Today there are many different types of wine clubs available for you to join. Some are based on wines from a particular area, some from a single winery, and others that offer a seemingly random selection of wines, often from multiple countries.
Some have a minimum purchase commitment, there are some that don’t, and there are some where you get a certain number of (usually) cases of wine per year, anything from 1 to 12 is common.
And then wine clubs differentiate themselves further by the variety if wines that are available. Some clubs allow you to choose the mix of wines, some clubs choose for you.
And of course, there’s cost. Some clubs specialise in cheap wines, some inexpensive wines, some are reasonable, some are very expensive. There’s a price point for everyone. One thing that most wine clubs have in common is that they offer a discount from retail, regardless of the price they charge.
So, how do you choose one for you?
Well, firstly, there probably isn’t only one club for you. There are likely to be several. The first thing to do is work out is what kinds of wine you like. Do you like only particular varieties, or only wines from a particular region? Or do you like any wine, as long as it is well made? Answering these questions will narrow your choices somewhat.
The next most important thing is how much you want to spend on a bottle of wine, and the related question, how much wine do you drink? If you only drink a little wine, say on special occasions, then you probably dont mind spending more per bottle. If you are like me, and drinka little wine with almost every evening meal, then you’ll want good wines that dont hit the hip pocket too hard.
The last question is, do you want your wine delivered automatically, or do you want to order more when you need it? If you want it delivered automatically, then you (generally) wont have to deal with the clubs sales people ringing you up to see if they can tempt you with their latest special. However, if you dont drink it, you may end up with more wine than you need. Not that this is a major problem – I can certainly come around and help you get rid of it 🙂