How I ended up joining a $1,400 wine club I definitely didn't plan on joining.

The tasting fee was nearly double any other winery we'd visited.

Fair warning sign number one, which we noted and ignored.

By the end of the afternoon we had been wowed by the setting, the sommelier, the panoramic patio, the spotless crystal glasses, and approximately six generous pours of exceptional wine.

We signed up for the wine club.

It was not six bottles as advertised. The club required a twelve-bottle annual commitment.

My brief moment of hesitation was quickly buried under the combined weight of the experience, the wine still warming my chest, and a complete unwillingness to look cheap in front of a very elegant Italian sommelier.

This week I'm writing about what Checkmate Winery did brilliantly — and what every brand can learn from the way they turned a tasting into a $1,400 commitment I never saw coming.