since 1992, Gold Medal Wine Club has the reputation as one of the leading independent wine clubs in the world – and for good reason. With unbeatable standards for quality and customer satisfaction, and consistency in offering simply incredible wines to their members at unbelievable discounts, this wine club gift is the choice for this year’s Holiday Season.

Place your orders by logging on to www.GoldMedalWineClub.com or calling 1-800-266-8888 to be sure your gifts will arrive in time for the Holiday.

Save MORE Than EVER Before! It’s Earlybird Special time…

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Our annual Earlybird Special is in full swing, and this year we have SO many new specials and gift ideas for everyone on your holiday gift list. Whether you’re shopping for wine clubs, gift baskets, case packs or gift sets, we have you covered – and at seriously discounted prices. For a limited time, you can save up 46% off winery direct prices - that’s a value you won’t find anywhere else!

Savings at Gold Medal Wine Club have NEVER been this big, so take advantage of these incredible offers while you still can! Give 3 months of the Gold Series wine club for under $100 or peruse the Combo Case Packs for award-winning red wines and 93+ rated legendary bottles. Find a luxuriously wrapped Gift Basket filled with wine and gourmet treats from Napa Valley, or add on a FREE Gift Set to 12-month gifts of the Platinum Series wine club. These are just a few of this year’s amazing Earlybird Specials – check out the website for everything we have in store for you.

Shop early and save! Happy Holidays.

Sharing Secrets about your Wine Club Membership….

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

wine_pouring_flopped_175What do we love? We love wine, of course! But we also love viticulture. We love the stories that develop over a bottle of wine. We love visiting wineries. We love food and wine. We love the living, breathing qualities of wine. We love that feeling we get after a frazzling day of work and finally having the chance to plop down on the couch with a glass of wine. But what we really love, what truly makes our hearts sing, is sharing these experiences with others! Its why we do what we do – because sharing wine with others can be one of the most rewarding experiences out there, especially when what we’re sharing is a truly fabulous bottle. We’re in the business of bringing high quality wines to your door; this much is obvious from our website. But what’s not so obvious is the amount we’re willing to bend our memberships to make them something that suits your needs. Which brings us to our last love, giving you what you really want.

I’ll use the Gold Series to set an example of the kind of tweaking we can do to your membership. The Gold Series is the most popular of our five wine club memberships. It is the least expensive of the selections, but the wines are high quality and very versatile. The website explains that the standard membership consists of two highly sought after small production, California wines, sent out on a monthly basis. Generally, it is one red and one white, but sometimes two different reds. The website also offers a Red only or White only option. But, what’s not advertised are alterations to this: if it is your preference, we can make sure that we always send you one red and one white, even in the months when “two reds” is the standard mix. Or, maybe you like red wine, but only Cabernet and Merlot, and in terms of white, you want to avoid Chardonnay and Viognier? (This is all hypothetical, of course. I can’t imagine why anyone would limit himself or herself in this way, but I do understand people have their preferences, and sometimes you just know what you like!)  Well, to sum it up, we can accommodate these requests as well. Perhaps location is your thing. We can send you a shipment only when we feature wines from a particular area like Napa Valley. We’ll work with you to find out your particular preferences. In months that we feature something you’d rather not receive, we can send you something from a previous month’s selection, or we can skip that month entirely, or maybe there’s something else you want to do. Fine by us!

B&W Grapes_4And what if two bottles each month just isn’t enough for you? (Now, we’re speaking my language…) The website offers a four bottle membership, which is essentially two of each of the featured wines from the month. But, believe me, by no means does it have to stop there. If you’d like to have four bottles each month but want three reds and one white, we can do that. Or three whites and one red? Yes! Like to try six wines each shipment? Yep, we can do that too. There is virtually no limit to the number of bottles we send you in a month.

And here’s another thing. Moving from the topic of wine selection to frequency of shipments, the website offers monthly, every-other, or quarterly shipments. But we actually can send shipments any time and as often as you like. If you want to have shipments only in months ending in “y”, we can do that. Or, only with the months with a major holiday, we can do that, too.  As often as you would like a shipment, we’ll send one your way.

