Archives for December 2011

Conventional thinking tends to relegate Champagne and other fine sparkling wines to special occasions, late night parties, and New Year’s Eve.  To that I say “humbug.”  Champagne is a wine for all seasons, and since every day ought to be a celebration, why not pour yourself a glass of Champagne on a cold, rainy day as well as a warm, sunny day?  Why limit the pleasure of good bubbly to a few occasions or just one time of the year?  Furthermore, good sparkling wine, and Champagne in particular, cheers the heart as well as the palate.

Personally, I like Champagne at all times of the year, and I especially enjoy it as an aperitif and a prelude to a fun evening.  It cleanses the palate and enlivens the soul.  I believe it was Winston Churchill who once remarked, “In the time left to us between the disaster and the catastrophe, there is time for a glass of Champagne.” To that, I add Amen!

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

So today is the big day ladies and gentlemen – we’ve had a sweepstakes giveaway going on for the past month and today we unveil the grand prize winner!  So without further ado, the grand prize winner of our Aromaster Wine Tasting Kit is … (intense drum-roll) … Barbara Newell! Barbara’s new kit includes 80 of the most common wine scents designed by wine professionals, an educational board game, and wine aroma wheels to help identify wine scents!  Enjoy your new kit Barbara and Congratulations!

In addition to our grand prize, we’ve also randomly selected 50 of our other entries to receive a handy Wine-Aerating Pour Spout!

Here are the lucky winners:

Greg O.

Jessica N.

Tobi R.

Blake L.

Jack W.

Joanne L.

Nicole F.

Garrett B.

Terry H.

Mark D.

Mark A.

F. Pantoja

Kathryn V.

Kelley S.

Carla F.

Valerie S.

Tim H.

David E.

Ed W.

Lee S.

Debra F.

Derrick B.

Karen R.

Bob Y.

Jerry B.

Sue S.

Sue F.

Kurt F.

Michael S.

J. Ross

Cheri P.

Bruce T.

Rebecca H.

Bob W.

Andy H.

Claude K.

James H.

Chris C.

Amanda B.

Debbie L.

Maria W.

Susan M.

Al M.

Grace T.

Ally A.

Debby N.

Dan M.

Laurie A.

Tim K.

Jennifer L.

 

We just want to thank everyone for supporting our Facebook launch and for participating in our giveaway! Stay connected with our page to find out all kinds of good stuff like what’s going on with our club, and the wine world in general.

Cheers!

 

 

Annually, more than 40% of retail wine sales occur in the months of November and December.  When one factors in holiday gift giving, parties, and general merry making, this robust figure begins to make sense … or does it?  I sometimes wonder what people, and especially ardent wine drinkers, consume the rest of the year.  Unfortunately, the answer is all too clear.

Most wine drinkers are on a budget and are understandably afraid to take a chance on an unfamiliar label.  Consequently, they resort to purchasing inexpensive commercial brands of wine on sale.  On rare special occasions they’ll splurge and buy an expensive bottle of wine with some degree of name recognition.  Sadly, that expensive bottle of wine will likely be too young for present consumption, yet it will be consumed within a week of purchase.  In essence, most people drink a label and a price tag and end up paying too much or too little for wine that fails to impress.  Moreover, they deprive themselves of the many fine, affordable wines on the market that lay next to a label that everyone knows and can pronounce.  In truth, fine wine can occasionally be had for as little as $10.00/bottle, and there is no shortage of outstanding offerings that sell for $15.00-$50.00 per bottle. These undiscovered treasures come from all over the world, and yes, indeed, their names will likely not be on the tip of everyone’s tongue.  That’s a good sign.  So this New Year, my sincere wish is that every wine drinker branch out to discover that hidden treasure.

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Can you believe that the sale of alcohol was actually banned at one point? Glad it’s just a remembrance of what once was, but no longer is. We think this merits a toast ladies and gentlemen. Cheers to the good stuff!

I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself, Kristina Manning, C&H Clubs Customer Service Manager. I am proud to say we have a top notch Customer Service Team! I’d like to share with everyone C&H Clubs Customer service mission statement as it’s what drives our focus everyday we clock in: “We are committed to providing excellent customer service through knowledge, enthusiasm, courtesy and attentiveness. Meeting our customers’ expectations is our top priority.”

Companies talk about the importance of customer service all the time, but we truly believe in it. We here at C&H Clubs believe that besides the quality and variety of our wines, our customer service is just as important as the beautiful selections we choose.

We love hearing from our members about their experiences with our wines, so give us a call anytime to share your thoughts on the wines you have tried from us. Wine is in fact one of my passions and I will share with you what I thought about a wine from time to time and maybe some fun and random things going on out there in the wine world.

Give us a call if you ever have any concerns about our selections or delivery of your wines to your door. That’s what we’re here for!

 

Cheers,

Kristina Manning

Customer Service Manager

800-625-8238