There are some events that just call out for a beautiful gift of wine. I have traditionally given wine gifts as a housewarming or hostess gift, a special milestone birthday gift for a wine lover and a “just because you need a break” gift! It is a versatile and appreciated gift that never goes out of style. It is no secret that I enjoy trying new wines and when I was asked to try a few from a newish wine club from California, I just had to see what goodies they offered!
Uncorked Ventures offers The Best of Wine Country in Every Shipment through their Wine Clubs, Wine Gifts and beautiful Gift Baskets. All of their wines are sourced from California, Oregon, and Washington’s best wine producers that offer you exceptional and rare wines that are distinct and unforgettable. Plus their gift baskets are made just for those that love the finer things in life.
I was send the Wine Exploration level from their wine club. It consisted of 2 white wines at my request as red is not on the top of my list – too many headaches lol. but normally it has 1 red and 1 white or 2 reds. The two bottles I received are:
R2 Wine Company – Vin Blancs Rhone Wine 2010
Villa San Maurice – Chardonnay 2012
I first decided to sample the R2 Vin Blancs and it sounded really interesting. This wine is from the Russian River Valley area of Northern California and it is a wine blend of 80% Viognier, 16% Roussanne and 4% Granche Blanc grapes. A blend always intrigues me as the vintner has his choice of so many grapes. At opening, this wine has a oaky, fruit scent with a bit of floral hints in there. I am not big fan of heavy oak flavor in my wine so I was not sure what to expect with this. When I tasted this wine, it is very dry with a heavy taste of the oak. The grape is light and fruity but the wood taste overwhelms it for me so probably a wine best suited for a wine connoisseur that enjoys the oak flavor.
The second sample is the Villa San Maurice Chardonnay from the Sonoma area of Northern California. Chardonnay grapes are one of the most planted grape as they are used in so many wines and champagnes. I am not a huge fan of many chardonnays as they are usually very dry normally but this one is something special. I have to admit the scent of the wine when I first opened it was not pleasant to me so I was not sure what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. This wine is not overpowered by the oak flavor so you get a really good flavor of the grape. It is beautifully fruity and very smooth. I enjoyed this very much and will definitely remember this one to enjoy again.
Uncorked Ventures offers 3 different levels of wine club packages and each month different labels are sent. You have your choice of how many months to send or enjoy for yourself. If you love wine or are looking for a special gift for a special occasion, definitely bookmark them for beautiful gifts that will make an impression.
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site.
Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.
This would be a great gift for a wine connoisseur, although I would love to drink the wines too. I don’t think I would want the white with heavy oak overtones but I do like Chardonnay
This would be a great gift – I’d love to get it, too! I so seldom have wine that I have no idea what to know about it, and my taste buds are very rudimentary. This sounds like an excellent wine club!
I am only now starting to give this some serious thought. I am not much of a drinker, but I would like to get into the world of wine. This seems like a good place to begin – I could gift myself! Thanks for the information – I’ll let you know what I received !
I really enjoyed reading your review Chris. There are so many wine vineyards around where I live but I have never gone to them. I used to drink a lot of white wines but have stopped too many headaches I guess lol. I wish I knew more about wine. I guess I should pop in to some of these vineyards and learn. My best friend loves wine and I have been wanting to send her a wine gift so this sounds like a company that I am going to check out. Thanks for sharing and have a nice week.