Want to save a few bucks on shipping costs? How about joining a club membership on a quarterly basis, but receiving all the wines from that quarter at once? Keeping to the example of the Gold Series, you could receive the wines we featured in January, February and March all together in March (totaling 6 different wines in March), then continue on a quarterly basis from there. It will save you money on shipping, but the only downside is that you’ll have to wait two months in between shipments…

Wine PourLike the look of two of our Series, but can’t decide which one to choose and joining both is going to be too much wine? How about alternating? You could join the Gold Series every other month of the year, and in the alternate months, receive one of our premium clubs, like the Platinum or Diamond Series. You could even receive the Platinum Series on a monthly basis, but in your and your partner’s birthday months, treat yourselves to our highest rated wines club membership, the Diamond Series.  Don’t let us stop you…Go wild! Get creative!

What I’m trying to make obvious for you is that this is YOUR membership. Don’t let the website fool you – we are YES people and we want you to have a great experience with the wine club. If that means you want only 92+ rated wines from Monterey and Napa Valley and you want them only in the months of the year when you visit your Aunt Sadie at her home in Boulder, Colorado, well, that’s just peachy with us. We’ll send ‘em your way. Just tell Aunt Sadie to share!

Call our Customer Service phone number to customize your membership or to talk about your options for a gift: (800) 266 – 8888.

Time to Stock up and Save!

Friday, April 2nd, 2010
Up to 40% off Winery Direct Prices with FREE SHIPPING on orders of 2 Cases or More!

Up to 40% off Winery Direct Prices with FREE SHIPPING on orders of 2 Cases or More!

Welcome to the Wine Sale 2010!  This year, its bigger and badder than ever, with up to 40% off winery direct prices! If that wasn’t enough, you can also save more by ordering 2 or more cases to receive FREE SHIPPING! The wines included in this sale were recent features of the club’s  Pinot Noir, Platinum, Diamond, and International Series — the upper level memberships that feature 90+ rated wines. There’s a three bottle minimum per wine to achieve the sale price, but at these amounts, you’ll want to order much more than simply three of each, which is why there is no maximum per wine (inventory pending, of course!)

You won’t want to miss out on the sale; it is your chance to stock up on some fabulous wines.  But, you’ll have to hurry! Inventory is moving quickly and the sale will be over by the end of the month!

Want to Impress Friends? Try the Plus Program!

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Gold Medal Wine Club offers a Platinum Series Plus! selection each month. Last month’s Respite 2006 Cabernet SauvignonRespite is, in a word, stellar. If there’s any reason at all to join the Plus! program, this bottle might be it, and might be worth it simply for the potential bragging rights.

I attended a party over the weekend and was asked to bring a bottle of wine for all to enjoy. Normally I’m not fazed by this type of request, however, I became worried as the realization kicked in that I’d be in attendance with some really knowledgeable wine folks.

<Insert panic here.>

Now, don’t get me wrong, I always find joy in trying a new bottle.  The living, breathing qualities of the life of wine intrigue me, and I’m always excited at the prospect of opening a highly rated bottle. But when it comes to bringing an offering to a party of well-versed wine enthusiasts, my excitement quickly melts away to apprehension. I think to myself, “Don’t appear pretentious by bringing an overly expensive wine, but don’t underachieve either. Above all,  don’t let on that I’m nervous about it.” Anyone been here before?

After checking my wine cellar, I decided on Respite 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon,  a brave choice because I had no idea what food was to be served. With such a hearty Cabernet in hand, I could really hit or miss the food pairing. Also, I’d never tried this particular bottle before. I knew it would be good, Wine Enthusiast recently awarded it 91 Points, but they also pointed out that it might want a few more years in the cellar.

