When I happened upon the Tobin James Cellars, I wasn’t actively seeking another wine club to join, but anyone that’s ever been wine tasting knows that it’s pretty hard to say no to amazing wines being shipped right to your door every month. So just how good is this wine club? Well, on my most recent visit there, I loved their wines so much that I signed up for the Tobin James Wine Club right on the spot!
Now their wine club didn’t make it to our Top 10 Best Wine Clubs list, but it’s still a worthwhile wine club if you’ve ever been to their winery and liked their wines.
How The Tobin James Wine Club Works
There’s no fee to become a member, and when you do so you’ll benefit from significant discounts. Any purchase will come with a 15% discount for members and those who want to order a case or more can get 20% off. There’s also the opportunity to participate in some special events.
How Did the Tobin James Wine Club Get Its Start?
The Creator was a young assistant winemaker, and the place where he worked had a batch of grapes that they couldn’t process. Toby (Tobin) ask the owner at the winery if he could use that batch of grapes to make some wine for himself. Since the winery had no use for it, they told him to go ahead and use it to make his wine. That kicked things off, and 18 months later his first Zinfandel was born and was called Blue Moon.
He continued to work at another Winery for a few years but ultimately chose to start what would become the Tobin James Wine Club. He decided to build his business from the ground up, and the site was that of an Old Stagecoach stop. He felt that it gave the feeling of an old western style Saloon.
The only difference is that instead of ordering a shot of whiskey there would be award-winning wines poured. The Cellars are a short 8 miles east of Paso Robles down Highway 46. It sits on over 70 Acres of Vineyards. You’ll even be able to enjoy a restored Stagecoach Stop that is now a guest house.
This Winery is considered one of the favorites by locals and travelers alike. It offers a unique opportunity to taste wine with its own unique flavors. Once you experience the unique wines made here, you will fall in love. To take advantage of the opportunity to order them, you can become a member, so you have them even when you aren’t visiting Paso Robles.
Who Is Tobin James?
Toby grew up on a Vineyard in the state of Indiana. He then worked in a wine shop located in Cincinnati, and he had such a love and passion for it that he wanted to own his own Winery from a young age. He did his apprenticeship at Estrella River Winery and was able to work his way into a full-time position and eventually became the cellar master. Later he made wines with Gary Eberle at Eberle Winery.
Toby had an opportunity come up where he would be the founding winemaker at Peachy Canyon, and he would also be able to make wines for Tobin James Cellars at that same facility. His first wine became one of the top 100 Wines of the year with the Wine Spectator. From there his reputation grew substantially, and this led to his opening his own Winery in 1993.
The opportunity to partner with Lance and Claire Silver presented itself a few years later. They found that they were a perfect match that combined winemaking expertise along with advanced knowledge in business. Lance considers himself a bit of a wine snob, and he brought his own style to the winemaking. This added more intensity to the already incredible lineup that was available.
Claire brings savvy business expertise to the operations. She also evaluates the wine blending. Clara is originally from San Francisco.
Tobin James Wine Club Reviews: Never Feel Left High And Dry
The wines by Tobin James are considered bodacious and genuinely outrageous. Many people consider them some of the most enchanting wines made anywhere in the world. The wines produced at this Cellar sell so quickly that reviews from wine drinkers often detail finding their glass empty. When you become a member, you will have access to an excellent selection of great wines. Some of these are only available when you come into the tasting room.
As a member, you’ll have eight bottles of wine that are shipped out to you in both the spring and fall seasons. Each shipment will have a special gift included inside. At the time this was written the shipment is only $179 and that includes the shipping in California. If you need it shipped to other states within the US, then applicable taxes and shipping may apply.
There’s no cost to be a member and if for any reason you want to cancel you can do so with 30 days written notice. That should be done before the next shipment. When your wine is shipped, it will be conveniently charged to your credit card.
Tobin James Cellars routinely has special events that you can attend. You’ll be exposed to exquisite cuisine and local wine tasting. You will have access to numerous enticing delicacies provided and presented by some of the area’s favorite eateries and chefs. You can check their website for the next event, and you can arrange to attend.