Amex Offer: $50 off $250 at Benchmark Wine Group

Amex has a offer for $50 off $250+ at Benchmark Wine Group:

Direct Link

Key Terms

• Link offer to card before buying
• $250 can be across one or more transactions
• Get a $50 statement credit
• Expires 8/22/2020

Benchmark is a Napa based retailer that specializes in selling fine wines purchased from private collections. That being the case you'll see a somewhat random assortment of high end wines, with often as little as one bottle of each available.

So it's kind of like going to an estate sale online. You never know what you're going to find but if you've got an eye for value and know your stuff you can find some good deals.

Some of the wines are very expensive, but not all of them. They're running a bin sale at the moment with wines as low as $15/btl.

Maximizing the Offer

They don't participate in shopping portals. They do sell gift cards, so if you want to lock in the 20% and/or avoid overshoot that might work.

Shipping is complimentary on $250 orders, which pairs nicely with this offer.

Beyond that I don't see any angles (no promo codes, no refer-a-friend program for example). So it's a 20% off with free shipping kind of play.

What to Buy?

For me, this is an opportunity to buy wines from harder to find small California producers. If you shop at places like Wine.com, Total Wine, and Costco (like most of America does) the value can be good but the assortment gets tiring.

An offer like this provides an opportunity to buy just a bottle or two from boutique producers with mailing lists that are supposedy hard to penetrate and/or charge a lot for shipping. Also producers you recall fondly but haven't enjoyed in a while.

Rhys single vineyard Pinot Noirs for $55/btl before discounts for example.

See: Kosta Browne, Sea Smoke...Is Rhys Vineyards the Next Cult California Pinot Noir?

Dehlinger Pinots in the $50s.

See: 7 Reliably Outstanding Fruit-Forward California Pinot Noir Producers

Sea Smoke Southing for $79/btl before discounts.

See: 2009 Wine of the Year: The 2004 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir

If you're just getting into wine, it could also be a way to try aged wine with good provenance before going too hog wild exploring the world of age-worthy wines.

I think there's some value to be had here. Good luck rifling around their site.

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$50 off $150 at Wine.com with CN50

Here's another 33% off Wine.com code:

$50 off $150 with CN50

Expires 6/30/2020

Wine.com codes are single use per account. Here are a couple other still-active codes:

• 4MAAFTC for $100 off $300
• 2MKBMRT for $100 off $300

The lower $150 denomination with CN50 is a bit easier to work with. All pair nicely with ongoing Amex Offers and StewardShip:

• Maximizing Wine.com Amex Offer
• Is Wine.com StewardShip Worth It?

HT to @FindAWayTravel on Twitter:

https://t.co/n36W6y832X $50 off $150 promo code found via Facebook ad. Worked for me today with GCs purchased using Amex Offers for a nice stacking deal! https://t.co/mnmX9Ul1F4

— Find A Way (@FindAWayTravel) May 28, 2020

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OFFER: AldenAlli Pinot Noir for $33.33/btl by the case [compare at $56/btl]

I'm surprised we haven't seen more deals for high end "restaurant only" wines lately.

AldenAlli (Dan Kosta of Kosta Browne fame and Emeril Lagasse, with Shane Finley as winemaker) is one that's been striking while the iron is hot. But this is one where you'd only know about the deal if you're on the mailing list.

I am on the mailing list, and I think if you sign up for their list you'll be able to partake on this offer as well.

The Deal

Step 1: Join their mailing list 
Step 2: Wait to be presented with an offer to purchase
Step 3: Mix and Match 12 bottles of their Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir for $33.33/btl by the case, including shipping

Analysis

Compared to $56/btl, $33.33 fully loaded is pretty terrific. And the wine does drink like $50+/btl.

They had a variant of this offer (with some single vineyard Pinots and other varieties thrown in) a few weeks ago and I've been cranking through their wines. I think they're absolutely outstanding. If you're a fan of Kosta Browne and other luscious California Pinot Noirs (like I am) you'll love these wines for a fraction of the price with this deal.

Further Reading: Visiting Kosta Browne at The Barlow

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DEAL: 90 Point Napa Zinfandel for $14/btl [Sold Out]

Direct Link

Retailer: Blanchards

Wine: 2016 Buehler Napa Zinfandel

Rating: 90 points Wine Spectator
Cost: $168/case ($14/btl)

Shipping: Free local pick-up -or- $22.16/case

Thoughts

$14/btl for a legit, juicy, 90 point Napa red. And particularly well-timed for grilling season. Buehler Vineyards is one of the wineries that got me into wine, and it's great to see them still chugging along, staying true to their core values.

See: The Best Wine Tasting Rooms Anyone Can Visit

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