Co-op Wine Club!
By James Robinson, Your Co-op Sommelier
Since our grand re-opening, and over the last two years, the co-op’s wine and beer selection has been brought into deep alignment with it’s guiding mission and principles. To that end, aisle five is now home to hundreds of offerings from independent craft brewers and winemakers from down the road and around the world – family producers dedicated to local ingredients, clean fruit, wild yeast, organic, biodynamic, sustainable farming and minimal intervention. In fact, most co-op wines now boast some kind of organic or sustainable credential, contain minimal sulfur and are free from additives, manipulation and monkey business.
From inexpensive value wines, to scores of reasonably priced daily drinkers and a strong selection of wines worth toasting on a special occasion, the co-op has something for every taste and budget. In addition to Northwest wines, the shelves are chock full of rotating special selections from Austria, the Canary Islands, Spain, Slovenia, Georgia and more.
Beyond wine, our shelves boast a solid selection of artisanal sake and Japanese craft beer, canned and bottled cider from the Northwest and Europe, bubbles of all kinds, the full spectrum of sherry styles, vermouth and amaro and one of the largest selections of bottled European beers in the area.
While we are proud of our selection and what we have accomplished, we’ve decided to up our game in 2022 with the launch of the Co-Op Uncorked wine club. This new, subscription style club, slated for launch May 1, will offer co-op members (you must be a co-op member to join) a chance to explore the world of wine with either a two, or four-bottle, monthly commitment. The two-bottle club costs $50 per month and the four-bottle club costs $100. In addition to receiving handpicked selections, member benefits include, swag, tasting notes, first access to allocated or limited release wines, discounts, free admission to tasting events and more.
www.foodcoop.coop/wineclub
If you’re interested in joining, here’s how it works. On or before the 15th of each month, co-op members can go to the club website and sign up. There, they will choose between the four-bottle or the two-bottle subscription. The second week of the following month, club members come to the co-op to pick up their wine. On the third Wednesday of the month, club members can attend a tasting event. Initially, we’ll conduct Zoom tastings, with in-person tastings planned for later in the year.
Each month the cycle will repeat itself. Unfortunately, we can’t ship wine; so all club disbursements must be picked up in-person. In addition, we can’t entertain special requests, so club disbursements must be taken as they have been selected. You can learn more and sign up at www.foodcoop.coop.
If you’ve always been interested in wine, but often struggle when choosing what to buy, the $50 subscription may be the perfect place to start. At the $50 level, you’ll get at least two bottles of quality wine that showcase a particular grape, style or region. At the $100 level, members will embark on a deep dive into the wild world of viniculture – experiencing both classics and wines from off the beaten track appellations, co-ferments, bubbles, amphora, wild wines and more.
Regardless of the subscription level, you can be assured of exciting wines featuring clean fruit , made by artisanal, family producers – wines that remain aligned with our shared principles and values. For more information, don’t hesitate to reach out directly to jamesr@foodcoop.coop. The deadline for the inaugural sign up is April 15.
