How to Buy a Wine of the Month Club for Yourself
There are about as many reasons to sign yourself up for a wine club subscription as there are reasons to drink wine. Deciding what type of club to join and then which specific wine club (or clubs, if your budget allows) to purchase can be a daunting, but ultimately rewarding experience. This guide will help you through the process.
Wine of the Month Clubs
These clubs are what most people think of when someone says “wine of the month club.” Typically you get two bottles of wine each month and there’s some kind of theme for the club that makes it interesting. Some theme examples include: Pinot Noir, California, International, and Sparkling. There is a practically endless array of these types of clubs.
Quarterly Case Clubs
There’s a newer type of subscription that has entered the scene and is very popular. Many large-scale publishers (for example, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today) have decided to augment their businesses by selling wine. These clubs are all “private labels” and are serviced by large management companies. Global Wine Company and Laithwaite’s Wine are the two biggest vendors in the United States.
The focus in these clubs is on value and exploration, but not really on quality. If you ‘re not picky about your wine, but you drink at least a bottle each week, these are great choices for you. You ‘ll get convenient quarterly deliveries, well-written tasting notes, introductory freebies, and you ‘ll rarely need to visit a liquor store. Check out successful offerings like Cellars Quarterly Case Club and the Wall Street Journal Wine Club.
Oh, and the wineries!
If you have visited a winery and enjoyed their wines it is highly recommended that you join the winery’s wine club. It’s the best way to try all of a winery’s wines, typically at a discount from full retail pricing. Many wineries make/sell special club-only wines and library wines that you can only get by being a part of their club.
Some tips for joining wine clubs
It is highly recommended that you start your search with companies that ship to your state. Because of the complex interstate liquor laws in the United States, not briansclub every company can ship to every state and you don’t want to be disappointed after you pick out the perfect wine club and discover you can’t receive the wine.
Upgrade to 3- or 4-bottles per month when it’s available. You can typically get a better discount on volume purchases and you ‘ll always have enough wine on hand for that impromptu party. If you can’t find “the club” for you, don’t worry. Purchase a couple of subscriptions, see which one you like better and cancel one. Or keep them both and discover more wine! Almost every membership has a no-hassle cancellation policy that can be used at any time, and very few memberships require a minimum purchase.
The fun part comes in when the companies offer freebies as an incentive to get you to sign up. Take advantage of this where you can. You may get new wine glasses, a professional corkscrew, or even a discount on the first month’s shipment. There are some very special wine clubs out there and if you ‘re looking for a wow experience with a safety net of someone else selecting the wines, we suggest you check out Premium subscriptions or even memberships geared toward Collectors.
Not all of a company’s selections should be expected to please every palate. It’s good for you to expect that once in a while you won’t love a wine. If you open a bottle and it tastes “off,” you should contact the company to request a replacement bottle.