I'm just curious about wine club membership. I've joined four winery clubs whose products I enjoy:
William Harrison Winery. A tiny (less than 1000 cases) Rutherford/Silverado Trail winery, I joined their club partly because of their delicious Cabernet Franc. However, I am really appreciating their Rutherford Red blend now-the 2000 has matured quite nicely. Too bad it is basically sold out now-but I did get a bottle.
Hess Collection Stunning winery, stunning art collection, very solid wines of a character I enjoy. The mountain fruit really helps.
Imagery A Benziger Family winery in Sonoma. Quite diverse portfolio of wines.
Elizabeth Spencer Winery A Negociant? with a nice tasting room in the heart of Rutherford village. I consistently enjoy their wines, which seem to avoid the over-oaked mess of a lot of California reds. They have an earthy, "Burgundian" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that was delicious last year, and their Sauvignon Blanc is extremely lean and austere and crisp. The Chardonnay is definitely not over-oaked.
I don't need to join any more clubs! Cost and simple accumulation of bottles alone make this the limit. However, I am really tempted to join Conn Creek, another Rutherford winery. Five years ago, I disliked their cabs. New winemaker, dramatically new character-Wine and Spirits Magazine was right on in recognizing them. It was a real education for me, as they are promoting single vineyard Cabernets that really show the differences in terroir. Black roasted fruit from the hot Calistoga vineyard to the cooler Carneros and Yountville cabs. They also have a peppery, herbal, distinctive Cab Franc that tastes like the Loire!