Happy Father’s Day!
Though I’m anxious to receive my “Wine Futures” from Amalthea Cellars, I have been enjoying their wines pictured above to ease the pain of waiting…
Buying wine futures is not just for wealthy oenophiles. I have purchased a few French wine futures in the past. I may have Bordeaux taste in wine, but must live on a Beaujolais budget. The whole idea is to purchase wine before it is bottled and distributed. In return for your patience you get the wine at a reduced cost. Obviously you need to do your homework and purchase from a very reputable dealer and/or winery that you know the quality is consistent and worth the investment. Wine futures are not limited to French wines, either. There are a few New Jersey wineries who offer wine futures.
One of these wineries is Amalthea Cellars in Atco. Their offerings are diverse-from their Europa Series (Bordeaux-style red blends) to some other very interesting choices. Though Amalthea generally offers barrel tastings for these offerings, I recently purchased some of their futures, without a tasting (right now, as you know, wine tastings are still not available due to COVID19). No worries, though, since I have long been a fan and patron of Amalthea Cellars and needed no assurance as to the quality of these wines.
My choices included (1/2 case minimum per order)
- Dream Barrel Amador County Montepulciano (2)-Priced at $15 per bottle (before my discount)*
- Legends Edition Europa Series IV (2)-$19 per bottle (before discount)
- Double Barrel Buffalo Trace Cab Franc Second Edition (2)-$21 per bottle (before discount)-How the hell did I miss the First Edition? The name alone is tantalizing!
*I hasten to add that you should purchase a VIP membership (with a one-time charge of $25). You and three friends can use this to get a 15% discount on all purchases (including futures). They only exclude their Cantina Mas, which is already a bargain.
Back in March, I also purchased some futures during a barrel tasting at Hawk Haven Vineyards that I posted about here: https://wp.me/p74VSa-cPn
I was able to pick up the white wines about a month or so ago, but as you know reds need to spend a bit more time in their temporary oak homes before they get bottled for consumption. The white wines all equalled or exceeded my expectations, based upon my tasting at the time. The surprising stand-out for me was the Gewurtztraminer. I’m glad I included two bottles in my purchase, as the first went far too quickly! When I picked up my white wines (curbside), I picked up a few more bottles of wines not included in the futures package (including those pictured below). Writing about wine futures has its pictorial challenges…
The pricing at the time of the futures tasting for these wines was amazing. For Gold members, the discount was 30% off for purchases of a case or more! At those prices, waiting until summer’s end for the reds is a worthwhile bargain. Speaking of worthwhile, their memberships are a great deal. If you buy at least $300 worth of wine at any visit you are eligible for a Gold Membership. In March they offer 30% for case purchases for Gold Members!
Here’s to bargains! Cheers!
Speaking of bargains…
You can now pick up a copy of my book, New Jersey Uncorked for $19.99 with the coupon code: Summer20 at Book Baby’s website: store.bookbaby.com/book/New-Jersey-Uncorked…or get your ebook copy at Apple’s iBook store app for $9.99 ($3 off) with the code Summer20.
Coming Attractions
- Lesser Known Wine Varietals
- NJ Uncorked and Unplugged
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