Wine, Dirt, and 5,000 AAdvantage Miles
Here’s a toast to Leap Day and to this new AAdvantage Miles Bonus Offer.
(BTW, I don’t think that this cat is going to leave a tip)
American Cellars Wine Club is offering up to 5,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles when you sign up for membership:
Join American Cellars Wine Club today and enjoy 6 bottles of hand-selected wine. This introductory half case is yours for just $41.94 or $6.99 per bottle plus FREE shipping – you save $69!
Plus earn 2,000 AAdvantage bonus miles with your first wine club shipment then earn 3,000 AAdvantage bonus miles with your second shipment.
Also, earn 5 AAdvantage miles for every dollar spent on all other wine club shipments and orders.
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Now that we covered the wine, and the bonus miles, it’s time to get to the dirt.
I’ve been waiting for a good reason to share this video from the O’Connell family of winemakers. If you’re not familiar with them, Joe, Liz, and their son Ryan, moved their very American family from Boston to the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France to pursue their dream of making wines.
Over the years, Ryan has put together some really funny and creative videos about life on the vineyard, food, and of course, wine.
Among his classics:
Petting Zoo Cheese Tasting – This cheese tastes the way a petting zoo smells.
And this one:
Winemaker tastes dirt – True Vin de Terroir Tasting: dirt in a wine bottle
Ryan’s working in California now, and flies back and forth between Napa and the Languedoc (hopefully earning AAdvantage Miles).
If you’re a wine enthusiast, you might want to follow his observations about the winemaking differences between Napa and the Languedoc, or as he explains it:
“A young winemaker kidnapped from his vineyard in the Languedoc to learn the ways of the west coast wine business”
You can find his kid napa blog here.
Photo: basil dines “You have allowed my glass to become empty…”
Credit: cyrusbulsara on FLickr
So the first order is $41.95 for 2000 miles. That’s a pricey 2 cents a mile. They don’t even say the cost of the 2nd case though, but if the “$69 savings!” were taken away that possibly means the next order is $111 for 3000 miles. That one comes out to a whopping 3.7cents a mile.
Consider the actual value of these wines is half of what they are selling them for (at best), then you’re still looking at 1-1.85 cents/mile… rather costly if you ask me.
I’ve heard some horror stories about these “wine subscription” services. Can anyone convince me that the notion is false?
@ Curtis – You’re right, the only way it’s a good value is if you wanted the wine even without the miles. In that case, it’s probably a decent offer. I wouldn’t get the wine just for the miles though (but I’m not a wine guy, so maybe I’m wrong). Thanks for your analysis!
@ Kevy – I don’t know anything about wines, so I can’t really say. But, like you, I’m skeptical. Thanks for commenting!