
We will have access to the hottest and best clubs out there and we will never be stopped by that guy dressed in black and weighing in at about 400 pounds. Instead we will move to the front of the line and move right through that velvet rope. Once inside the club, we will be treated like VIPs, sometimes we will need our secret code to unlock all the magic waiting for us once inside.
Sound interested?
What am I talking about? Wine clubs, that is what I am talking about and the winery wine clubs in particular. I think you have heard of them. Whenever you go wine tasting and visit a winery, the cheerful tasting room pourer will eventually try to sell you a wine club membership, some do a good job at it, while others do not. Most people take the brochure/application home and then just keep it as a memento of their wine tour and never sign up for one reason or another. Reasons for not signing up can be anything from not liking the wines, budgetary constraints, not wanting to be tied down to one winery, the winery did a poor sales job, or other reasons.
My commentary on wine clubs is this, try it — you will like it. Why? I have come up with what I will call the four E’s that pretty much explains the benefits of wine club membership:
Enlightenment. You will usually have access to winemakers and owners that will answer your questions about their wines. You will also receive information sent with shipments about the wines and winery that are not normally provided to others. You will learn more about the wines and often have a private website page for wine club members that will provide further information on events, shipments, special discounts, and/or online orders, among other things.
Engagement. More often than not, you will have a private tasting room reserved for wine club members only. Here you will find one on one dialogue with a host/hostess that is well versed in the wines and often are full time employees or management (sometimes a real treat at smaller wineries is the owner and/or winemaker will play host or hostess) rather than the part timers and volunteers often seen in the main tasting rooms. Wines poured in these private tasting areas are often reserve wines, special cuvees (usually means a limited and/or unique production wine and often available only to wine club members), and wines not on the tasting room menus in the main visitor centers. These rooms are often by reservation only, but most allow for walk in wine club members. I would suggest you call first to have the best experience.
Entitlement. What I mean by this is that you should expect special treatment. The private tastings will often be complimentary. The wine shipments, along with any other wines bought through the winery, will come with discounts ranging from 10% to 40% off the retail cost at the winery. There will be special promotions throughout the year providing additional discounts or wine purchases not available elsewhere. Several wineries offer their wine club members a help desk or concierge that will assist you at the winery. Most will even help you with dinner, transportation, and hotel reservations among other things. Bottom line, with membership you are entitled to be treated like a VIP with many benefits and services.
Enjoyment. Besides the obvious — enjoying the wines, you will also have fun, lots of fun. There will be special events throughout the year that range from special tastings and food pairings, winemaker lunches and dinners, entertainment, member only tours, special bites to eat when at the winery that can range from discounted menu items to full cheese plates, desserts, sandwiches, appetizers, and other food that is complimentary while at the winery. Plus, and this is an added bonus, you will meet fellow wine club members that are just like you. They can range from a newbie joining wine clubs as the best source to find out more about wine, people that are building their own stockpile of wine, seasoned wine connoisseurs, and a cast of other fun characters. All of these fellow members have one thing in common, they love wine and are as fanatical about it as you are (I do not mean this in a fundamentalist way!). You will have a great time and make new friends. You will not meet a friendlier crowd of people than in the wine industry, I think it’s because they truly enjoy the wine!
There will be a commitment required on your part if you want to be a wine club member. This comes by way of the wine shipments. You usually need to commit to at least one shipment before you can cancel your membership. If you can get most of the wines at better cost at a local wine shop, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Bev and More, online wine retailers or wholesalers, then this is something you need to consider if your choice is purely based on budget. You will not have the other benefits of membership though. I like to choose wine clubs that will offer wines not often available near me, that way I am receiving a wine that I cannot find elsewhere. You should ask the winery you are interested in for information on the following:
- Ask what wines will be included in the wine club shipments or ask for this year’s shipment list. Ask if they include other things in their shipments such as a newsletter, recipes, a gourmet gift, etc.
