The finest way to explore and taste new wine selections is by joining the best wine clubs. There are plenty of wine clubs out there to choose from, and to be able to join? All you got to do is take a simple quiz basically about tastes and the rest, as they say, is history.
Do not worry later on we are going to talk more about that.
Anyway, are you someone who loves wine? Do you love exploring, tasting, and discovering new wines every now and then? If so, then joining a wine club is perfect for you.
It’s probably safe to say that Americans love wine. Well, with the weather, the occasions, and an all, it feels like, wines and drinking wine is already part of our day to day lives.
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You know, it is not quite surprising that according to the Wine Institute, in 2018, the United States has a total of 966 million gallons of wine consumed, and guess what? That’s quite higher as compared to 2017! Actually, from the data of the Wine Institute, we noticed that the wine consumption of Americans grow year after year and there seemed to be no sign of declining in number.
But apart from the fact that Americans wine consumption grows year after year, it’s also nice knowing that the wine industry in the U.S. is booming. In fact, in a report published by the Wine Institute, it says that the United States wine exports particularly the ones coming from California reached $1.46 billion in winery revenues and 375 million liters (41.7 million cases) in 2018. This is still good numbers given the fact that the wine industry had to go through very challenging circumstances.
In the same article, it says that over the past decade, California wine exports have grown nearly 60% by value, which is really pretty good. More so, it says that Wine Institute’s California Wine Export Program includes more than 170 wineries that export to 142 countries.
You know, what’s nice about the wine business or industry is that they continue to produce new products. Surely, for ordinary people, you would think that all wines are the same, but for wines enthusiasts and wine experts, every single wine is unique.
So, going back to wine enthusiasts, if you want to experience first-hand whatever new wine products these wineries are offering to people, you better look for the best wine clubs, and join them.
Later on, we are going to share with you some of our top picks when it comes to wine clubs. But first —
WHAT IS A WINE CLUB?
A wine club basically refers to a developing extension of modern wine culture. The club is designed to provide customers with “a series of wine bottles on a monthly or quarterly basis that they would otherwise have to find and purchase on their own,” according to Wikipedia.
Usually, wine clubs behave in a themed manner. They provide their members with red or white wines or a mixture of both. A wine club is typically offered by vineyards or specialty wine shops. However, some clubs can also be found as independent bodies.
By joining wine clubs, you get to take advantage of different perks and benefits, which we are going to discuss next.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF JOINING WINE CLUBS?
So, you joined a wine club, what next? Basically, joining a wine club lets you take advantage of different perks, as we mentioned earlier. These perks include:
– You get access to exclusive discounts.
Joining the best wine cubs allows you to save money as they offer their members exclusive pricing on wines, some even offer free delivery services, as well as access to limited release wines. Wine clubs also provide free tickets to tasting events, which is heaven for those who love wines.
This is a very good deal if you are a regular wine drinker, and/or if you appreciate drinking good wine.
Wine club members can save up to 40% when purchasing wines through the club.
– You get to save time.
As a member of a wine club, you may also opt to subscribe, which provides regular home wine delivery as part of your membership. Thus, this allows you to save a lot of time because your wines are delivered right at your doorstep. No need to go to the wine shop.
This is definitely great for wine lovers and regular wine drinkers. Imagine going home to a box of wine on a regular basis! That’s amazing, right?
– You get to discover new variations of wines.
Some of the best wine clubs we know offer a service wherein they let their in-house sommelier pick up the best wine for you according to your taste preference. This is definitely helpful especially if you have a hard time choosing wines.
– You get to enjoy various loyalty and rewards.
Most wine clubs if not all, offer member loyalty and/or reward schemes. It basically works by awarding you points or credit each time you purchase. This, actually, is one of the key benefits of joining wine clubs.
Just a little tip though, make sure to check how long the points are redeemable. Make sure that the points or credits are valid for at least 12 months or it’s not worth it.
