Characteristics of a Wine Club

Saturday, December 2nd

Characteristics of a Wine Club

Learning how to taste and appreciate a wine is easier than most novice wine drinkers might think. The first rule of thumb is that your opinion counts. If you like it then it's good - simple as that. One way to expose yourself to tasting and trying new wines is to join a wine club. These companies send regular shipments of wine, direct to your home, to allow you to sample and learn more about wines from around the world. When searching for the right wine club look for the following characteristics:

Wine Origination.
There's no quick and easy answer to where the wine club should come from. If you love California wine then choose a wine club that only delivers wine from that region of the country. If you want a taste adventure than move to an international wine club. This decision is yours and should be based on what you like and how adventuresome you're feeling.

Entertainment.
Having new bottles of wine show up on your doorstep is exciting. Both the tasting and learning about that particular wine and winery brings a night of fun. Make sure your wine club offers detailed information with each wine delivery to be sure you can learn all of the aspects of each wine you try out.

Flexibility.
If you are wanting to only try out a wine club for a few months or are serious about receiving several bottles each month, look for a wine club that offers the frequency and club duration you're interested in. If the club has membership minimums that don't fit your needs than move on to another one that is more flexible.

Good customer service.
A wine club membership can be a decent sized purchase - you'll want a company that puts the customer first. If you have a chance, give the company a call and evaluate how they answer your questions. If you aren't satisfied then move on to another company.

Additional bottles.
If you fall in love with a particular bottle of wine you'll definitely want access to more. Make sure any wine club you deal with will allow you to purchase additional bottles of your favorite wines.

Pricing.
Wine club memberships can vary greatly. Much of that has to do with how many bottles of wine is including in each delivery, if shipping is separate or included in the price and where the wine originates from. Just remember that the most expensive one does not always mean the best. Value is important - look for a wine membership that doesn't break your budget.

If you are a novice wine club member than you may be feeling a little intimidated on which club to choose. Remember that the best wines are those that you like and that meet your needs. Choose a club with a solid customer service team and that delivers wines that you'll want to try at a fair value.