Illinois Politician Spends More on Wine Than Average Annual Household Income of State Residents

September 4, 2014 Jameson Fink

You think you spend a lot of money on wine? Bruce Rauner, an Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate, scoffs at your measly cellar budget.

Bruce Rauner confirms to reporters he belongs to a wine club that costs $100k to join. #twill

— natasha korecki (@natashakorecki) September 2, 2014

So what is this six-figure wine club? The Washington Post reveals: It’s called The Napa Valley Reserve. (“Members are kindly invited to log in.”) And it’s not some club that you read about in the back of a newspaper or magazine that ships you styrofoam-cradled wines every quarter. HARDLY! I’ve got one word for you: Harlan. Yup. Bill Harlan, he of the cult California Cabernet Sauvignon has his team at the helm of the winemaking ship. Another perk? Members get to choose a custom name, label, even bottle shape for their wine.

Plus the NVR digs are impressive. Who wouldn’t want to kick it at an 80 acre property? I wonder if the price of admission means you could live there, because 100K sounds like a bargain for a sweet Napa address. “Is it cool if I crash in the Hospitality Barn”?

The 2013 average annual income of a household in Illinois was around 55,000 dollars.

Take a tour of The Napa Valley Reserve: