It’s a wine club kind of Christmas! There is something special about the gift that keeps on giving, especially for your loved ones
Please don’t gift anyone things that you without a doubt know they won’t ever use. Give the gift that gives simple pleasures and, quite honestly, makes them think about how awesome you are when their packages show up.
I’m gonna run down some of the clubs that I really love and give you a little insight on what they produce, what they cost, and how many shipments per year. I’m also going to share one-time purchases that I think are fantastic and some food gifts that are always a hit. So let’s get into it!
Clubs!
Here are some options for the adventurers, the people that like something new and different.
Forlorn Hope
This is a winery that I just can’t quit. They produce what they call the “rare creatures,” and the wines are always fantastic. They love long shots, the outsiders, the lost causes, the people/projects/ideas that have been abandoned as not having a chance.
These wines come from appellations unknown and varietals that are uncommon. Examples of this are in the current releases that I just received like 2020 Sparkling Rosé of Mondeuse, 2019 Chardonnay Ouille from 50 year old vines, 2021 Valentin pineau d’aunis. Past shipments have had 2014, 2015 and 2016 vintages of Semillion that were absolutely fresh and mind blowing. Clubs are shipped twice a year in either 6 bottles ($200-250 a shipment) or 12 bottles ($400-$450 a shipment). I can’t tell you how much I enjoy this club.
Robert Sinskey Vineyards
I have loved this winery for a very long time, because they produce wines in Napa and Carneros that I want to drink all the time. Their white wines like Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and rosés are so damn good for the Houston weather. Their Pinot Noirs, Cab Franc, and their red blend Marcien make me smile on a cool weather, front porch evening.
Their love of large format bottles also falls in line with all my values in life. So the clubs they offer are also very cool. There is the Glutton & Gourmand which offers small monthly shipments and the Seasonal Gourmand that ships quarterly. And the prices fluctuate from shipment to shipment. Maria Sinskey is a fantastic chef (Food & Wine Best New Chef) and sends recipes and culinary surprises with every shipment. It’s really good.
Scribe Winery
The winery is in Sonoma just outside of Carneros, founded in 2007 on a property that pioneered pre-Prohibition Sonoma valley winemaking. They believe that the best wines have a healthy relationship between man and nature, and I believe that to be a true statement.
They produce wines from Pet Nat styles to traditional sparkling wines, Riesling, a few different Chardonnays, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. They have so many different bottlings of vineyards and grapes. If you want a little bit of a lot then this is the club.
Shipments are quarterly and are either 4, 6, or 12 bottles with many different choices that affect cost. If you’re a white wine lover, they got you. Red wine, they got you. You want it all, guess what, they got you. Also, only members can visit their tasting room. I was just there last weekend, and it’s stunning. And their food is excellent.
For something a little closer
Montrose Cheese and Wine
So this is a fun club where you never know what you’re getting, but it always delivers! They have two clubs that you can join. The first one is The Scooby Snack ($90 monthly) which gets you three bottles and a different 1/2 lb of cheese every month. The Advanced Course ($195 monthly) which is traditionally six bottles monthly and two, 1/2 pound cheese selections. Having been a club member, this club is awesome because you get wines picked out by a master sommelier, partner June Rodil, not many people get this!
The Southern Smoke Bottle Club
By making a yearly, $1,500 donation to the Southern Smoke Foundation, members get access to special bottlings throughout the year like private selections of single barrel bourbons, some single bottlings from some of our favorite wineries (like Hirsch vineyards), tequilas, traditional Balsámico from an amazing producer in Modena, and whatever else we like that goes in a bottle that you won’t be able to get anywhere else. We just had the holiday Bottle Club party at our house where we shared bottles and drank martinis with 1970s gin. It was a blast. Wanna come to that? Join the club!
One time purchase and get-on-the-allocation list places
Sandlands
This is a personal project from winemaker Tegan Passalacqua, a Napa native who for the last 20 years has worked his way up from harvest intern to winemaker/vineyard manager at Turley Wine Cellars. The line-up encompasses the forgotten classic California varieties, primarily grown in sand, from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations, including Chenin Blanc from Amador County, Zinfandel from Lodi, and many more. This is a club you join and wait for them to tell you what is available, then you snag it!