- Ask what types of memberships they have. Some offer all red or white wines, mixed wines, reserve wines, one bottle per shipment or more.
- Ask what the shipment schedule is for the membership you sign up for, ie: monthly, every quarter, twice a year, etc.
- What the commitment is that you must make before you can cancel your membership.
- What the price range will be for each shipment.
- You should ask if they have skipped shipment availability. This provides you with some flexibility if you need or want to miss a shipment now and then.
- If you are interested in joining a wine club in another state, you should ask the winery about shipping policies. There are restrictions on wine shipments in a few states.
- Ask if they have “will call” pick up. As shipping and handling is often an extra charge, sometimes it is nice to stay with wineries close by. This comes into play if shipments are problematic, such as not having an adult around to sign for delivery or do not want it delivered at work. Many wineries offer pick up services and can hold shipments for 30 days or longer. This way you can pick up your shipments then have a complimentary glass of wine and a bite to eat in your private tasting room. Some wineries even have special events tied to wine shipment pick ups.
Please keep in mind wine clubs are not for everyone. It is a tough economy after all. Wine clubs are for you if you want to try new and often exclusive wines; have money to allocate toward wine purchases and shipments (it can range from a couple of hundred dollars a year to a thousand+); you can travel to the wineries often; want to learn about wine and the wine industry; have time to enjoy yourself a bit; among many other things. If this is not where you are right now, then you should not become a member, yet. Just hold on to those wine club brochures you received the last time you went wine tasting. I get the feeling if you are reading WineFoodChat.com, you love wine or want to learn more about it. When the time is right, you owe yourself at least one wine club membership and then let me know all about it!
Do a search for wineries you are interested in and go to their websites. There will usually be a tab/link to go to for wine club membership on their websites. There you will find most information on the club’s benefits. You should call the winery directly with your questions before joining. If you like, tell them you saw the article about wine clubs in WineFoodChat.com! If you are planning a wine tasting trip join before you go, this way you can experience the benefits first hand, perhaps pick up your first shipment.
Below you will find videos on a few wine clubs so you get an idea of the people, events, and dynamics of wine club membership. These wineries had easily found videos available for download on YouTube, unlike others that did not and are not endorsements over other wine clubs. I have provided links to their websites as well. Included in the play list below are events and info on the wine clubs of: Goosecross (Yountville, CA, Napa County, USA), St. Francis Winery (Santa Rosa, CA, Sonoma County, USA), Ceja Vineyards (Napa, CA, Napa County, USA), Lange Twins (Acampo, CA, San Joaquin County/Lodi Appellation, USA), Domaine Chandon (Yountville, CA, Napa County, USA), Michael David Winery (Lodi, CA, San Joaquin County, USA), Black Star Farms (Suttons Bay, State of Michigan, USA), and Martin Ranch Winery (Gilroy, CA, Santa Cruz County, USA).
Special note to WineFoodChat members, drop me an e-mail at the private e-mail address you have been given and I will be happy to answer any questions you have on wine clubs. My husband and I have been members of several wine clubs in Napa, Sonoma, and Lodi, all in California. I can give you inside info, make possible suggestions, provide information on our experiences with the many wine clubs we have been members of, off and on throughout the years, including: St Supery, Chimney Rock, Miner Family, Domaine Carneros, Domaine Chandon, Sterling, Clos Du Val, Cakebread, Mumm’s, Rubicon Estate, BV, Van Ruiten Family, Michael-David, ZD, Grgich Hills, Trefethen Family Vineyards, among others. WineFoodChat Membership has its own privileges!




There is more than one match up this Sunday and it is not all about football. I look at most things, like the Super Bowl, and think of what does it have to do with food and wine? Lots!! Although my husband is into football overall, I tend to get into it only for certain teams and/or the teams that represent certain cities. This year as all teams in my home state of California had fear of success syndrome, I will be rooting for the Saints, only because of all the things that great city has been through, their will to win (and a good kicker), and I have been to 



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