It's a question I receive on a weekly basis - "do you belong to any wine clubs?" Even before the Covid era, the world of wine clubs was evolving quickly from strictly wineries and producers to "curated packs" by celebrity sommeliers. Today, the wine club business has exploded as we enter this digital age of direct-to-consumer models in a time where people are consuming more wine at home than ever before. With so much out there, how do you distinguish the clubs that are worth that seasonal credit card charge?
To get back to that initial question...Yes. I belong to one wine club, and that's JD Selection's Portuguese Wine Club. I had followed CEO, Jeff Davis, for a while on Instagram as I was constantly swooning over his Douro Valley photos and was generally interested in his passion for these wines. I had discovered his import company shortly after I came back from an epic trip to Porto and Lisbon, and in fact, that was the same trip where I sat in a wine bar tearing up (true story) over how incredible the local wines were. I honestly had no idea there was so much range and diversity in Portugal.
That story begs to answer an important question...living in NYC, how could I NOT have known about the range, diversity, and quality of these wines already? We get everything here. The answer was simply exposure. There aren't a TON of importers bringing in these wines, not the boutique producers anyway, and that's where Jeff has come in and filled a gap. His wine club allows us to experience artisan Portuguese wines with unique cultural experiences.
When Jeff approached me about partnering up to create content around the club, I was excited to spread the word and indulge in some delicious wines...but it ended up being so much more than that. After trying the V Puro Doravante Bairrada and NEVER experiencing the Baga grape express itself so elegantly, I used my own promo code to join the club myself! Every sip took me back to that Porto balcony where life stood still in the perfect juxtaposition of buzzy cobblestone streets and calm breezes flowing off the Douro.
Besides enjoying these sustainable, minimal intervention wines from the comfort of my couch, I also got to experience the first exclusive wine club virtual event last week. We were introduced to the 4 wine regions in Portugal where the winter shipment wines were from, and then we took a deep dive into the Bairrada with Nuno Mira do O, the winemaker and owner of the V Puro label. The seminar was fun, informative and had me ready to book my next trip to Portugal. Future events will include partnerships with Michelin Star restaurants, local wine bars, and industry leaders in both the US and Portugal.
So how does it all work? It's simple. There are 2 options- the 6 Bottle Club and the 12 Bottle Club. Both options deliver 3 times per year and include shipping discounts, deals on family-owned property stays, and ongoing discounts with hotels, tour operators, and hospitality partners. Once we can travel again, you'd be well taken care of.
If this sounds like something you want to join in on, you can use promo code, GRAPECHIC10 here to receive 10% off your first shipment. I hope you take advantage of this offer, and that I'll be seeing you at the next wine club event!
*This article was written in partnership with Jd Selections