Just thought about applying the $20 coupon from the latest Meh wine sale (came in my email today) and lowering the price/bottle of this offering to $5! Iām trying to resist, as my wine consumption for the past 3 months has been zero after losing my senses of taste and smell, and my storage space is full, but Iām hopeful that the taste/smell might return in the coming months.
Living in the Northwest, this was a wine I discovered as a great ādefault redā in the early 2000s. Yikes thatās 20 years ago. I remember a 2004 vintage in particular that got rave reviews which were well-deserved. These could be had for usually $10-14/btl, back then, which still makes this a very attractive price.
The blend varies each year and is always kind-of a ākitchen sinkā blend, unlike more traditional Rhone-style blends which work very well in this region. But are usually priced much higher than this. Wahluke Slope is a good local AVA. A great area to visit for a wine tourist trip also. Disclaimer is: I havenāt tasted this in recent years and definitely not this vintage.
Just grabbed a case myself. No brainer. I only have 4 or 5 left from the last offer and this juice is fantastic at this price even double this price. Dang should have got 2
We had a piece commissioned for our choral group titled Ruah and last offer I surprised our director with three bottles for Christmas. Of course I had a bottle first to make sure it was worthy of gifting - no worries at all.
I was supposed to get back from Texas Tuesday afternoon. One flight cancellation (due to the forecast for extreme thunderstorms), rebooking in separate flights, we finally made it back home. And thatās why I didnāt have a lab report. Did manage to see the eclipse right during a really fortunate break in the partly cloudy sky.
@rjquillin thank you for digging that one up - and re-answering my question. I may need to check my wine refrigerator to see if I bought any from the last offering - that I also may have forgotten!
@Leatherchair No worries.
Had to check my history as well. First got this from GO a couple months before the CM offer, where I added a case and the UPS folks scored three bottles from it.
@rjquillin way to go on taking care of your UPS drivers. Good haul for them. Speaking of history, I didnāt recognize that label, and confirmed I never purchased from last time, so corrected that this time. Cheers
@Leatherchair Not actually a driver, as Iām never home to accept a delivery. My default ship-to is a UPS franchise store, where they donāt charge me that extra monthly fee others complain about, but get bottles instead.
@Leatherchair@rjquillin
Good on you for taking care of them. But assuming youāre giving them $5 or $10 bottles of wine youāre still paying them for delivering your wine, probably more than the $20 a year or $5 per shipment. Fed-ex is free for me.
Enjoyed this from the first go around and Iām in again for a case. Something different for the rotation (Love the S.O.B. for this reason as well)! These blends bring something to the daily table, and both improve on the next day. I enjoy these more than the recent Pedroncelli/Cheer blend offers.
$6.67/bottle AND good reviews! Holy guacamole. Iād buy 2 cases if I werenāt on a SIWBM (which Iām failing miserably at).
/giphy glib-muffled-group
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2018 Desert Wind Ruah Red Blend - $20 = 19.99%
had this the last time and it was wonderful. this time around, with the meh coupon, $5/btl is a no-brainer. thanks you guys for a fantastic deal / fantastic wine
Another UPS fail. Please drop these clowns. Random delays and surcharges to redirect drop-off. Like the post above, my wine is cooking for extra ship time at 86F ambient temperatures. So maybe Wednesday? Who knows?
Better yetā¦ Get an ID process arranged so that we are preapproved recipients without a need to āsign-forā delivery.
@PaleMongo I feel your pain. After I posted above both cases had the same status as you. Only today one of my cases finally got an update as out for delivery but the 2nd is still unknown
2018 Desert Wind Ruah Red Blend, Wahluke Slope, WA
94 Points, Gold Medal, Seattle Wine Awards
Tasting Notes
Medium ruby in color, the 2018 Ruah has aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice, mocha, and a violet lift. The wine opens to darker notes of currant, dark cherry, wild herbs, tobacco leaf, and menthol. This bright, mid-bodied, and harmonious blend showcases energy and balance, with intense red and black fruit flavors and a creamy, rounded mid-palate. Itās a perfect combination of sweet and savory and finishes long with just a touch of wood spice.
Winemaking Notes
The 2018 growing season started slightly cool in the spring, but quickly gave way to warmer temperatures. Throughout summer, the days were warm and sunny, with little rainfall and above-average heat, providing ideal growing conditions. A slight cooling in September and October gave the grapes some extra time to develop more nuanced characteristics. This blend is composed of several lots that were fermented in a combination of stainless steel tanks and open-top bins, and was aged for 30 months in neutral oak and stainless steel.
