Want to Support Small Winemakers? Subscribe to Their Clubs
Martha Stoumen FTW, plus other seasonal release clubs to try
In pandemic times, it’s all about celebrating the small pleasures. Like when the UPS guy comes knocking at my door with a heavy cardboard box. At my house, that often means wine. I order a lot of wine, some if it from retailers, some directly from wineries — whether by the bottle or as part of a club.
Wait, a club? Yes, I’ve been critical of clubs in the past, and many of the bigger ones are problematic. Some clubs package up and sell bulk wines at a massive markup. Others, like “clean” wine clubs — Dry Farm Wines, Scout & Cellars, and others — push their wines with marketing b.s. and verifiable false claims like “no hangovers” (see Felicity Carter’s great takedown of these clubs here).
But there’s another type of wine club that you should subscribe to if you want to support small winemakers: A seasonal release club. The concept is simple: You sign up at a certain level, say 3-, 6-, or 12 bottles, and when a winery’s wines are released (usually spring and fall), they send you the wines.
By subscribing, you help support small winemakers in a couple of ways. You provide the winery with predictable cash flow, a boon right now when those small producers have lost most of their restaurant and bar sales. And since you’re buying direct, the winery sees more profit from the transaction (as opposed to going through the three tier-system, where distributors and retailers get a cut of the sale).
As a subscriber, you get the hedonistic joy of several bottles from a winemaker whose wines you enjoy. Plus, there are often perks. My favorite seasonal release wine club is Martha Stoumen’s, which offers shipment of 6 or 12 bottles, released in spring and fall. As a member, you get first access to her wines, which are extremely hard to find at retail. You also get first access to small-batch products she makes, like a new dessert wine. And in non-pandemic times, you get invited to winery parties and in-person tastings. Plus, there are the personal touches that wineries often incorporate in these clubs. Stoumen, for example, is known for the incredible art on her bottles. Her fall release box included a beautiful, numbered print from one of the artists she works with. I have it hanging on my refrigerator right now.
What to know:
Stoumen is a natural winemaker in California. Betsy Andrews wrote a story for me at SevenFifty Daily a couple years back about Stoumen and her contemporaries, “The Wine Mavericks That Heralded a New Generation at U.C. Davis.” The takeaway is that Stoumen is part of a pioneering group of winemakers who have the technical training to make world-class classic wines, yet who have chosen to apply those skills to natural winemaking. Thus, she is helping elevate natural wines into the echelon of world-class wines.
Stoumen’s wines are electric. They’re fresh and juicy but with structure and ageability. Much of this comes from her process: Stoumen believes that most of the work should be done in the vineyard, so she farms organically and promotes biodiversity in the vineyard. In the winery, her commitment to minimal intervention means allowing the natural yeast and bacteria on the grape skins to perform the fermentation, instead of adding commercial yeast. It means allowing longer macerations and aging to provide structure and stability, instead of adding tannin, acid, or stabilizing agents.
The Petite Sirah pictured here is practically jumping out of the glass. It’s non-vintage, meaning that Stoumen blended multiple vintages into the wine. Stoumen says of the wine: “I drink this when I’m home alone listening to D’Angelo’s Voodoo album and trying on outfits. Aka this is the wine to drink when you want to do whatever the f* you want, and feel sexy doing it.”
That about captures it. It’s a sensual wine — racy acidity, velvety texture, opulent leaning, but totally in balance. A joy to drink. Vibrant dark fruit (blackberry + blueberry) and savory (coffee + spice) notes. Lower alcohol than you’d expect at 13%. It’s a wine you’ll keep coming back to, over and over, until the last drop.
Other clubs to try:
Support these small California winemakers by joining their seasonal release clubs:
Megan and Ryan Glabb are the husband and wife team behind this small operation making beautiful, classic wines on organically and sustainably farmed vineyards around Northern California. They started out making Italian varieties like Aglianico, Sangiovese, and Vermentino, but later added Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, and other international varieties. They’re fantastic wines, made by lovely people. They do a 6- and 12-bottle subscription, with shipments three times a year.
Tracey and Jared Brandt are pioneering natural winemakers with an urban winery in Berkeley, California. Their wines are made from organically and sustainably farmed vineyards around Northern California. They offer 6- and 12-bottle subscriptions, with shipments three times a year. Their wines are fun and unexpected, with pét-nats and orange wines (the skin-fermented Marsanne is delicious) among the offerings.