As I walked into the party, I was greeted by eye contact, then bottle contact as my selection was scrutinized.  “I’ve never heard of that winery, we must open it up,” my host offered.  I smiled and glanced around the room to the tables of hour d’ourves – so many tables of food that a formal dinner had to be out of the question. A selection of various antipasto-type finger foods including cheeses, marinated veggies, breads, tapenades and fruit plates were meticulously displayed, and then I saw, jackpot, tapas portion sized steaks, fish, and meaty lasagna. Hurdle number one, pairing, conquered.

We opened the bottle and without decanting or aerating, the wine was quickly dispersed into wine glasses that seemed to appear out of every corner of the room.  Swirl, sniff, “ooh’s” and “ah’s” at the aromas of fruit and red currants, followed by the ever fateful first sips. As each person took a mouthful, the reaction was priceless as eyes lit up around the kitchen island and met my gaze with delighted squints and smiles.  And let me say, I also thoroughly enjoyed those few seconds, as the wine filtered through my senses. Delectable. The structure and balance were exactly on par with the high standards of this group, and might I say as well that the Wine Enthusiast must have rated this wine a couple of years ago, because it is outstanding right now.

The rest of the night was highly enjoyable, but it was extra sweet because I had officially stamped a great impression upon the group, achieving credibility and bragging rights on having such great taste in wine.  The best part? I didn’t have to find this bottle, it came to my doorstep and all I had to do was add the Plus! bottle to my regular shipment. Plus! wines really are “all that” and more!

If you haven’t done so already, you might consider adding a Plus Bottle to your wine club membership.  The wines featured with that program are rare, exquisite, and downright tasty! There’s simply not enough quantity to feature the bottles to everyone, which is why it is offered as an add-on. This extra bottle is available for Gold, Platinum or Diamond Series memberships , and may be included in every shipment or as often as you like. It simply adds that something extra and special to an already great thing.  Try it out, even just once in your next shipment. I know you won’t be disappointed, and maybe, just maybe, it will bring you bragging rights at your next party.

Napa Wines Featured for September’s Platinum Wine Club Selection

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

This month’s Platinum Series features Round Pond Estate 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and Crane Brothers’ 2005 Napa Valley Merlot, both from California’s Napa Valley.

landing_pg_cabandnebbioloRound Pond, named for a small pond in West Point, New York, was a favorite childhood spot for Robert MacDonnell, the owner of the Napa vineyards that produce Round Pond wines. His children, Miles and Ryan MacDonnell are responsible for bringing Round Pond Estate into the ranks of upper-echelon Napa Valley wine producers.

The MacDonnell family began acquiring Napa acreage in 1980 and sold their fruit to nearby wineries including Robert Mondavi, Beaulieu and Sterling Vineyards. In the 1990′s the family began producing a small amount of wine for themselves and as gifts for friends and family. In 2001, Miles decided to enter the family into the wine making business in earnest. Learning from the customers who had bought their grapes over the years, they honed their skills in choosing specific grapes to make each wine unique. Their first release in 2002 was well received by both the industry press and consumers alike.

The Round Pond Estate winery aims to remain small, producing just 4,500 cases this year. They pride themselves with keeping it ‘all in the family’. Miles manages the winery, his sister Ryan does marketing and sales, their mother Jannine runs the tasting facility and Robert consults on all decisions regarding the winery. Round Pond Winery was recently named One of the Top 20 to Watch: Exciting Cabernet Labels in Wine Spectator magazine.

The Round Pond Estate 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon was crafted sustainably from vineyard blocks of the winery’s finest fruit. The soil and climate in Rutherford region are known as the best possible for the production of California Cabernet’s. This wine was awarded 91 points from Wine Enthusiast, named one of the Top Ten Wines of 2008 by the San Francisco Chronicle and received a Double Gold Medal at the American Fine Wine Competition.

The Crane Family of Crane Ranch Vineyard are third generation Napa Valley residents and the firstCrush07ArCr092lrg generation of their family to enter into the wine industry. Thirteen years ago they acquired nine acres in the Oak Knoll appellation in West Napa Valley and contracted their spectacular fruit to Stags Leap Winery. Like the MacDonnell family, they began producing wine for themselves, friends and family to rave reviews and much encouragement. Their first production for the general public appeared in 2001 receiving similar accolades.

