I don’t know how common it is for people to become attached to their alcohol sources, but Decatur Package Store is my package store, and I love it.

One of their best offerings has been Herb’s Half Case Wine Club, a monthly no-commitment “club” where you get six wines for $60. Yes, $10 for a bottle of wine is a value, but the real value is that Herb, the store owner, selects the wines and writes up tasting notes and pairing suggestions. During the winter it’s usually four reds and two whites, and during the summer it’s usually three of each. Sometimes there’s a sparkling wine or a rosé.

Starting this month, it’s six bottles for $75. And it’s still an incredible deal: six handpicked bottles of wine for $12.50 each. Here’s Herb’s notice in this month’s email:

I have implemented a change to the Wine Club starting this month. After 20+ years, I had to raise the price. It was just too difficult to find quality wines at the necessary price point. There is a silver lining to this bad news however. I'm now able to access more unique varietals (I'm talking about you, Refosco!), and smaller wineries (Welcome, Napa-based, Aviary Vineyards!), that were too expensive for the old wine club. While price increases are never pleasant, I hope you like the elevation in quality of the new & improved Herb's Half Case Wine Club. Enjoy!

Cheers, Herb

As much as I have complained lately about the price of things, I absolutely believe that he’s having a hard time finding quality wines at the old price. It was an unbelievable deal.

My approach has always been to just pick up a wine club box whenever we needed to restock our little wine rack. Letting someone with an actual palate select a variety of wines for me has been wonderful. I’ll continue buying these!