Vineyard Notes
The Wahluke Slope AVA is located in south-central Washington and is considered one of the warmer regions in the state. Our 480-acre Desert Wind Vineyard is south-facing, with a gradual two percent slope ranging from 800 to 1,000 feet in elevation. The deep, rocky soil allows for excellent drainage, stressing the vines and allowing focused energy on fruit production. The resulting wines are highly pigmented and have excellent tannin structure.
Desert Wind is an immersive wine, food, and entertainment destination in the heart of Washington Wine Country, dedicated to producing world-class wines that celebrate our estate vineyards in the Wahluke Slope AVA. Our southwest-inspired estate is perched on a bluff overlooking the Yakima River in Prosser, Washington, and boasts a large tasting room, overnight accommodations, light kitchen fare, spa services, and ample private event space. Desert Windās legacy and acclaimed wines are rooted in family and our sun-soaked Wahluke Slope AVA estate vineyard. Our philosophy on winemaking is simple: Start with grapes that show terrific potential and craft smooth, friendly, world-class wines you can drink every day. Weāve grown a lot since our first vines were planted in 1993, but one thing remains the same - our commitment to creating experiences that bring people together.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
My cases are scheduled to be delivered one today and one tomorrow. Our local weather will be in the upper 80ās and I assume in a truck it will be much higher. Should I be worried about cooked wine?
Meh set delivery expectation by April 25. UPS indicated delivery by April 30th, then May 1st, now UPS says āThe delivery date will be provided as soon as possibleā What the hey? Did the UPS driver drink all my wine? This is my 2nd request for updates. How many more? Some companies gauge their success by meeting expectations. The Best: Exceed expectations. Please respond
@kparty12@PaleMongo I agree with your phrasing. And if the wine never gets delivered or is buggered in transit then CM will definitely make it right. They always have for me.
Iām just saying that CM canāt do anything with ups while itās in transit to expedite or otherwise fix the shoddy system that is UPS.
@toddlamp Did you actually refuse the shipment or did they make that up? Iāve had them invent āattemptsā to deliver when Iāve been waiting right there.
@klezman I have been checking the tracking status incessantly and noticed this morning that that was the status. Our regular UPS DR ver is pretty cool about waiting around to deliver and we were home all day and I was keenly waiting for the doorbell to ring to sign.
Point is they never came by so I trust that it was obvious damage that included, but not limited to, wine spilling out. I took no part in the decision making no with regards to that delivery. I wrote the support line to see what happens next. Fingers crossed for a replacement but I feel reimbursement is more likely.
Ok, this is so bizarre. First I only got 11 bottles. And in the box I also got some kind of Baseball batting glove and a random piece for some kind of Ryobi tool. I donāt know how to post a picture. But what the heck??
@Mark_L I was thinking maybe ups took a bottle and replaced it with someone elseās stuff and thought I wouldnāt notice? Although BOC also crossed my mind. Completely bizarre.
Super good. A little spice. Medium body. Great Tuesday Wednesday Thursday wine. Likely even better with food.
Not wildly rich. Not wildly complex. Balanced. Extremely enjoyable. I grabbed a case. Insanely great considering the price.
Just walked through the door of my house 18 minutes ago after 12 hours of traveling/fights.
Itās midnight where I am now. Forgive the quick review.
Smooth, dark fruit, cherry, spice, tart finish, wee bit of smoke on the nose.
Will be my go to table wine. I bought a case. Currently enjoying it now with a drive-thru del Taco crunchy Taco and it works pleasantly.
Eating some queso nachos now with this wine. Tobacco leathery wood ish vibes happening. Fun and nice.
@connorbush
Taylor from Desert Wind here - thanks for the kind words! We also love it as a weekday pizza wine
@DesertWindWine Welcome Taylor
working on getting you a badge so others can recognize you.
What is your function there?
@rjquillin Thanks! Iām the sales/marketing director
Just thought about applying the $20 coupon from the latest Meh wine sale (came in my email today) and lowering the price/bottle of this offering to $5! Iām trying to resist, as my wine consumption for the past 3 months has been zero after losing my senses of taste and smell, and my storage space is full, but Iām hopeful that the taste/smell might return in the coming months.
@Mark_L Thanks for hanging in there with CM while you are not consuming.
@Mark_L Unlike you I couldnāt resist.
@toddlamp I havenāt totally written it off (yet).
@toddlamp I caved. If nothing else, I can pass it on to my kids.