Michael Crane believes that the success of his wines relies on the specificity with which he handles his vineyards, deliberately producing low yields for better fruit. He personally tends to his vineyards making sure the work is done correctly. “I treat our vines the very best way possible and they reward me by delivering spectacular fruit”, says Crane. He works with winemaker Al Perry, a 25 year veteran of Napa Valley wine making. Additionally, Crane Brothers’ wines are single-vineyard, estate-bottled allowing the Cranes to hit excellent price values that consumers are looking for.

The Crane Brothers plan to stay small in order to maintain attention to detail and control over quality. There were only 140 cases produced of this month’s wine of the month club offering: Crane Brothers 2005 Napa Valley Merlot. The wine received 91 points from Connoisseur’s Guide and 90 points from Wine Enthusiast. It is described as big, rich, complex and well balanced.

Gold Medal Wine Club hopes you enjoy these Platinum Series selections. The Platinum Series is our upper-level, ultra-premium wine club featuring wines rated 90 or higher.The Platinum Series also includes some pre-releases and exclusives made available to only our members.

As always, these wines are available for re-order in our wine store- with significant discounts for all members of each of our five wine clubs.

Please let us know what we thought of these wonderful Napa Valley wine selections.

Platinum Series Features Two Exquisite Bottles

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

PFC_2006_TV_Zinfandel[1]Thumb“We consider wine the sixth food group…” says Andrew Phipps of Phipps Family Cellars. It is this type of reverence for wine and the wine making process that makes the Phipps Family Cellars 2006 Zinfandel an exceptional wine and one of the selections for this month’s Gold Medal Wine Club Platinum Series. Phipps Family Cellars is located in Napa and is produces a very small quantity of wine each year. Their initial release in 2004 yielded just 310 cases. Even though they are really small, the industry’s appreciation of its wines has been nothing short of magnificent. Excellent reviews and high scores have vaulted the tiny winery into the ultra boutique category that is a testament to their skill and commitment. “I personally feel that wine is one of man’s greatest achievements and the result of really hard work. For that reason, the appreciation of wine should be extremely high for everyone involved” added Phipps.

Soñador --- What's Your DreamThe 2006 Zinfandel is sourced from the Treborce Vineyard of Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, California. Mr. Phipps describes the process behind making this particular wine in a personal note to all Platinum Series members: “Once in the winery, we ran the clusters of grapes through our crusher-destemmer before cold-soaking the grapes and juice for 48 hours prior to fermentation. The wine was then aged in a combination of American French and Hungarian oak barrels for 22 months before bottling in August of 2008. The wine was then aged for 12 months in the bottle. It is now in it’s finished state.” This small-production (only 355 cases) Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel was awarded a stunning 94 points by Wine Enthusiast.

The second selection, a 2005 Soñador Cabernet Sauvignon from Soñador Cellars owned by medical professionals and wine aficianados Sergio Gonzalez and Maria Morales-Gonzalez and their friends Doug and Sue Gallagher. In addition to running a busy medical practice in Miami, the Gonzalezes travel to Napa to perform most of the work to produce their wines.  The Gallaghers are involved with marketing the wine. The couples have established long-term contracts for ultra-quality fruit from growers in Napa returning to help winemaker Bruce Devlin pick the grapes, and bottle and finish the wine. The 2005 Cabernet is the fifth release from Soñador and has received 93 points from Wine News and 90 from Wine Spectator. Sonador only produces one wine and it seems to get better with each vintage release.

Both of these outstanding wines are available for re-order by calling 1-800-266-8888 or visiting the wine store on our website.