If you want to know more about joining wine clubs, we thought you may want to check out this insightful video blog by Wind Down With Wine. In this video, you will learn about the basic types of wine clubs, the benefits, and many more. To watch, just click the play button below:
OUR PICK: BEST WINE CLUBS IN THE U.S.
As earlier mentioned, we are going to share with you our list of best wine clubs in the country. Hopefully, this list will help new and even old wine club members decipher which club is the best among the rest. Well, of course, taking into consideration what your preferences are and your attitude towards wine.
Without further ado, here’s our pick:
WINC WINE CLUB
Winc is one of the most popular when it comes to wine clubs. It’s a California-based winery that has an exploding online wine club membership. Yes, you read that right. We used the word exploding to describe what this wine club has to offer.
Sign up for the Winc Wine Club, and experience trendy wine options that range from canned Rosé to classic wines.
What we like about Winc is that though they are already on top of their game, they continue to improve year after year. They never stop providing new and exciting offers to their members.
Winc made sure they give only the best to their members. Thus, they partnered with different wineries from California and even beyond to craft unique wine offerings exclusive for their members. We got to say that this wine club is the ultimate when it comes to creativity on their subscription services. Yes, they do offer subscription services as well.
How Much It Costs: No membership fee / Bottles starts at $14.99
What To Like: Get $20 off your first order. | Complimentary shipping on 4 or more boxes. | Satisfaction Guarantee | No charge if you skip a month’s shipment (Applies to those with a subscription.). | Detailed wine descriptions and pairing ideas are available on their website. | No long-term commitment (for subscribers and members alike).
GOLD MEDAL WINE CLUB
Gold Medal Wine Club features wine from family-owned wineries not just from the United States but from all over the world.
What this wine club offers is nothing but authentic and small production wines. Thus, the wine and wineries that make it into the Gold Medal Wine Club are thoroughly chosen based on very strict qualifications, which include awards and recognitions won or received for their wines.
We got to say that the Gold Medal Wine Club is definitely one of the best wine clubs in the country and that if you are someone who’s really serious about finding high-quality small production wines, this is the club to be.
How Much It Costs: Membership starts at $39. This includes free shipping on over 6 bottles of wine.
What To Like: Members get to receive superb, award-winning wines. | Satisfaction Guarantee | Offers free shipping with orders of 6 bottles or more. | No minimum orders required. | No obligations.
THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB
Obviously, The California Wine Club is based in California that is focused on small family-owned wineries.
This is also another best of the best wine clubs in the country. The California Wine Club has a long-standing customer allegiance. Apart from that, this wine club is also known for its generous ambassador referral program.
While its name says the California wine club, this does not mean that they only cater to Cali alone. In fact, they offer international wine boxes and wine subscriptions covering other regions in the United States.
How Much It Costs: Membership fee starts at $40.45 per month. On top of that is the shipping cost.
What To Like: Save up to $123 on a case of Rosé | Members get handcrafted, boutique, high-quality wines from around the world. | Love It Guarantee | Ambassador Referral Program | No hidden fees. | You can cancel anytime.
CELLARS WINE CLUB
Cellars Wine Club was established in 1999 and is based in Seattle, Washington area. It is considered as one of the earliest online wine clubs in the country.
Since their inception, they have expanded. But then, they continue to use their expertise when it comes to relationship building as well as wine tasting.
The Cellars Wine Club is highly recommended to those who love boutique wines. Needless to say, Cellars has one of the best web stores out there. Really good selections, and offers an amazing wine subscription boxes.
How Much It Costs: A bottle starts at $29. Double bottle clubs start at $42. All shipping is free.
What To Like: “No Bad Bottle” Guarantee | Free shipping regardless of orders. | You can cancel anytime without charges. | Clean and easy to navigate website. | Easy to find and order through their website.
SOMMAILIER FRENCH WINE CLUB
SomMailier is owned by a family that has been making French wine for 5 generations now. What we love about SomMailier is that they have access to boutique French wines that are not yet accessible in the country.
This is one of the best wine clubs especially to those who know and love and appreciate what French wine is all about.
