Wine Not? Wine Club Memberships for Every Palate

The phrase "wine club" likely stirs memories of the trip you took to Napa and that little boutique winery you loved so much that you signed up for their wine club on the spot. Only those deliveries suddenly started accumulating, and somehow, the wines didn't quite taste the same outside the rustic, bucolic (and perhaps slightly tipsy) setting.

But general wine-of-the-month clubs - the ones that don't hew to a specific winery -have become as interesting and varied as the wines they carry. Many offer options - three wines every month or quarter, six bottles, specific varietals like Pinot Noir only or a sparkling wine selection - and various pricing and delivery structures that have something for everyone. And wine clubs can be a hassle-free holiday gift.

"I'm a big fan of wine clubs that give you personal attention, a great value and wines you couldn't find on your own," says Monique Soltani, founder and host of Wine Oh TV . "The trick is finding the right one that works for you."

Club W

One club in particular seems to have a lot of folks drinking the vinifera Kool-Aid of late: Club W. Wine Club Reviews, an expert roundup of clubs, recently ranked Club W as number one on its list of Top Five Best Wine Clubs.

After talking with Club W's chief wine officer, Brian Smith, and trying some of Club W's wines, I was even more interested. First, Club W starts with an online palate profile to help kickstart your tastings. Then, your pay-as-you-go membership starts for around $39 a month for three bottles.

What may make Club W unique, though, is that it is much more than a subscription fulfillment service. It is actually a winery, making its own wine from grapes it buys from well-known (but unnamed) vineyards or from general grape purveyors around the world, and also marketing and private-labeling wines from established vineyards.

While Smith wouldn't divulge specifics on how large the club's customer base is or how much wine it produces, he did tell me that if Club W were considered a winery, it would be in the top 5 percent of U.S. wineries as determined by volume. That's more than 100 different wines, artfully made and creatively labeled wines being shipped direct to homes and businesses across America.

"Wine should be approachable and affordable, but it can be hard to get quality in a $13 bottle," Smith says, explaining that with such a large production capability, Club W can enjoy economies of scale. "As you go up in price, the quality goes up exponentially. We wanted to make that direct connection for the consumer."

Wine Club Reviews calls Club W's wines "quirky," with reviewers most impressed "with the whites and ros�s, which deliver knockout value."

While the downsides of wine clubs can be predictable - "They keep coming!" says Soltani - the upside allows you to experience new tastes and expand your own knowledge and wine-drinking experience.

"You get to taste a bunch of new wines and get out of your comfort zone," Soltani says. "If you like wine and can afford the added expense of joining a wine club, why not give it a shot? If you can try a few new wines and cancel any time, then it's probably worth your dime."

For more information, options and recommendations, check out Wine Club Reviews. With the caveat that the site does accept advertising dollars from many of the clubs it ranks, it still provides great overviews of clubs and ratings of specific "bests" for various interests (red wine, white wine, California, value wines, quarterly case clubs, most interesting wines) and price ranges.

Why Join (or Gift) a Wine Club Membership?

1) It's an easy way to experience good wine.
If you don't have the time to shop or are new to wine, a club delivers right to your doorstop, with very little to do on your part.

2) You liked the convenience of a subscription to a boutique vintner, but grew tired of tasting only one vendor's wines.
A club can provide a wide range of tastes and styles, giving you (and your wine-drinking dinner guests) some variety.

3) You have an interest in wine, but your local purveyor doesn't offer a wide range of options.
If you live somewhere where wine is mostly sold via a supermarket (or at the local drug store, where my mother-in-law lives), a wine club can open your palate to new and exciting options. And most of the bottles likely won't have a critter on the label.

4) You're looking for a gift idea.
Whether the giftee is a client who's an oenophile or a friend who's a wine neophyte, who doesn't appreciate a bottle of wine on a regular basis? Heck, wine was even No. 5 on Esquire's Best of the Month Clubs for Men Best of the Month Clubs for Men.