Throughout the year, we have the opportunity to buy superb wines worthy of your attention but with availability too scarce to share with all members. We call this our Plus! Program. For the Platinum Series this month, the featured Plus! bottle is the Ilsley Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. Ilsley has been producing grapes for some of the finest wineries in Napa for three generations. Ilsley’s wines have consistently garnered 92+ point scores, establishing the venture as one of the great ultra-boutique wineries. The 2005 is no exception-awarded 94 points by Wine Enthusiast.

We hope you enjoy these exceptional, ultra-boutique offerings from Napa. Please let us know what you thought of the wines by commenting here, or rate the wine in the Judge the Wines section of our site.


International Series Features Spanish Wines

Sunday, July 19th, 2009

imagesSpain is a large country geographically and has more acreage under grape cultivation than any other country in the world. Overall, Spain is the third largest in terms of world-wide wine production and grapes are grown throughout every region of the country. Since the 1950′s, Spain’s winemakers have worked steadily to improve quality and with their entry into the European Union, new legal standards for wine were put in place. Today, a new generation of winemakers have quietly begun crafting spectacular wines and experimenting with varietals that would have been unthinkable only a short time ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.

Gold Medal Wine Club is pleased to present wines from three up-and-coming growing regions of the country as part of the International Series Wine Club.

The Bodegas Resalte de Penafiel is one of the new boutique-style wineries in the region of Ribera del Duero DO. The winery’s first release came in 2003 and has catapulted the winery into international prominence with exceptional scores and awards. Resalte de Peñafiel’s 2004 Crianza is 100% Tempranillo grape and was awarded 3 Gold Medals, 2 Silver Medals, and 89 Points at various international competitions.

Bodega Pardo Tolosa’s emphasis is on its old vines (some are 60-80 years old) and the incredible quality juice the grapes produce. Guided by noted Spanish winemaker Luis Jimenez, Bodega Pardo Tolosa has already made a mark on the international scene with excellent scores and top awards. The 2007 Senda de las Rochas is 100% Tempranillo and is designated as a ‘very high quality’ wine.

Bodega Alvarez y Diez is an old timer having been built in 1941. The winery is mostly planted to the venerable Verdejo grape that traces its ancestry back to the 11th Century and the reign of King Alfonso VI. A 1997 renovation installed new equipment and modern techniques and allowed Bodega Alvarez y Diez a new lease on life. The 2005 Mantel Blanco is entirely comprised of the Verdejo grape.This This delicious interpretation of the grape comes from old-vines and takes on a full-bodied, round mouth feel from the French and American oak barrel fermenting.

We hope you will enjoy these three excellent selections. Please let us know what you think.

Amicus Named in “50 Great Wines of 2008″ by Fredric Koeppel.

Friday, July 17th, 2009

05_amicus_cab_large-11One of Gold Medal Wine Club’s Platinum selections for this month is the 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Amicus Cellars.

This wine was selected for the “50 Great Wines of 2008” by award-winning wine blogger Frederic Koeppel. Mr. Koeppel has been writing about wine since 1984- way before the internet or email. He now publishes at www.biggerthanyourhead.com. He is among the most respected wine and food critics in the world.

Amicus/X Winery was started just six years ago by owner/winemaker Reed Renaudin, 34. He began drinking wine at age 12 during family gatherings and became hooked on wine as a business while at UC Davis. Over subsequent years, he worked at several brand-name wineries, and eventually earned an MBA and an MS in enology. His academic work involved a business plan for a start-up winery that subsequently became the framework for Amicus Cellars/X Winery. Amicus Cellars was designed to be the winery’s reserve designator for its upper class wines. Renaudin offers these limited production wines on a first-come, first-serve basis. Following a procession of 90+ scores and rave reviews, the Amicus 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is celebrated as one of their most promising and highly rated vintages to date. Gold Medal Wine Club is pleased to have secured this exceptional wine to offer to its Platinum members.

In addition to the accolades from Mr. Koeppel, the Amicus 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded 91 Points by Robert Parker: “Another superb value is the 2005 Amicus  Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain…”

We hope you enjoy this exceptional selection. Please tell us what you thought about the wine.


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