The Original Wine of the Month Club in a Nutshell

I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of Wine of the Month Club, Paul Kalemkiarian Jr.

WOTMC is one of the oldest, if not the original mail order wine delivering service establishments in the country.

Originally opened as a pharmacy and drugstore back in 1972, WOTMC didn’t start out as a wine supplier. Oddly enough, they hardly even carried wine until the mid 70s.

By then, the drugstore became Palos Verdes Wines and Spirits which notably became the place for wine in the Los Angeles area. Slowly, the wine inventory grew and so did business, but this idea was short lived.

In 1979, the owner, Paul Kalemkiarian Sr. grew tired of the retail business and sold his pharmacies including the wine business. It wasn’t until 1989 when the young Paul Kalemkiarian Jr. decided to make a drastic career change from sales in a completely different industry and bought back the wine business.

Today, the Wine of the Month Club has more than 12,000 different wines in stock and growing, with more customers than ever before, and thriving even during this tough economy.

Part of the success is their unparalleled diversity of wine selections and their wine club membership. Paul and a panel of extremely qualified critics taste and select each and every wine for the wine of the month. Each month, this panel taste in upwards of 200 wines every month. Once these wines are decided upon, Paul then creates a weekly videocast and newsletter for each membership series, so everyone gets a change to learn about what they are about to receive in the mail.

At WOFTMC there are three membership categories to choose from, the Classic Series, the Limited Series, and the Vintner Series. Each tier represents a class of wine which are determined by pricing. While all the selected vintages are of superiority for its class, no member is felt left out. Each month, a member will receive two bottles of exceptional wine. A member can choose to receive all red, all white, or a combination. And, each membership comes with a monthly newsletter written by the cellermaster himself which he details each vintage and its origin.

That is Wine of the Month Club in a nutshell. If you want to learn more about this exceptional service, check out their website or come by and visit Wine of the Month Club in person.

Contact information:
Wine of the Month Club®
Phone 1-800-949-WINE (1-800-949-9463) 8am-5pm PST M-F Fax (626) 303-2597907 S Magnolia Ave, Monrovia. CA 91016 Postal: P.O. Box 660220 Arcadia, CA 91066

Wine Events for the San Gabriel/Inland Empire Area for the Week of June 7 thru July 12

For seasoned and new wine drinkers alike that want to experience the events of this week, here are the upcoming events for the Inland Empire area:

1. Event: “Broken Dreams - Open Cases‏”

Where: Azo Vino Art Gallery & Wine Bar

When: Beer tasting Wednesday, July 8, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Flight Night Thursday, July 9 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m
Wine & Live Music Saturday with Phil Settle from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Join Galen on Thursday flight night for Broken Dreams and Open Cases night with lite munchies and a special one night only raffle.
Come back on Saturday and enjoy wine and beer for live music by Phil Settle

Located at:

144 W. Badillo StCovina, CA

Phone: (626) 732-9827 Call ahead for reservations
Hours: Tues-Sat 2-11 p.m. Sunday 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Monday

2. Event: “Taft Street Winery...Wine Tasting”

Where: At the San Dimas Wine Shop & Tasting Room

When: Tue., July 7 through Sun., July 12 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This week Heidi presents wines from Taft Street Winery. Taft makes excellent wines from the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valley appellations.

Price: $13.99 per person.

For more information, go to: San Dimas Wine Shop & Tasting Room

Located at: 225 W. Bonita Avenue, San Dimas, CA 91773

Phone: (909)971-94252.

3. Event: "Wine Club of the Month - Wine Tasting"

Where: Live online Wine Club of the Month and on location

When: Every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wine Club of the Month is one of the oldest and most respected wine clubs in the nation. Established in 1972, Cellermaster, Paul Kalekiarian Jr. has been presenting wines ever since. Each month, WCOTM tests over 100 different wines to catalog the top wines of the month to present to wine club members. So, come on in at the Monrovia location or view online.

For more information, go to: Wine of the Month Club®

Located at: 907 S Magnolia Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016 Phone: 1-800-949-WINE (1-800-949-9463) Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST Mon thru Fri

If you attend any of these events, please be sure to tell them, Michael J from Lifestyle Food & Wine sent you.