Clarice Wine Company Hosts Inaugural Members Only Event

Posted on   May 14,2018   By John Compisi

We just attended the inaugural Clarice Wine Company event.  It was a tour and tasting of Limerick Lane wines at Jake and Alexis Bilbro’s Limerick Lane winery and estate on, you guessed it, Limerick Lane in Healdsburg, California.  You might ask why the Clarice Wine exclusive club member tasting was at another winery? Fair enough, and the answer is, because Clarice is a very new kind of wine company with no wine yet released and a sales and membership model very unique compared to traditional wineries and wine clubs. Read on!

Limerick Lane 1910 Block – 108 year old Zinfandel vines – Jake Bilbro in background (L.Compisi)

Clarice Wine Company is a new and very unique type of winery started by Adam Lee over the past 12 months. Adam, winemaker and co-founder of Siduri Wines, with wife Dianna Novy Lee, sold Siduri to Jackson Family Wines a couple years back and remains the Siduri winemaker. In his spare time and for his next ‘act’, apparently, Adam had a hankering to try something new and very different.  He has combined aspects of an online wine community, a wine education website, and a limited-enrollment wine club in his vision for Clarice (named after his grandmother) which he established in the summer of 2017.

(l-r) Jake Bilbro (Limerick Lane) and Clarice Wine Co.Founder Adam Lee (L.Compisi)

Adam’s Siduri Wines sourced Pinot Noir grapes from some of the best vineyards throughout California and Oregon. We wondered where Adam would take this new venture so we signed up.  As a member of the Clarice Wine Community, we have the opportunity to interact with 625 (about 67% subscribed as of this writing so there is room for you) fellow members, sharing wine opinions and wine list guidance, as well as recommendations for wine travel, restaurants, hotels, events and more. The ‘subscription’ membership provides a case of wine annually at about $85 per bottle paid over 6 months in advance of delivery which is expected in the late autumn. Exclusive as well as interesting, right?

Clarice Pinot Noir from 2017 vintage (Courtesy Clarice Facebook page – Richard Green)

The Limerick Lane event was one of two exclusive Clarice parties each year.  The next party is expected to focus on the Clarice Pinot Noirs. Adam and Jake Bilbro are bound by mutual respect and friendship.  Adam was an early supporter when Jake purchased Limerick Lane in 2011 and they clearly maintain a collegial and supportive friendship. Thus, this inaugural Clarice party hosted by Limerick Lane and spotlighting Bilbro’s wines and historic vineyards. Those wines, some from vines over 100 years old, include Zinfandel, Syrah and Grenache (among others). Truly spectacular!

Head pruned 1910 Block Zinfandel – Limerick Lane (L.Compisi)

Estate Rocky Knoll Zinfandel – Limerick Lane #PureYum (L.Compisi)

If you are interested in a very interesting and somewhat experimental approach to a wine club, consider Clarice Wine Company. Stay tunes as there is more to come.

Two happy Clarice members – L.Compisi and the iconic Carol Shelton (J.Compisi)

Read more about Clarice Wine Company in the Washington Post.

Rusty Gaffney has also offered his thoughts in his newsletter, “The Prince of Pinot“