/giphy floral-tiny-conjurer
Living in the Northwest, this was a wine I discovered as a great ādefault redā in the early 2000s. Yikes thatās 20 years ago. I remember a 2004 vintage in particular that got rave reviews which were well-deserved. These could be had for usually $10-14/btl, back then, which still makes this a very attractive price.
The blend varies each year and is always kind-of a ākitchen sinkā blend, unlike more traditional Rhone-style blends which work very well in this region. But are usually priced much higher than this. Wahluke Slope is a good local AVA. A great area to visit for a wine tourist trip also. Disclaimer is: I havenāt tasted this in recent years and definitely not this vintage.
In for 12. This is a good red blend. Enjoyed the November 2023 offering; excited to get more, especially at this price. Powerful-lying-curve.
@winedan Excited for you to get more as well!
Just grabbed a case myself. No brainer. I only have 4 or 5 left from the last offer and this juice is fantastic at this price even double this price. Dang should have got 2
@smoothie72 Itās an easy one to grab for any occasion! Glad youāve enjoyed!
At $7 a bottle /case this and the solid comments say buy and drink now !
@outdoorslife
/giphy unfair-heartsick-cardinal
/giphy green-lanky-smell
Iām a sucker for good, cheap wine. In for two cases!
/giphy offensive-frantic-mime
We had a piece commissioned for our choral group titled Ruah and last offer I surprised our director with three bottles for Christmas. Of course I had a bottle first to make sure it was worthy of gifting - no worries at all.
Got another case.
@woopdedoo The gift that keeps on giving!
@DesertWindWine In addition to my case, I decided to send a six pack to the person who composed the piece.
Hard to resist given the price and all the rave reviews in here!
/giphy unmoving-dazzling-office
@neuroticsilence Michael Scott approved, itās a fact
2018 Desert Wind Ruah Red Blend
6 bottles for $49.99 $8.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $79.99 $6.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Previous offer:
11/27/23
@ilCesare
and $10 bucks/case less this time around as well
@ilCesare @rjquillin Except the prior offer was for āDesert Wineā !
Enjoyed it as a daily, rotating in for a nice change of pace!
Same here.
/giphy toothless-nutritious-mimosa
/giphy deadly-benevolent-discovery
I was supposed to get back from Texas Tuesday afternoon. One flight cancellation (due to the forecast for extreme thunderstorms), rebooking in separate flights, we finally made it back home. And thatās why I didnāt have a lab report. Did manage to see the eclipse right during a really fortunate break in the partly cloudy sky.
Question for vintner. Is the wine aged in American oak or French oak?
@Leatherchair from the previous offer, where your question was answeredā¦
@rjquillin thank you for digging that one up - and re-answering my question. I may need to check my wine refrigerator to see if I bought any from the last offering - that I also may have forgotten!
@Leatherchair No worries.
Had to check my history as well. First got this from GO a couple months before the CM offer, where I added a case and the UPS folks scored three bottles from it.
@rjquillin way to go on taking care of your UPS drivers. Good haul for them. Speaking of history, I didnāt recognize that label, and confirmed I never purchased from last time, so corrected that this time. Cheers
@Leatherchair Not actually a driver, as Iām never home to accept a delivery. My default ship-to is a UPS franchise store, where they donāt charge me that extra monthly fee others complain about, but get bottles instead.
@Leatherchair @rjquillin
Good on you for taking care of them. But assuming youāre giving them $5 or $10 bottles of wine youāre still paying them for delivering your wine, probably more than the $20 a year or $5 per shipment. Fed-ex is free for me.
@Leatherchair @ScottW58
Oh, absolutely, but it sure feels better with the direct connection.
Also totally agree, FedEx kicks ass over brown for CS.
/giphy unarmed-clairvoyant-phoenix
/giphy intangible-carnivorous-mulberry
So cheap I canāt resist.
/giphy psychedelic-loyal-company
Enjoyed this from the first go around and Iām in again for a case. Something different for the rotation (Love the S.O.B. for this reason as well)! These blends bring something to the daily table, and both improve on the next day. I enjoy these more than the recent Pedroncelli/Cheer blend offers.
@irenegade Glad you have enjoyed it!
Still have a lot from the last offering but definitely enjoyed it.
nominated-teal-coil I caved even tho I have no room 18 bottles already on the way
$6.67/bottle AND good reviews! Holy guacamole. Iād buy 2 cases if I werenāt on a SIWBM (which Iām failing miserably at).
