Are Wine Clubs Worth it?
Recently I have been tempted to join a wine club . I am on a mission to generally spend less this year (yeah gas prices went up ...again!).
Is there anyone out there in the SE cyberworld who belongs to a good wine club that is well priced and not only promises but actually delivers good quality bottles, not targeted for the high roller who has a private state of the art cellar, instead for those on a budget but with eager tasting buds?
I am constantly taking trips to the whine shop buying one bottle at a time, and lately have been asking myself if there is a better way to purchase wine to fulfill my financial goal of saving.
Then one day I received one of those wine club offers in the mail. I have always been skeptical about them, since they seem to promise heaven on earth and sublime moments reminiscing the French or Italian country side, at a very affordable price with a free gift and free shipping!
Am I in the wrong direction for considering this? Or is it worth the try?
Any help is greatly appreciated as always.
c
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
8 Comments:
You get what you pay for. And the shipping isn't really free, it's just built into the price. Shipping bottles of wine isn't cheap, either; neither is the packaging materials to ensure that the bottles arrive unbroken. When you figure out how much all that costs the shipper, you'll see how cheap the wine has to be in order for him to sell it and still make a profit.
That said, some of the wine will be fine, some will be sub-par but good enough for sangria, some will make a good cooking wine, and some will be down the drain.
Also, with some of those clubs, you may not have any option to re-order wines that you liked, so if you open a bottle and love it, it's probably the last one you're going to have.
You'd be better off getting to know a local wine shop owner and telling him that you're on a budget but that you want to try different wines and you'll be his loyal customer if he can work with you on prices. He might discount wines where he's bought too much and it's not moving well, or where he's down to his last bottle and he'd rather have the space to display something else.
Most places will also discount if you buy full or half-cases, so that's another option. If you find a wine you like, buy a case of it. It's a larger outlay of cash at one time, but you won't need to buy wine again for 12 weeks (days...hours...?) depending on how much wine you drink.
dbcurrie at 2:15PM on 06/09/08
Also depends on what kind of wine club. I get mine from a specific winery that I love in Santa Barbara -- all the varietals that they make happen to be ones that I like. And since I can't buy their wines locally here in LA it makes more sense to be in the wine club than buy them individually from the site. But I would be warier of a wine club that I knew nothing about.
megannesta at 3:42PM on 06/09/08
I've never been completely happy with a wine club, mostly because I like the thrill of adventure and getting what I want when I want it. However, if I were going to join a wine club it would be Tablas Creek's wine club (they are in Paso Robles and specialize in Rhone varieties). Everyone I've recommended the club to loves their membership and feels that they get a wide range of excellent wines that can be hard to find because they sell out pretty quickly. You might also consider WineQ (www.wineq.com) which has a Netflix-like "wine queue" that you fill up with wines from their represented wineries, pick a delivery schedule, and you're all set. First three months of membership is free, and afterwards It costs $4.95 a month to belong BUT you get free shipping on all orders over $35 (which can really add up).
DebHarkness at 4:30PM on 06/09/08
Speaking as an owner of a wine club... they aren't for everyone and each one is very different. You have to think about how adventurous you are and how flexible their program is. If you prefer an over-oaked Chardonnay then you would not be happy in my club. I would try to steer you to a specific winery club that features this style of wine. These are great if you really like tasting the same wine style again and again. There is nothing wrong with this for some people just like certain styles.
The wine clubs that are seemingly operated by a specific magazine are actually all run by one big company. For example, The Chronicle here in San Francisco, Cooking Light and even KQED (PBS station) are all fulfilled by the same company.
I try to run mine more like a boutique wine shop and personally respond to my members’ inquiries. My members tend to be foodies and also want to explore the world of wine. My wines also tend to be small production wines so you tend not to find them at most stores. A lot of my selections are sold to restaurants. I have been around for 4 years now and am finally working out a few kinks here and there but am still having fun.
As for you question of gas/ free shipping…. We ship once a month. So many members have me ship their reorders with their next scheduled delivery. A few members even share shipping costs with their office mates. In many cases it cuts it half and is much more affordable.
Let me know if I can answer any questions with regard to any of this. I would rather steer you in the right direction for what is good for you, for only then will you find a happy palate.
Cheers,
Angela Camacho, Sommelier
wineunleashed.com
WineUnleashed at 4:47PM on 06/09/08
I don't know where you live, but you might want to check and see if there are any local wine shops in your area that have a wine club, which may offer more personalized service and be cheaper at the same time. I've joined the one in my neighborhood - Silverlake Wine, and they've done a more than decent job for me at $25 a month. They specialize in artisan wines, so none of it is anything I've ever spotted in a Safeway, and most of the wines are very reasonably priced on their own.They asked me what I liked, and didn't like, and matched our tastes perfectly with each selection. They also offer to deliver, or call us to let us know it's ready, and since it's just down the street from me, I just walk there and back.
toastykitten at 6:18PM on 06/09/08
Thank you everybody. Very useful info. Now I need to do some wine meditating and draw conclusions. Salud!!
czeledon at 7:35PM on 06/09/08
K&L in San Francisco. www.klwines.com
I am not kidding, they ship to NY and you get to re-order at a discount.
Incredible service and picks.
pemabuk at 8:00PM on 06/09/08
Most of the California-based wine clubs are selling you wines that cannot otherwise be sold. I highly recommend the Oregon Pinot Noir Club and clubs run by Avalon Wine in Washington State.
http://www.avalonwine.com/
http://www.oregonpinotnoir.com/StoreFront.bok
And, consider buying vineyard-direct from small producers. Find a wine you like, find the vineyard's web site and enroll in their wine club.
Here are few excellent small-producers who will ship you their new releases at a discount. There are hundreds more.
California:
beckmen vineyards (Santa Barbara Mtns.)
Siduri/Novy (Oakland)
JC Cellars
Provenance Vineyards
Washington:
Saint Laurent
Chasseur
Fielding Hills
famdoc at 8:25PM on 06/09/08