If you’ve ever been wine tasting then you know that every winery under the sun has a wine club. While they are borderline universal, wine clubs do vary from venue to venue and some are definitely better than others. Let’s look at the things you may want to look for and how you can avoid leaving money on the table.
I’m going to talk about the potential downside of a wine club first. A common scenario for joining a wine club is that, well, there was alcohol involved. You’re at your third winery of the day and your palate, along with your sobriety, is starting to slip and you figure what the heck, this wine is GREAT! Let’s join the wine club. Joining a wine club is usually a reflection of the feeling your host/server/wine ambassador (whichever name you use) has brought to your table. If you are having a ball then chances are you’ll want to recreate that feeling at home and that ups the chances that you’ll sign up. (I should know, I signed up a LOT of people in my past life.) I’m going to do a quick aside here and HIGHLY recommend that you always limit the number of wineries that you taste in a day. I prefer to do one winery in the late morning then go to lunch and then a second winery in the afternoon. Too many wineries (and honestly, three can be too many) means that your palate is shot. You can’t even tell the difference between a chardonnay and sauvignon blanc and, believe me, there IS a difference. Worse than that, once you’re a bit buzzed, all the wines start to taste pretty good. You are likely to get your drunk-purchased wine home, open a bottle and say, “What was I thinking?” Well, you weren’t and that’s just a waste of money. Also, even though you were having a great time, chances are that you aren’t going to make the winery a part of your routine. It won’t be one of your go-to’s so you won’t get the full value of your membership. Likewise, if you are traveling then your drunk self probably didn’t look at the fine print ie the shipping costs. Those hidden costs can really eat into the discount you received (usually around 20-30% depending on the winery and how much you buy). If you aren’t careful then you’ll get a classic case of buyer’s remorse. That’s no good for you and it sucks for the winery in question because it’s far better for them that your wine club experience is top notch one.
So let’s talk about that top notch experience because it does exist. I’ll be discussing two different strategies on wine clubs: local and long-distance. We’ll start with local. I live in California wine country so when it comes to wine clubs I have the pick of the litter as it were. I am currently in two: Murrietta’s Well in Livermore (where I once worked) and Bianchi in Paso Robles (I’ve been a member there for over twenty years and I have no plans to quit. I even got the membership in my divorce.) These days though, lots of states are developing wonderful wine scenes. Think Oregon, Washington, north of Austin in Texas, upstate New York and Virginian wines have come a long way so even if you aren’t near traditional wine country, you should check out what is around you. Also, craft breweries and small batch distilleries have their own clubs so much of this information is transferable. Wine clubs benefits include, but are not limited to: free tastings, discounts on bottles (often more on cases), special events that are complimentary or discounted for members, members only events, discounts on merchandise the winery sells, merchandise gifts included in your allocations (that’s the wine you committed to buy as part of your membership, usually two to four times per year), members only rooms or lounges, discounted or free shipping, the list goes on. If you take advantage of these benefits then a wine club can bring you an enormous value for your money. Not to mention if you choose wisely and it’s a place that makes wine that you truly enjoy and can proudly serve then BONUS.
Ideally you would try out some wineries that are in a location that you can easily visit and if not near your hometown then in a place that you prefer to make a vacation destination. For instance, Paso Robles is several hours drive from me, however, because I love the area (it’s near Pismo Beach, Cambria, San Luis Obispo, and Morro Bay) and there’s so much to do I try to make it that way a couple of times a year. It makes sense for me to have one or more memberships in the area because I will be able to enjoy the benefits. I sometimes schedule trips south around winery events that are fun and complimentary for me and my plus one. When I worked in the wine industry (first at Murrieta’s Well, then at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens) I would often sign up people who fell in love, not just with the wines, with the winery itself and the staff who worked the rooms. If you can stop off after work or on the weekend for a free tasting or a glass of wine then being a member is a no-brainer. Quite often wineries will allow members to picnic with any fees waived, again, this makes the case for a membership an easy one. If you love the venue, can walk the gardens, and you enjoy the wines then this can be a wonderful enrichment of your life. Wineries often allow their members special perks like a free cheese and charcuterie board or a wine & food pairing experience. Now we are talking some serious money. Let me sketch it out for you. Bear in mind that the numbers I’m going to quote you are realistic for: Monterey, Sonoma, Livermore or San Luis Obispo counties. Some places like Temecula, the foothills near Sonora, etc. may be cheaper whereas Napa will run you easily double the prices. You want a club with complimentary tastings for at LEAST two people (four is a better number) with visits allowed as often as you like. Tasting fees are usually $20-50, call it $35 as an average. So a free tastings for four saves you $140 per visit. If you throw in a C&C board at $40 to $75 that ups your savings. These typically are designed for two to share so you can knock out a lunch this way. Picnic fees can be $20-$60 (venues vary) so there’s another savings. Wine & Food experiences, again depending on the scope and the winery, run you about $70-$150 per person. KJ and St. Francis Winery up my way charge $120 for a five-course pairing. Members always get a discount and in both places (depending on the membership level) your membership gets you two FREE experiences every calendar year. There’s another $240 saved. If you are going to buy the wine anyway then it makes sense to buy at a discount AND take advantage of all your wine club benefits. The idea is to find a place where you feel spoiled and catered to and then make it your own version of Cheers just with wine.
The other model is the long distance one. This one is a bit trickier, but I have absolutely seen people make it work beautifully. If you live in a state where wineries are not common, but you are allowed to have wine shipped to you then you are good to go. Sadly some states do not allow wine shipped to them. For instance, New Jersey has some Prohibition laws still on the books, Alabama makes everything go to their ABC state run stores (though this is changing), likewise Mississippi is in the process of reevaluating their laws, Delaware makes wineries & consumers jump through a lot of hoops (however, here you could ship to a friend in a neighboring state and bypass the issue- if you trust said friend with your precious vino) and Utah, well, it’s Utah. Back to long distance clubs, here you are looking for FREE shipping and ideally not just on your club shipments but should you buy extra wine or send gifts to friends & family that shipping should also be free. Yes, wineries do this. Sometimes even if the club does not offer free shipping if you get the card of a staff member and call them directly then they can waive the extra costs for you. It’s in their interest to do so since then the “Room” (Tasting Room) captures the revenue instead of the club getting the credit. For the long distance clubs to make sense, not only does the shipping need to be free, but the wine should be something you really do love and that you cannot buy locally, as in it is not distributed.
Lastly, there is nothing wrong with cycling through different clubs. For instance I will often try out a club for a year or two then cancel and join another one. This keeps my wine collection varied and I keep educating my palate. Remember, you can always go back and rejoin if you miss it. If the terms that you rejoin under are not as favorable as when you were first a member then I recommend politely getting a manager involved and see if they’re can “grandfather” you into the old, better terms. Everything is negotiable especially in the smaller wineries where you may actually be talking to an owner or co-owner in the room. As in every business arrangement the satisfaction lies in perceived value. If YOU are happy with it then it’s working. So find something that you love and have fun!
