Lot18.com: My Go-To Wine Site with 30-70% off Bottles and Experiences

Sometimes you just need a great gift, a special bottle, or a few inexpensive ones to host a party. Especially over the past few months, I have received a lot of questions on where to buy great wine gifts at a reasonable price. After going through another holiday season of gifting, shipping, and lugging things around California, I've realized the importance and value in finding easy ways to send over great gifts to my loved ones. I'm a frequent customer on a site introduced to me last year called, Lot18. This "Gilt-like" wine site provides an easy to use, all things wine, gift heaven! Their flash sales offer everything from decanters, glasses, gourmet items like chocolate, coffee, cheese, specialty desserts and meats, and of course many wine options, almost always fitting your needs.

Recently they began selling experiences as well. They've offered private tastings at Napa wineries, lodging packages, really amazing experiences in New York at Le Bernardin, and event tickets to wine festivals. Everything is typically priced at a 30-70% discount, which answers the question for me of whether or not I'm getting a good deal. They also have special days and wine packages where free shipping is offered. The few times that I actually have paid for shipping, I was surprised at how low the costs were compared to purchasing and shipping from a winery directly.

Lot 18 has a great variety, from inexpensive half cases to special Cabernet Sauvignon duos. My favorite purchase was a Jonata duo of red blends...we tried one recently and are saving one to enjoy in a few years. It was amazing, and a really cool experience to try a wine from the same owner as Screaming Eagle Winery (at over $1,000 a bottle, SE is definitely out of my price range). I've found a few hidden gems that I would have never been introduced to if it weren't for this site. They always have great wines and really good information about the winery, winemaker, and vintage to help you make good choices when purchasing online.

Tip: If you "like" their Facebook page you will have access to special pre-offers that usually sell out quickly!

Judd's Hill: Boutique Napa Winery with a Secret Sauce

Visiting Judd's Hill was a fun treat to begin a wine filled weekend adventure. The winery is family owned and produces around 3,000 cases and around 10 different wines. We checked into our appointment and sat down to a taste of Sauvignon Blanc, which went perfectly with the warm winter day.

The tasting areas are on the smaller side, and if it is a warm day, definitely try to steal a seat outside. Our host, Pat, the wine educator and BBQ master, was entertaining and passionate. The winery even created their own special Zinfandel to pair with his food! Pat showed us pictures from past BBQ competitions, and in no time, we noticed a sign..."Award Winning BBQ Sauce $8", we had to try it!

Pat brought some over for us to taste, and instructed us carefully on the tasting procedure. He dropped a sample on the back of our hands and the four of us, with perfect etiquette, licked it up! It was truly perfection, and between the laughs, requests for additional samples, and the much needed washing of our hands, we picked up a bottle. We also purchased a bottle of their Cabernet Sauvignon ($45) which was delicious and ready to drink now or wait for a year or two. A week ago we made a homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza and swore it was the best thing we'd ever had, which we would definitely credit the BBQ sauce as the secret ingredient.

Overall, I thought that this was a fun winery visit and I loved the laid back feel to it. You can tell that they really care about producing a high quality product, and we will definitely be back for more of that BBQ sauce!

Tips - Judd's Hill:

• The tasting fee is $10 a person, and the winery is by appointment. Give them a call to make sure that they will have a seat for you!
• Ask to try the BBQ Sauce, and bring a wet wipe to get the stickiness off of your hands when you are done.
• Dress comfortably, you don't have to be fancy here, just ready to try some delicious wines!

80 Sips Around the World: Wine Tasting Event with the Launch of DS Deals Napa App

80 Sips Around the World is a Bottlenotes event featuring over 30 wineries representing Napa, Livermore, Italy, France, and several other wine regions. The event is held annually at major cities, such as New York, Miami, Austin, Los Angeles, Washington DC, San Francisco and more (ticket prices ranging from $75-$125). We attended this past Friday and tried many different wines. The mix of tasting options ranged from Purple Cowboy wines ($6) to 2007 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon ($135), which was very interesting to me. Personally, I really enjoyed the Duckhorn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and the Kuleto Estate wines. We were grateful to have made the wise decision to eat prior to attending. The food was definitely not a focus of this event and it was very minimal with several cheese selections, olives, and bread.

The highlight of the evening for me was the discovery of the DS Deals App. This new app shares incredible discounts at Napa wineries that you will rarely come across a deal for. The list is short right now, but powerful, with wineries such as: Cakebread Cellars, Corison Winery, Chappellet, Hall Wines, Duckhorn Vineyards, and Chateau Montelena to name a few. I'm sure that the list will keep growing once word of this new app spreads across the valley. The benefits range from 2 for 1 tasting fees to free tastings, plus discounts on your wine purchases. The launch of this app made my ticket to this Bottlenotes event totally worth it! The app also features discounts at wineries in Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Oregon, and Washington. To find it on your iPhone or iPad, just search for DS Deals and enjoy this free app and all of it's great benefits. I can't wait to test it out on my next weekend in wine country!

Michelle's Picks 2012: A WineTastic Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to roll out the romance to your significant other (or crush), and Napa is the place to be! I've listed some fun and romantic events/wineries to visit around the valley below to help you plan your special celebration.

1. LOVE FEST at Merryvale, on February 11th will feature a 4 course tasting menu by Ken Frank's La Toque, which was awarded a michelin star. Each course will be paired with a delicious wine. I love going to events here, because the cask room is beautiful, intimate, and very romantic. At $150/person, this event is expensive, but it will definitely be a special experience. 
2. Schramsberg Vineyards is probably one of my favorite romantic experiences in wine country. They are a premier sparking wine producer in California, and for Valentine's Day, how can you go wrong with candlelit hand carved caves and some bubbly? The tour and tasting lasts about an hour and you sample 4-5 different sparkling wines (usually in the cave), it concludes with heart shaped chocolates...this place was made for days like this! The tour and tasting is $45/person and it is by appointment only. I want to share one thing that I really wished I knew prior to going to my tour: if you join the wine club and sign up for a shipment prior to booking your appointment, your tasting fees are complimentary. If you decide to do this, it pays for itself practically immediately ($105/shipment for 2 bottles at a 25-35% discount vs. $90 in tasting fees and no wine). Note: This is a winery that will NOT refund your tour and tasting fee if you decide to join after your tour. It was a real bummer when we learned this during our first visit.
3. O'Brien Estate Winery is a beautiful boutique vineyard that focuses their brand on "romantic wines". The tour and tasting is fun and can be very romantic. It is a beautiful property with some very delicious wines. My personal favorite wine is the Seduction, a tasty red blend. Their bottles have really cute poems on the back of each wine that express feelings during the different stages of love. This winery is appointment only and the tasting fee is $15/person, but will be waived with bottle purchases. 

Can't make it to wine country, but want to have a bottle or two for a romantic date? These wines are my top romantic picks to celebrate your love:

• Schramsberg Brut Rose ($41), is a delicious pink bubbly option that both of you will enjoy. It's wonderful by itself, with a fish dish, or even with some chocolate covered strawberries.
• Etude Heirloom Pinot Noir ($90), this is a beautiful pinot noir that is worth the hefty price tag. This is my "go-to" for something special. This is a great pick for pairing with truffled macaroni and cheese, filet mignon, or any of your rich and savory dishes. This is a wine that you will be talking about long after it is gone.
• Stags' Leap Petite Sirah ($38), is an intense red that is perfect with cheese and a romantic movie. This wine is complex and interesting with hints of berries and pepper, it knocks your socks off.