/giphy glib-muffled-group
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2018 Desert Wind Ruah Red Blend - $20 = 19.99%
had this the last time and it was wonderful. this time around, with the meh coupon, $5/btl is a no-brainer. thanks you guys for a fantastic deal / fantastic wine
/giphy warped-nuclear-truck
Another UPS fail. Please drop these clowns. Random delays and surcharges to redirect drop-off. Like the post above, my wine is cooking for extra ship time at 86F ambient temperatures. So maybe Wednesday? Who knows?
Better yetā¦ Get an ID process arranged so that we are preapproved recipients without a need to āsign-forā delivery.
Another day lost. Looks like this will be baking over the weekend.
ā¦ whatever that means.
@PaleMongo I feel your pain. After I posted above both cases had the same status as you. Only today one of my cases finally got an update as out for delivery but the 2nd is still unknown
Will this shipment survive the weekend? Or is it coming at all. UPS is weak sauce.
My order was/is delayed due to a train derailment!
@por944sche One of my cases made it but the other still stays āThe delivery date will be provided as soon as possible.ā
2018 Desert Wind Ruah Red Blend, Wahluke Slope, WA
94 Points, Gold Medal, Seattle Wine Awards
Tasting Notes
Winemaking Notes
Vineyard Notes
Specs
Whatās Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $300/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 29 - Tuesday, Apr 30
/giphy judgmental-terrestrial-news
Oh well, there goes my wine budget for the month. 3 orders in three weeks. In for a case.
/giphy meticulous-wimpy-beef
/giphy harsh-open-amusement
My cases are scheduled to be delivered one today and one tomorrow. Our local weather will be in the upper 80ās and I assume in a truck it will be much higher. Should I be worried about cooked wine?
@toddlamp no. Unless they show up hot to the touch or leaking.
San Pablo: the Bermuda triangle of California.
Meh set delivery expectation by April 25. UPS indicated delivery by April 30th, then May 1st, now UPS says āThe delivery date will be provided as soon as possibleā What the hey? Did the UPS driver drink all my wine? This is my 2nd request for updates. How many more? Some companies gauge their success by meeting expectations. The Best: Exceed expectations. Please respond
@kparty12 once ups has the package thereās not much that CM can do.
@klezman @kparty12 Disagree. The product sale includes delivery. Sale incomplete otherwise. Iām in the same circumstance.
@kparty12 Your order shipped on 4/25 and tracking shows a delay in transit. Iām responding to your support message now.
@kparty12 @PaleMongo I agree with your phrasing. And if the wine never gets delivered or is buggered in transit then CM will definitely make it right. They always have for me.
Iām just saying that CM canāt do anything with ups while itās in transit to expedite or otherwise fix the shoddy system that is UPS.
Well f&*k; āDamage Reported
The receiver refused, the package appeared to be damaged. UPS will notify the sender with the details.ā
/giphy no-wine-for-you
@toddlamp Did you actually refuse the shipment or did they make that up? Iāve had them invent āattemptsā to deliver when Iāve been waiting right there.
@klezman I have been checking the tracking status incessantly and noticed this morning that that was the status. Our regular UPS DR ver is pretty cool about waiting around to deliver and we were home all day and I was keenly waiting for the doorbell to ring to sign.
Point is they never came by so I trust that it was obvious damage that included, but not limited to, wine spilling out. I took no part in the decision making no with regards to that delivery. I wrote the support line to see what happens next. Fingers crossed for a replacement but I feel reimbursement is more likely.
@toddlamp Iām sure itāll be a refund unless they happen to have extra sets on hand. Bummer.
It arrived a week later than estimated, and arrived hot. Over 90 degrees. Have not tried yet. I am hoping itās not cooked!
@gherreman The bulk of the wine or just the neck or just the outside temps?
@gherreman @klezman
Spin it anyway you want either way not acceptable ymmv
Ok, this is so bizarre. First I only got 11 bottles. And in the box I also got some kind of Baseball batting glove and a random piece for some kind of Ryobi tool. I donāt know how to post a picture. But what the heck??
@jenludwig A mixup with a Woot Bag of Crap?
@Mark_L I was thinking maybe ups took a bottle and replaced it with someone elseās stuff and thought I wouldnāt notice? Although BOC also crossed my mind. Completely bizarre.
@jenludwig @Mark_L ha, was the box damp and/or stained? Was it a new batting glove?
@kitkat34 new glove and new whatever the ryobi part was. Box wasnāt damp or stained