Wine Clubs, the way to automatically get too much wine shipped to your house if you do it wrong. For wineries, it's a known and constant income stream. There are reasons to join wine clubs. Here's my own experience.
Background
I've been in the wine biz either full- or part-time for a long time up until the pandemic closed things down. Being in the biz means I usually got free wine tastings and discounts on purchases and that's how I fed my habit for all those years.
Post-pandemic I've decided to not go back into the tasting room though I may someday change my mind. So now I would pay tasting fees and full price on wine. OMG! I have been buying bottles at an excellent local discount shop.
The Online Search
I'm most interested on stocking up on a couple varietals. They generally grow in different regions so my thought was to find a winery that specializes in each. Living in Sonoma County means I will pick up the wine and don't care about shipping discounts. I wanted to support local ownership, not corporations.
I checked out several wineries' websites to see exactly what they made and what were their club benefits. In the past the standard has been free tastings for at least four people (they like you to bring other potential future club members in), a 20% discount on wines, pick up parties (often free), and invitations to other paid events such as harvest parties, holiday parties, and winemaker dinners. It's looking like in the post-pandemic economy that the wine discount isn't always there. Some wineries still don't allow customization of your shipments. For some, just having access to special wines might be enough to join, but without the discount it makes no sense as I can just drop by and buy wine.
So I set up some appointments, all on different days and late mornings so the palate was fresh.
The Pinot Noir Hunt
The first stop was a small place I was unfamiliar with, but it sounded good online. Nice place, nice people, wine was nothing special as most of their Pinot ranged from $60 to over $100 with their "cheap" one at $45. I still bought a couple bottles as they were okay for the price, but not good enough to make me want to join that club that gives just a 10% discount.
The second was a winery I'm somewhat familiar with and know they are good people. They specialize in the same varietal as the first stop, but at lower prices, and give a 20% club discount. They do several events for the locals. I joined what is a locals red only pick up club where you get wines bi-monthly (the more they get you in, the more extra bottles you might buy). I came home with some Pinot, but also a sparkling wine and a Zinfandel. My first ever wine club!
The Zinfandel Hunt
The third stop was for the second varietal I was interested in and I've been familiar with this winery for decades, though don't visit very often anymore. They offer the right discounts, allow customization, and even have a Zinfandel-only club. Loved their Meritage (Bordeaux-type blend), too. So I'm a member of the Zin club, but, of course, can add or sub for the occasional Cabernet or Meritage. I came home with a few Zins plus a couple of their delicious Meritage wines.
The End?
I've covered the two wines I want to stock up with so don't need any other clubs, but you never know. I won't make the mistake of joining eight clubs like a few visitors wind up doing. You know, they were having such a great time ...
What to Look For When Selecting Clubs
- Do you like most of their wines? If there's only a wine or two don't join, just buy while you're there.
- Wine discount. The norm was 20% and that's what I still expect.
- Are the wines available in your area, possibly at a lower price? Yes, often retailers are less expensive than the winery. However, many wines you see in a tasting room are available only at the winery. Some wines might be available to club members only.
- Shipping cost, if applicable. Many offer flat rate discounted shipping.
- Winery events and cost, applicable if you live nearby.
- Do they offer a club to fit your tastes? White only, red only, etc.
- Is the club shipment customizable or do you have to take whatever they offer?
- Can you afford all the wine you're signing up for? Look at your estimated yearly expense. Add it to the cost of any other clubs you belong to. Joining new clubs is great, but at some point you should consider dropping one whenever you join a new one.
- Pay attention to the minimum number of shipments you're required to take. Often there is a charge if you quit the club early.
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