A Peek Inside the Spring 2026 ‘Friends With Benefits’ Wine Club for Vintner's Choice 12
Ever wondered what it's actually like to be a wine club member at Portland Wine Company?
We get that question a lot — usually right after someone finishes a glass at the tasting room and starts doing the math in their head. The short answer: it's pretty great. The long answer is this blog post. Twice a year, our Friends with Benefits Wine Club members receive a carefully curated box of Love & Squalor wines — pre-releases that haven't hit the shelves yet, club-exclusive bottles you can't buy anywhere else, and critic-recognized pours at a 20% member discount. Spring shipments go out just before Mother's Day; Fall boxes arrive right before Thanksgiving. It's the kind of thing that turns a good season into a great one.
Here's exactly what's going into the Spring 2026 Vintner's Choice 12 box — so you can see for yourself what you've been missing.
Why the Wine Club Exists (and Why We Love It So Much)
When you join our Friends with Benefits Wine Club, you're not just subscribing to wine — you're buying a front-row seat to what we're making, right now, as it happens. That means pre-releases that aren't on the shelves yet, club-exclusive bottles you literally can't get anywhere else, a 20% discount on every shipment, and the occasional brag-worthy critic pick.
We've been crafting small-batch, hand-tended Love & Squalor wines out of inner SE Portland since 2006. No manipulation, no shortcuts, no hidden ingredients — just honest Oregon wine made by people who care deeply about every vineyard, every barrel, every pour. The wine club is how we share that most directly with the people who matter most: you.
What's in the Spring 2026 Vintner's Choice 12
This season's box is, frankly, a stunner. We've packed it with a mix of cellar gems, fresh new releases, critic favorites, and a couple of things even your most wine-savvy friends won't have tasted yet. Here's the full lineup:
2017 Love & Squalor Riesling Reserve (94 points, Decanter)
This baby earned a whopping 94 points from Decanter. Clive Pursehouse put it best: the wine is "wonderfully evocative," with fruit aromas giving way to umami and complex secondary character nearly a decade in. It's been a long time coming. We think it was worth the wait.
2021 Love & Squalor Pinot Noir Arlyn Vineyard (Pre-Release — Club Members Only)
You get this before anyone else. The Arlyn Vineyard is one of our long-trusted Willamette Valley partners, and this single-vineyard expression shows exactly why. Elegance, precision, and the kind of quiet complexity that rewards a patient pour.
2021 Love & Squalor Pinot Noir Sunnyside Vineyard (Club Exclusive)
Can't buy this one in the shop. Can't order it online. This is yours, and yours alone. Sunnyside has been part of our story for years — the vines planted in 1971 on their own roots still give us something singular every vintage.
2022 Love & Squalor Riesling Willamette Valley
Our flagship ready-to-drink Riesling is in peak form. Citrus and petrol on the nose give way to lime leaves, tropical flowers, and a long mineral finish. All zip, no fuss — exactly what you've come to expect.
2022 Love & Squalor Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (Pre-Release — Club Only | Critic's Choice, IWR)
Another pre-release exclusive, and a critically acclaimed one at that. Our flagship Pinot '22 is drawn from eight vineyards stretching from Sherwood to Mt. Angel to Yamhill to Salem. We put a lot of miles on the L&S-mobile chasing these grapes, and the result — dark cherry, earthy notes, black tea, and more fruit on the finish — was worth every one of them.
2024 SuperGlou Red Blend (Pre-Release — Club Only)
Glou glou means "glug glug" in French, and that is exactly the spirit here. Our chillable, chuggable, irresistibly juicy red blend is back for 2024 and it's a party in a glass. Fresh, bright, built for good times.
2023 Love & Squalor Chardonnay Willamette Valley
Our Chardonnay is a love letter to Oregon's cool-climate winemaking tradition — flinty, fresh, and just wild enough to be interesting. Bright white peach and lemon zest lead into a clean, elegant finish. This comes from a single barrel, just 23 cases made. Don't sleep on it.
An orange wine with real depth and real personality. The skin contact gives it a textured, complex palate that pairs beautifully with everything from spiced foods to holiday spreads. The name alone deserves a place on your table.
2024 Love & Squalor 'Walks on Gilded Splinters' Pinot Gris Skin Contact
The new vintage of our skin-contact Pinot Gris joins its older sibling in this box — a rare chance to taste the same wine across two years and see how a vintage shapes a wine. Side-by-side tasting, anyone? The skin-contact Pinot Gris has earned its place among our flagship wines, and this vintage shows exactly why. Rhubarb, crisp apple, and fresh herbs lead the way, with a floral lift and the kind of racy acidity that makes it endlessly food-friendly. Try it with a spread of Thai or Vietnamese dishes, or simply take it to the porch and let the afternoon unfold.
2024 PET MATT Sparkling Sekt (Dry Riesling) (Pre-Release — Club Only)
If you made it to December's SOLD-OUT oyster party, you already know what's in store. Bright, effortless, and genuinely crushable, this wine is a natural with seafood and an equally good reason to open a bottle of bubbly on a Tuesday. As always, Club is getting it before the rest of the world even knows it exists.
We won't pretend we're not a little proud of this one. Our Gamay Noir has developed something of a cult following in recent years, and the Wine Enthusiast's Editor's Choice nod for this vintage is a nice way to say "we told you so." An Oregon winemaker's homage to Beaujolais' finest — Fleurie in particular. IYKYK.
2025 Love & Squalor Sauvignon Blanc Willamette Valley
Fresh off a stellar harvest, our 2025 Sauvignon Blanc is vibrant and aromatic — ripe meyer lemon on the nose, yuzu and lemon curd on the palate, and that signature mid-palate note that tastes remarkably like a white Haribo gummy bear (is that pineapple?). You'll want another bottle before this one is done.
Ready to Join?
The spring shipment goes out to members just before Mother's Day — and there is genuinely no better gift, to yourself or someone you love, than twelve bottles of wine like these showing up at the door.
The "Just My Type" Vintner's Choice 12 runs $250–$400 + shipping per season, and members always receive a 20% discount. We also offer six-bottle options and specialty red or white boxes — there's a club for every kind of wine lover.
Join the Wine Club →
Or reach us at info@loveandsqualorwine.com or 503-320-9956 — we're happy to help you find the right fit.
Cheers to Spring, to good wine, and to being the kind of person who gets the good stuff first.
— Matt, Angie & the whole PWCo crew