Most of the wines offered by SomMailier French Wine Club come from very small wineries with families making wines for several generations already.
Apart from tasting French wines, being a SomMailier wine club member allows you to learn more about the different wine regions, winemakers, as well as the history of each wine. You will also know more about food pairing ideas and great tasting notes.
It basically feels like having a full experience of French wines sans spending so much.
How Much It Costs: Quarterly deliveries start at $89.99 for 3 bottles plus shipping.
What To Like: You get to experience what it feels like living in France. | You get to learn about anything and everything around each wine. | No commitment | No Membership Fees | Satisfaction Guarantee
WINE MONTH OF THE CLUB
Wine Month of the Club is the company that started it all. They are the ones who pioneered the idea of membership and subscription boxes. In fact, this happened even before the internet! Now, we wonder how it was like at that time.
What we find unique about them is that they choose wines through monthly blind tastings. After that process, only the top 1% of all the wines tasted are chosen and shipped to their members. The default shipment includes one red wine and one white wine.
What we like about this wine club is the fact that it’s very straightforward. No gimmicks and all, just really good-tasting wine.
How Much It Costs: Membership starts at $23.96 every month.
What To Like: You can cancel anytime without charges. | No membership fees. | All you get are really good-tasting wines.
REVEL WINE CLUB
If you love natural wines, organic wines, or wines that are very low in sulfites, then this is the best wine club for you.
The Revel Wine Club was created by the geniuses behind Rebel Coast and Chronic Cellars wines.
They hired people whose job is to scour the world for great vineyards to work with. With that, we just got to include this in our list of best wine clubs in the country.
How Much It Costs: The price depends on how many bottles you choose for each shipment. You can have at least 3 up to 12 bottles in one shipment. For three bottles of wine, it costs $39, while the cost of wine by the case club amounts to $144. If you want organic wine, it costs $108 by the case club.
What To Like: Best choice if you are looking for an organic wine club or a club that offers low sulfite wines. | You get to have access to a number of amazing wine brands. | Access to free wine tastings at Chronic Cellars winery in either Paso Robles or Jamieson Ranch in Napa Valley.
PLONK WINE CLUB
The name Plonk or “cheap bulk wine” is contrary to what you will actually get from being a part of this wine club. Plonk Wine Clube chooses and sends its members some of the most delicious and interesting wine ones would have ever tasted.
The wine club does have a sharp focus on finding the best artisanal as well as the most sustainably grown boutique wines.
While a lot of wine clubs promise to provide you with unique varieties of wines, Plonk, we have to say, is just really good at it.
How Much It Costs: For two bottles, the price starts at $49.99 a month plus the shipping fee.
What To Like: They offer customizable shipments. | Biodynamic and Organic | Free Shipping
WSJ WINE CLUB
Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Wine Club is the best wine subscription service if you are the type who wants a wide array of wine choices and selections.
What we like about WSJ Wine Club is that they have very unique discovery club that is responsible for the delivery of wines every 3 months. Each shipment is packed with a lot of wine options.
Among wine lovers and those who are part of wine, clubs will surely agree with us if we say that the WSJ Wine Club is one of the best wine clubs if you are someone who wants to try out anything and everything the wine world has to offer.
How Much It Costs: Price starts at $69 every three months plus a $19.99 shipping fee.
What To Like: They do offer a money-back guarantee. | No commitment required.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON BEST WINE CLUBS
Drinking wine is not just for social gatherings. In fact, in some American homes, it’s like a necessity. It’s part of every meal (except breakfast, of course). It is something that is present and will surely never be forgotten during celebrations and special occasions. Wine is something that makes dining even better!
There is something about wines that makes us crave it for more. Do you agree?
Anyway, for wine lovers and wine enthusiasts out there, being part of a wine club is not just about enjoying perks, but it makes your wine experience even more beautiful. Well, with most wine clubs offering amazing varieties of wines, you surely will have great wine experience. Needless to say, wine clubs come with a lot of perks to enjoy.
So, have you found the best wine club for you yet? What it is that made you choose that specific wine club?
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