WSJ Wine Club Review

Earlier this year I bought a present from Barnes & Nobles online, and had it shipped to my house. When it arrived, it came with coupons, including one for the WSJ Wine Club. The intro offer available online is $69.99 + $19.99 shipping for the intro 12 bottle case, plus a bottle opening kit. The intro offer I got through B&N was $69.99 + $19.99 shipping for the intro 12 bottle case, plus 3 bottles of Chianti.

I figured that even if I didn't love the wine, that averaged out to less than $6/bottle, so why not try? We're not wine snobs, although we do have opinions, and our normal wine is somewhere in the $6-10 range. By joining the club you're signed up for future cases at about 40% more cost than the intro ($149.99, plus shipping), but we figure that we can always cancel. Plus, our wine rack was running low, and it meant we wouldn't have to go to the liquor store.

What did we think?

Packaging & Shipping: The wine came earlier than the quoted time frame, and was very well packed. No bottles broke, and there was plenty of information about the program and each of the wines in the box.

Variety: We opted for the mixed starter case, which had a nice split of red & white, and a decent spread of locations around the world.

2 bottles Collexione di Paolo Chianti 2013, 1 bottle Stonewall Sauvignon Blanc 2013, 2 bottles J Opi Malbec 2013, 1 bottle J-P Moueix Bordeaux 2010, 2 bottles Sonoma Vineyards Chardonnay 2012, 1 bottle the Inaugural R Collection by Raymond Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, 2 bottles Las Barracas Gran Riserva Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, 1 bottle Principe Strozzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2012, 2 bottles Ca Vescovo Pinto Grigio 2013, 1 bottle Morin Pere et Fils Chardonnay 2012

I was a little disappointed to get 3 bottles of Chardonnay, as it's not generally my thing, but that's not a dealbreaker for me.

Quality: So far we've tried 4 bottles, and had somewhat split opinions.

Sonoma Vineyards Chardonnay 2012: I did not expect to like this wine. I generally don't like Chardonnays (too oaky) or Californian wines (too minerally). I thought that this one was surprisingly mild and unobjectionable. It did not seem to be oaked, and did not have a strong mineral flavor. In terms of a basic white wine to eat with fish, I'd drink it without objection. My husband, on the other hand, called it "repulsive" but finished his glass. Not quite sure how to interpret that.

Stonewall Sauvignon Blanc 2013: I usually like sauvignon blanc- it's light, refreshing, and citrusy. This bottle was no exception. It was easy to drink and got good reviews from everyone who tried it.

Las Barracas Gran Riserva Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon 2006: I usually love Tempranillo- they're spicy, dry, and have a fair bit of depth for a (generally) cheaper red option. This one fell flat. It was spicy and dry, but lacked character. I wouldn't turn down a glass, but I don't think I'd buy it again. Everyone who tried it agreed- not bad, but not repeatable.

Collexione di Paolo Chianti 2013: I generally like Chianti- it's usually a safe bet when looking for something spicy, bold, and somewhat dry. Again, this one fell flat. It was actually less notable than the Tempranillo. It wasn't actually bad, but I wouldn't buy it again.

Verdict: We will be cancelling our order. It might be worth doing if you stick to the whites- of what we've tried so far, those are the better ones. But for less than the discounted $6 price, I could get a bottle of LaGranja tempranilo/garnacha blend from Trader Joes, and know that I'm getting a tasty red.