Have a Sophisticated Summer With Uncorked Ventures Wine Club

***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

Summer time in my home is pretty hectic. With a teenager and 2 preschool aged children, it seems that we're always doing something. Whether it's a trip to the zoo or waterpark, a festival on the riverfront, or a family nature walk, we're always on the go. I enjoy making the most of it, since during the winter I stay inside like a hermit of sorts. It gets bitterly cold here, and cold and I do not get along.

So during the warmer months, by the end of the day, I am definitely ready to sit back, relax, and enjoy a nice glass of wine with my husband. My favorite place to do this would have to be my deck, since on the weekends, we can sit outside and hear live bands play on the riverfront since it's only a couple of blocks away. 

Dan and I love trying new wines. He's more of a white drinker, while I prefer anything with a nice hint of sweetness to it. I tend to lean towards Moscato. I know, I know. Typical girly wine. What can I say...I like the stuff! Anyway, I am not totally set in my ways, and love trying different brands and types of wine. 

This is where Uncorked Ventures comes in handy. This wine club is owned by brothers-in-law Mark Aselstine and Matt Krause, who have a big passion for wine. They scour the wine country in California, Oregon and Washington State to find only the best wines to share with their customers. That's right. These wines are sampled and must meet the high standards that Uncorked Ventures sets for its members. 

Uncorked Ventures offers several different options. You can purchase some phenomenal wine gifts and wine baskets on a one time basis, or you can join one of 3 different subscription clubs. You can try their affordable Explorations Club at only $40 a shipment, opt for their middle-of-the-road Special Selections Club and experience limited production, high-demand wines for $95 a shipment, or you can splurge on cellar-worthy Reserve Selections Club for $195 a shipment. 

Please note: The Explorations club offers 2 bottles per shipment: One white and one red. The Special Selections Club features 2 bottles of red wine. The Reserve Selections Club showcases 2-3 reds. 

Our Thoughts :
Recently, I received a couple of bottles from the generous folks at Uncorked Ventures to try for myself. We got a 2012 Villa San Maurice California Chardonnay and a three Red Label Zinfandel, which is a red. Okay, so I am a bit embarrassed  to admit this, but I totally didn't know that there was a red Zinfandel variety. I always thought that this was always either white or pink. Guess you learn something every day! 

This wine was quite refreshing, and had a wonderful, fruity taste. It has a nice crispness to it that really sets this Chardonnay apart from other ones I have tried.

 Normally I am not a fan of this kind of wine, but I had 2 glasses. That says a lot! Of course Dan, who loves Chardonnay, couldn't stop raving about how flavorful and complex the flavors in this wine were. We enjoyed it sitting out on the deck. It was truly the perfect wine for a relaxing evening outdoors. 

We decided to try the three Red Label Zinfandel during a romantic evening indoors. Okay, so it wasn't overly romantic, but the kids were all upstairs. We were alone. Which almost never, ever happens. So in my mind, kid-free time was definitely worthy of a glass of wine or two! 

I happen to be a fan of reds in general, as long as they're not too bitter. I was delighted to find that this red is very fruity with notes of cherry and blackberry. It's also got an earthy quality to it, which I found to be a nice balance to the sweetness of the fruit. To finish, this wine has a subtle, peppery finish that lingers a bit, adding quite a bit of dimension to the wine. 

Dan wasn't a fan of this one, but that didn't surprise me much, since he doesn't really enjoy reds as a whole. For what it's worth, I thought it was fantastic!

Overall, I am definitely pretty impressed by the wines we received from Uncorked Ventures. Are they the best wines I've ever had? Probably not. I have had some crazy good wines before in fancy restaurants that cost a few hundred dollars a bottle. But for the price point, they're definitely a great value. I can only imagine how good the higher-end wines are if the economical wines are as good as these ones were. I would definitely drink them again, and can't wait to see what else Uncorked Ventures has to offer! 

How To Connect :
Make sure to visit the Uncorked Ventures Website  to find out more about their wine club services  and gifts they have to offer.

 You can also check out the Uncorked Ventures Facebook Page  for interesting wine facts, promotions, and more!