A few frequently asked Wine Club questions:

Are you able to ship wine to my state?

The list of states to which we may ship wine directly to consumers is evolving.  Currently we ship to California, Washington DC, and New Mexico.

We cannot ship to AS, AL, HI, DL, KT, MA, MS, NH, ND, OK, PA, SD, UT, or WV.  If you live in a state other than one of these, we can arrange shipment through a third-party shipper if you agree to take possession of the wine in San Francisco and pay San Francisco sales tax (8.75%).

When will I receive my wine?

New members signing up January through June will start with our spring shipment, which generally goes out in April. Those signing up July through December will start with our fall shipment, which generally goes out in November prior to Thanksgiving. New members may optionally elect to receive the previous shipment if available.

I’ve elected to pick up my wine. When will it be ready, and how long do I have?

Shortly after an email is sent announcing a pending club shipment, you’ll receive an email indicating that your wine is ready for pickup. We appreciate your picking it up within a week! The holding area we have for wine pickups is not currently temperature controlled, so we don’t like to leave wine sitting out for long. But we also realize that it’s sometimes not possible to pick up right away, so we are happy to hold it — just please send an email letting us know so we can keep it stored properly until you can get by.

I only like white wine — may I elect to only receive your Summer Whites shipment?

Yes — when signing up, just select the “summer only” option. Club members may receive both the bi-annual Pinot Noir shipments ($50) and the annual Summer Whites shipment ($30), or either!

Wait, I’m just interested in Pinot Noir!

No problem, by default when you sign up for the club, you are enrolled to receive only the bi-annual Pinot Noir shipments. You must select the Summer Whites option if you want to receive our Chardonnay.

What if I get a bad bottle?

We’ll replace it immediately at no cost.  We use natural cork closures that are very reliable; but while corked or oxidized bottles are rare, they are not unheard of.   If you think you’ve received a bad bottle, send us an email and we’ll go from there!

Like many old-world wines, all of our wines (except our rosé) are bottled unfiltered.  On occasion, and often correlated with higher storage temperatures prior to serving, a slight effervescence can be detected when a bottle is first opened.  This should blow off with a swirl or two as the wine opens up.  Likewise, most of our wines will accumulate tartaric sediment in the bottle over time, or if chilled for an extended period.   Slight effervescence, sediment — none of this is at all harmful, it is in fact very natural.  If you find it aesthetically off-putting however, send us an email.

On a winemaking level, we make a deliberate decision to not intervene with the wines natural course.  We don’t mind a soft old-world ‘bite’ initially, as it reminds us that our wines are living, non-industrial products.  Sterile filtering, we think, not only strips character from the wine, it is often the hallmark of larger, manipulative winemaking processes, where various additives are subsequently removed, or a high pH is mitigated.

I was billed more than $50 for my club shipment, what gives?

We add sales tax, which in California is currently 7.5% if items are being shipped outside of San Francisco, and 8.75% if you’re in San Francisco or are picking up your wine. We ship through Golden State Overnight which, while one of the most cost-effective wine shippers in the state, currently costs around $11 for a two-bottle shipment in the bay area and a dollar or two more elsewhere in the state. We also add a $4 “handling” fee to cover the cost of our premium molded-fiber shipping box, and per transaction fees from our credit card gateway and online club software provider. We do not profit from our shipping and handling charges.

What am I waiting for?

We don’t know! This is a low-commitment club which will not flood you with wine, and we know of no other club that sends you premium, small lot, delicious Russian River Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for such a great price!