Exclusive Wine Clubs
Wine clubs work like book-of-the-month clubs — you buy a certain number of bottles a year, and the club delivers them to your door. You get discounts on the wines they offer (especially if this club is associated with a particular winery) and other benefits, which may include discounts on merchandise, free tastings and priority invitations and (again, if this club is associated with a particular winery) priority invitations and reservations at winery events. A wine club should offer information on the wine you get and suggestions on what foods to pair it with. There shouldn’t be any cost to join, and you should be able to cancel at any time.
Benefits of wine clubs
Some famous wine clubs are the Gold Medal Wine Club, the International Wine of the Month Club, the Original Wine of the Month Club, Lot 18’s Tasting Room and Uncorked Ventures. Some clubs offer your choice of what series you would like. You might be able to choose to be sent wines from a specific region, or a specific kind of wine. Tours and tastings will give you the opportunity to meet the winemakers and talk with other wine lovers. If you join a wine club that belongs to a winery, you know they’ll have the wine when you order it.
A great wine club at a St. Helena winery
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards produces world-class wines at affordable prices. The vineyard is a 40-acre estate just south of Howell Mountain, and has been owned and operated by the Anderson family since 1983. Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, has its own wine club. By agreeing to buy six bottles a year in groups of three, you can get Level I membership with discounts on their wines, tickets to parties and invitations to a complimentary tasting. Agreeing to buy 12 bottles a year, or 24, gets you higher levels of membership with even more benefits. Once you’ve chosen a membership level, buying additional bottles won’t count toward your annual allocation.
An example of a library wine that might be available at an Anderson’s Conn Valley wine tasting is the 2010 Éloge. This polished yet powerful wine, born from a cool wet spring and a blazing hot summer and fall, has a powerful aroma of black cherry, cedar, cigar box and crème de cassis, with hints of red currant, violets, spice and the oak lending it some toasty notes. Its flavor is similar, with a long and satisfying finish. This wine is worthy to save for thirty years or more. Club members save $25 on the ’12 Éloge. Join the Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Wine Club today.
Questions and answers on wine clubs
What is a wine club?
A wine club is a club for wine buyers. You join one by agreeing to buy a certain number of bottles every year, and then sit back and let them be delivered to you. The most exclusive wine clubs have higher levels of membership which you can get by agreeing to buy more wine.
What are some of the benefits of wine clubs?
You get discounts on the wines you buy. The club may also provide information on the wine and what sort of food it goes with.
You also get to try wines you might otherwise never have seen. A good wine club will make an effort to find unknown wines that deserve a wider audience and bring them to your attention.
How much does it cost to join?
It shouldn’t cost anything. In most cases, the amount of wine you agree to buy is the only expense. If you would normally buy that much wine anyway, the discount might actually save you money. You should also be able to cancel at any time. Read the terms of any wine club before joining.
How much choice do I get?
Different wine clubs offer different choices. Some clubs offer more than one series per year. You can choose to receive wines of a specific type and age group, wines from a specific wine-growing region or particularly highly rated wines.
I know someone in a wine club who didn’t get her wine last month, and when she called the club, they told her they were waiting to receive it from the winery. Does this happen a lot?
Not often, but sometimes. If you want to be sure of avoiding it, some wine clubs are associated with particular wineries, which makes that sort of thing much less likely.
Exclusive wine club near St. Helena
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, has its own wine club. By agreeing to buy six bottles a year in groups of three, you can get Level I membership with discounts on their wines, tickets to parties and invitations to a complimentary tasting. Agreeing to buy 12 bottles a year, or 24, gets you higher levels of membership with even more benefits. Once you’ve chosen a membership level, buying additional bottles won’t count toward your annual allocation.
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards produces world-class wines at affordable prices. The vineyard is a 40-acre estate just south of Howell Mountain, and has been owned and operated by the Anderson family since 1983. Anderson’s wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide. Join today.
California Wine Clubs
Wine clubs have been around for the past fifty years, and have become an established part of the traditions of California wine. If you’re not familiar with them, think of them like a book-of-the-month club, but with wines instead of books. You buy a certain number of bottles a year, and they are delivered to your door. You get discounts and other benefits, including (with some clubs) information on the wine and the best foods to pair it with. There is (or should be) no cost to join, and you can cancel at any time.
Wine clubs pride themselves on their discernment and their ability to find quality lesser-known wines and bring them to members who might otherwise never taste them. They cater to everyone from the expert to the novice trying to become an expert. Some of the more famous wine clubs include the Gold Medal Wine Club, the International Wine of the Month Club, the Original Wine of the Month Club (as its name implies, the first wine club, founded by Paul Kalemkiarian in 1972), the Plonk Wine Club, Lot 18’s Tasting Room, Club W and Uncorked Ventures. Each of these has slightly different rules, methods and traditions.
Many wine clubs offer more than one series — wines grouped by theme and category. You might be able to choose to receive wines from the Pacific Northwest, aged Cabernets or the most highly rated wines in California. Tours and tastings will give you the opportunity to meet the winemakers and socialize with other wine lovers.
One complaint members sometimes have is of failing to receive their wine and being told that the club is waiting to get it from the winery. This can be avoided by joining a wine club that is itself associated with a particular winery. Wine clubs are like a backstage pass into the pageant that is California’s wine culture.
A wine club worth joining near St. Helena
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, has its own wine club. By agreeing to buy six bottles a year in groups of three, you can get Level I membership with discounts on their wines, tickets to parties and invitations to a complimentary tasting. Agreeing to buy 12 bottles a year, or 24, gets you higher levels of membership with even more benefits. Once you’ve chosen a membership level, buying additional bottles won’t count toward your annual allocation.
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards produces world-class wines at affordable prices. The vineyard is a 40-acre estate just south of Howell Mountain, and has been owned and operated by the Anderson family since 1983. Anderson’s wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide. Join today.
