The International Wine of the Month Club sends fine wines from around the world. They look for estate bottled wines at exceptional values, hard to find vintages, and rare finds. Each month, two different wines are featured and at least one will be sourced from abroad.
The International Wine of the Month Club is one of the many subscriptions available through MonthlyClubs.com. They also offer monthly clubs for beer, cheese, chocolate, cigars, and flowers. If more than one club appeals, subscribers are welcome to design their own club.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription: The International Wine of the Month Club
The Products: Two 750ml bottles of wine. (Choose to receive 2 reds, 2 whites, or 1 red and 1 white.)
The Cost: $34.95 + $13 shipping for The Premier Series. $49.95 + $13 shipping for The Masters Series. $69.95 + $13 shipping for The Collectors Series. (Note that this review is of The Premier Series.)
Ships to: All US states EXCEPT: AK, HI, and UT.
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Since this is my first box, The International Wine of the Month Club included a welcome flyer. It provides information about shipping times, signature requirements, and how to reorder wines you love.
Each featured wine comes with its own information sheet that provides tasting notes and in-depth information about the bottle and winery that produced it. Each sheet also includes suggested food pairings.
2013 Lieb Cellars Reserve Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc is the signature wine from Lieb Cellars, and the 2013 vintage has been fermented in stainless steel to maintain the integrity of the grape’s flavors. On the nose, there’s a floral quality with notes of lemongrass. It’s very easy to drink, with a lovely vibrant brightness. According to The International Wine Club’s tasting notes, this wine is as “crisp and refreshing as the sea breeze that wafts from the nearby sound.” It has received a 91-point rating, which is pretty impressive. I think this is a great wine, and I’m tempted to pick up another few bottles!
Carmen Gran Reserva Petite Sirah 2011
Carmen is Chile’s oldest winery and has been producing wine for over 150 years, but Petite Sirah is a relatively new grape for them. This wine has been very well received, though, and has beaten out bottles costing twice as much in blind taste tests. The aroma is heady- packed with berry, vanilla, and spice. The berry notes translate to the palate, but I also think it tastes a little chocolatey and earthy. There’s a significant amount of information on each “Cellar Notes” sheet about food pairings, and The International Wine Club also provides a recipe to go with each wine. For the Sirah, they recommend making Herbed Leg of Lamb. I like that they include recipes to accompany their wines, and I think Herbed Leg of Lamb sounds like a great match for this Sirah!
Verdict: I really like the wines sent by The International Wine of the Month Club. It’s very clear that they were selected with care, and I think both bottles are excellent. Thanks to the information provided, I learned a lot about where they’re from and why they were selected. I didn’t list prices for the wines included in the box, but, from what I can gather online, the price of the bottles just about breaks even with the cost of the box (pre-shipping). I think the real value in this subscription comes from the expert selection of great, rare wines and the information included with them. I’m happy I got to discover some delicious new wines, and I would recommend this box for wine lovers who want to learn about and sample new bottles from around the world.
Do you love discovering new wines? Are you going to try The International Wine of the Month Club?
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