Since we have had this GREAT discussion regarding mailing lists, etc. it's now time to reveal what elite lists you belong to. Who wants to start? No need to list them ALL but maybe your top 5...

I am on the Marlinelli List

I max out the allocation and buy a bunch of extras from every mailer. I sell some of it or trade it to friends for portions of their allocations of other lists that I am not on. Any other mailing list stuff I want I can usually buy bottles of from people here. Networking is critical for getting good wine without spending tons of money.

I must confess, there are other lists that I plan on joining in the near future.

TCK

Nothing elite for me...

Wilson Winery (Dry Creek Valley)
Staglin (usually a pass - cheaper at retail)
Bressler (of course)
Loring (who else?)
Pahlmeyer (will soon drop)
Milat (St Helena)
Quilceda Creek

Harlan - waiting
Testarossa
Sea Smoke
Siduri
Loring
Quilceda Creek

there are more but the names escape me.

Top 5 (where I own 100% of the mailing list spot) in no particular order:

Bryant Family (first vintage)
Harlan Estate (first vintage)
Sine Qua Non (third vintage)
Marcassin (third vintage)
Araujo (first vintage)

What do you consider "on the list"? I am on a lot of peoples lists. What I am not on is what I would call a true "list" along the lines of a Harlan where you are allocated 'X' bottles of wine each year.

In alphabetical order

Calera
Clos Pepe
Copain
Cottonwood Canyon
Domaine Alfred
J Wine Company
Kosta Browne
Merry Edwards
Roar
Russian Hill
Siduri
Testarossa

Ones I should be on - but seem to get other ways

Brewer-Clifton
Melville
Pisoni Estate
Tantara

Jones, how about the next 10

Araujo
Martinelli
Brewer Clifton
Quilceda Creek
Behrens & Hitchcock
Mellville
Aubert
Bressler
Blankiet (next year they guarantee)
Karl Lawrence
Bond

Nothing elite for me BUT ONE! A very short list:

Kistler

Ridge

Quilceda Creek

Martinelli, and

Bressler (my elite one).

When BHVineyard starts selling his juice commercially, I intend to be on that list also.


I'm intentionally keeping my list short and in line with the higher end of my approximate target price range. I want -- and intend -- to be able to fully support every winery on my list without fail, and don't want to get overextended to the point where I have to pick & choose.

Nothing too elite...just good wines!
Martinelli
Kistler
Jones Family
Behrens & hitchcock
Brewer Clifton
Peter Michael
Pahlmeyer
Quilceda Creek
Hundred Acre
David Arthur
Melville
Clark Claudon
Pride
Red Car
Williams Selyem
LORING
BRESSLER (all though I have never seen a bottle)
Bond (see above)

Only 1, since I live in a non-reciprocal state:

Quilceda Creek

Luckily, I go to Seattle every year.

Also, I just might have to sign up for Bonny Doon, just to read their newsletter:
http://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/pdf/spring2003.pdf

Didn’t we have this question once? Oh, well, I am on a lot of lists – many of them where the wine is easily available, because I like to support the vintners and have them think of me in case anything special comes along. Note that I do not necessarily buy something every time. Also there are a few lists that I have never been able to get on. I’m certainly forgetting some, but it includes:

Adrian Fog
Anomaly
Araujo
Behrens & Hitchcock
Blankiet
Brogan Cellars
Carver Sutro
Clark-Claudon
Cloud View
Colgin
D. R. Stephens
Dalla Valle
Drinkward-Peschon
Dunn
Dyer
Egelhoff
Gemstone
Grace
Harbison
Harlan/Bond
HdV
Herb Lamb
Hourglass
Joel Gott
Jones Family
Judd's Hill
Juslyn
Karl-Lawrence
Kelly Magee
Kenward
Kongsgaard
Lagier-Meredith
Lail
Livingston
Lynch
Merus
Neyers
Outpost
Pillar Rock
Portfolio
Quixote
Red Car
Robert Craig
Schrader
Screaming Eagle
Selene (duh!)
Seven Lions (RIP)
Shafer HSS
Sherwin Family
Showket
Spottswoode
Tablas Creek
Togni
Vineyard 29
von Strasser
White Cottage

Jones: Am I right in assuming when you say First Vintage, that you have been receiving the list and purchased the wines from their first release? Thanks.

My list is (@ least) as long as Bressler's. Too lazy to list. But, many of mine have been mentioned by others.

Bressler: Seven Lions (RIP)---he closed it down?

"First vintage" means I bought the first vintage produced directly from the winery at the time of the initial release of the wine.

Quote:

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Bressler: Seven Lions (RIP)---he closed it down?

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I don't actually have first hand information, so someone may know more than I do, but I believe that they could not get funding/come to an agreement/whatever, and that Fred is off to do other things.

Araujo
Shafer HSS
Dalla Valle
Harlan
Merus

Quote:

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I don't actually have first hand information, so someone may know more than I do, but I believe that they could not get funding/come to an agreement/whatever, and that Fred is off to do other things.

---

Their website is down and their phone is disconnected...

Seven Lions

(707) 823-0530

Not surprising given the prices they attempted to charge for their wines. I was also never a fan of their rather blatant attempt to confuse the public by putting Martinelli on the label of their Zin.

Although economics might in deed have prevailed in the end, in this case it was two people who were not able to work together.