If there’s one thing I love, it’s a bargain. I get a rush knowing that I snagged a high-value item for a moderate price. I also happen to love wine. So when I was given the opportunity to try Cameron Hughes Wine, I jumped at it.
For those who aren’t aware, Cameron Hughes Wine is a wine trader. They build relationships with fine winemakers from around the world and help them offload excess stock. To do this, they must work under the cloak of anonymity so as to protect the wine brands they partner with.
For all of this to work, the wines are repackaged with a Cameron Hughes label and sold at a much lower price point (sometimes a third of the price of its original label). If you’re like me and care more about drinking fabulous wine than you do about flaunting a specific brand, keep reading.
The Wine Tasting Notes
Now that I’ve told you how this system works, let’s talk about the details! I was sent two bottles of Cameron Hughes wine.
- The first was Lot 859, which is a 2020 Pinot Grigio from Monterey County. This wine was my favorite of the two, and it made for a lovely summer sip. It was smooth, crisp and fruity, without being too sweet.
- The second was Lot 842, which is a 2019 Minervois from France. This medium-bodied wine tasted earthy and savory to me, while still being fruity. This wine would probably be amazing with a steak dinner.
Both wines were nicely balanced, and tasted high quality. Definitely a great alternative to buying wine from the grocery store.
High-End Wine, Affordable Pricing
What makes this service so powerful?
A huge selling point for me is that Cameron Hughes' website has extensive information on each of their wines. While you may not have access to the specific vineyards of origin, you’re able to do quite a bit of digging. The website features tasting notes, growing information, scores, and reviews for each wine they sell. If you have the time to do some research, you can get some pretty amazing wines at a deep discount. This sort of tool would be particularly useful for a wine and cheese night or for a dinner party, where you’re really delving into the pairing element and choosing wines accordingly.
If researching isn’t your thing, you can join the wine club for a surprise selection of either 6 or 12 bottles on a monthly or quarterly basis. These are hand-picked seasonal shipments – Cabernet, Pinot, Chardonnay, red blends, and everything in between – delivered right to your door!
While there are certainly other companies that offer this service, I really appreciate the wealth of information that Cameron Hughes provides on their wines. It gives me confidence that I’m not inadvertently purchasing a blend (they do offer blends, but they’re upfront about it).
Final Thoughts
Buying wine online and without brand association might not be for everyone, but if you’re budget-conscious and enjoy good wine, I’d definitely recommend giving Cameron Hughes a try! In a way it’s like having a personal sommelier – it’s super accessible, can up your wine game, and you get to discover delicious wines from around the world.
They have a fairly large collection, so there’s lots to choose from. The one thing I didn’t see much of was natural wine, but that’s not everyone’s cup of tea and this is a great option for more traditional wines.
The two wines that I tried tasted like they were higher quality than wines I’d buy from the grocery store at a similar price point, which is a win in my book (had the label been from the original winemaker, the bottle easily would have fetched over $90!). It also makes the process of buying online (which is arguably a bigger commitment than purchasing in-store) feel more worthwhile.
I’m already scoping out more wines that I’d like to try! I feel confident knowing that I’m scoring the best possible wine at the best possible price.
