You've been in this situation before. You're vacationing in wine country and tasting something yummy that you know isn't available back home. Out comes your credit card - and in a second you're signed up for the wine club of that vineyard.
Back at home, the first shipment arrives and it is a pleasant reminder of your vacation. Every couple of months, or twice yearly, the wine arrives and as the year passes, you feel like you're a part of the cycle of the harvests, the storing in the casks, the bottling and labeling. Your club membership is a great way to 'stay in touch' with something you love.
Whether you're flush with cash in the current economy or on a pretzel and beer budget, joining and participating in a wine club is a great way to budget your commitment to collecting and enjoying wine.
There are different types of clubs - decide which is best for you. What is your goal for your club purchase? Do you want to sample things that are a variety of wines from a specific country? Wines that are in a price range that you aren't comfortably buying on your own because they are more expensive than your everyday drinking wine (i.e.gems)? Wines that are from a single winemaker that you love?
When you join a wine club, you can actually budget your purchases of wine for the year by adding up the total of the spend and then deciding how much more you want to allocate to your spending throughout the year.
If the club's annual total exceeds the amount you would normally spend in the year, then that particular club is probably not for you. Keep in mind that wine clubs are available from wineries as well as retailers or other club providers - so doing a bit of research before you take a wine country vacation is probably a good idea.
Don't be afraid to call and modify your club buy - or put it on hold if your circumstances change or you want more diversity in your cellar. When you join wine clubs that are not vineyard specific, you can receive a broad range of wines or be very specific in your choices (i.e. white wines from around the world).
Keep in mind that if you're drinking more than two bottles a month then choose the club that's best for you. Or plan to budget to have some drinking and special wines in your home to supplement the choices. Make sure that you will only be charged when the wines are shipped.
If you're buying the wine club directly from a vineyard or other source, make sure that you always open the package when it arrives at your home. Don't just shove it in the closet or the cellar. First, some of these wines may not be for long term cellaring (it's always good to check) and second, to verify and keep track of what you've received.
I have several friends who readily admit that their wine club (or wine allocation arrives) and they don't open it only to realize several years later that there were wines in the shipment that they should have opened and enjoyed - or at least tried for comparison purposes in future years.
One of the things that I most enjoy when receiving wine from a vineyard I've visited is the idea of giving those bottles away as gifts for special occasions. They have special meaning to me and since I usually sign up only for wine clubs at the vineyard when I know the wine is not available locally it is both a unique gift and one that comes with a great story.
Finally, consider sharing a wine club - perhaps a 6 bottle a month selection - with a friend. You'll save on the shipping and can enjoy three bottles from the vineyard yourself.
For information about our wine club go to www.womenwine.com click on the tab that says Wine Club Overview.
If you are a member of a wine club - have had a positive or negative experience, share it with us here.
Enjoy!