One of his wines was even mentioned in the amazing show, Drops of God. If you haven’t watched it on Apple TV, it’s a must watch for wine lovers!
The Hilt Estate
The Hilt Estate Vineyards are planted near 13 unobstructed miles from the ocean on the west in the Santa Rita Hills which is important to remember. Why? Because the land has poor soils that force vines to dig deep, while whipping winds and a cold maritime climate allow grapes to ripen slowly and retain acidity despite the warm daytime sun. It’s really an outstanding place to grow grapes that become delicious wines. Pinot and Chardonnay is the name of the game here as well as other smaller production wines that come up from time to time. I am in love with the Radian and Bentrock vineyards, so get your hands on these. When it hits your lips you won’t know what to do but go streaking through the Quad. Please don’t go streaking, just enjoy it.
Food that I think is awesome and makes great gifts!
Journeyman Meat Co.
Yes, a Salami club!!!! My dreams have been answered, because what goes together better with a glass of wine than some cured MEAT!!!! It’s $148, and they ship salami to you quarterly. This is amazing because you should have seen my wife’s face when she asked with a bit of question in her voice and her head tilted to the side, “Did you just join a salami club?” Without hesitation and with much pride my answer was, “Oh yeah, I did” like I had just hit a game-winning home run. You owe it to yourself to be the bad ass that gifts someone (no judgement if that someone is you) a membership in an artisanal cured meat club!
44 Farms
Let’s be honest, nothing says I love you like a box of beautiful Black Angus steaks from Texas. I literally just sent a box to someone yesterday, and I can’t wait for them to get it. You know why? Because they will love it. My love and belief for 44 Farms is no secret; it’s been a brand that I have supported and used for over 10 years. Their genetics in the cattle, the feeding program, and the people that are behind it are all amazing. You know what happens when all of that comes together? A really amazing product.
Whether you want to send steaks by the cut or steak bundles, nothing says you are loved like a box of eight, 12 ounce bavettes or a couple of 32 ounce, bone-in ribeyes. Saddle up my friend, this is a great idea.
The Best Stop or Billy’s Homemade Boudin & Cracklins
Yeah, I know that there are a lot of specialty meat markets out there and yes, Best Stop is always on the top of the list but I just can’t stop thinking about Billy’s. I believe they should be at the top of the list as well. So try both!
This has become one of my favorites to send friends, and I think you should send the people you love encased meats and specialty items. Honestly, what says I’m thinking about you more than a Boudin-stuffed chicken? Maybe a Turducken, but that can sometimes be intimidating (but delicious). You can’t go wrong with their boudin, ever, especially if it’s Billy’s pepper jack boudin stuffed inside of homemade bread and it looks like a holiday wreath! I’m in! All the smoked sausage, Tasso, and the stuffed meats are exceptional. I haven’t tried shipping cracklins yet, but I think that’s probably better enjoyed in the front seat of your car while driving down I-10 while drinking a root beer. Just saying. Most of these products are at both Best Stop and Billy’s so it’s up to you on that one.
So these are some of my favorite things, and I think they will be loved by whomever you want to send them to even if it’s a person in your household that would be up for sharing these things with you. I hope you have a fantastic and safe holiday season, and I will see you next year! If you feel like sending me some of these items, then I’m cool with that, too! Have fun, be safe, and don’t forget kindness.
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What your giving the food and wine lovers in your life? Let Chris know via email at chris@chrisshepherd.is.
Photo by Chris Shepherd
Chris has been supporting 44 Farms for more than 10 years.
Chris Shepherd won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2014. The Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit he co-founded with his wife Lindsey Brown, has distributed more than $11 million to hospitality workers in crisis through its Emergency Relief Fund. Catch his TV show, Eat Like a Local, every Saturday at 10 am on KPRC Channel 2.
