HVW Spring2015 Wine Clubs
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68 HUDSON VALLEY WINE • Summer 2015 clubbing it! M y first experience with a wine club was after a week of wine tasting in Napa. I don’t want to date myself, but at the time wine clubs weren’t that common—but I knew I wanted to join one. So when I returned from my trip, I signed up for a wine club in California, and one in the Hudson Valley. As a wine region, the Hudson Valley was in its infancy then so there weren’t many options. I’m proud to say, though, that fifteen years later I am still a member of that same club! Nowadays, almost every winery has a wine club or some variation of one—perhaps it’s called a case club. In any case, membership in a wine club has its benefits besides having a nice variety of wine delivered right to your door. Making the Case for a Club When you are at a winery and tasting wines, it’s very tempting to want to join the wine club because you are enjoying the experience and can get caught up in the moment. A good winery employee will tell you about the wine club offered there and about the member benefits. For instance, your tastings may be complimentary, there may be a percentage discount on your purchases, and you may have access to private parties. Your first instinct is, “sign me up!” But wait, is a wine club for you? Before signing on that dotted line (with the hand not holding your wine glass), here are a few things to consider: You really like the wine. You live quite a distance away and/or the wine isn’t distributed in your state. You won’t be able to pick up a bottle in your local wine shop. Join. Shipping. Due to complex interstate liquor laws that date back to just after Prohibition, not every winery can ship to every state. Even if your state does allow wine shipments, the winery might not have the special license it needs to do so. Make sure you ask before signing up. How long is the commitment? With some clubs, you must sign up for a year; you can cancel after a few months with others. Read the fine print. The cost of joining a wine club might be reasonable, but remember shipping and tax are usually additional. Shipments are often automatically charged to your credit card on file with the winery, so make sure you have the budget for a recurring charge before committing. With some wine clubs you have a choice of red or white wines, but most offer a mixed selection. Not all club selections will please your palate, but that’s okay. You may be pleasantly surprised when you don’t think you’ll like a certain wine, then once you open it, you’re looking to order a case more. Keep an open mind! A winery values your club subscription just as much as you enjoy their wine, so sometimes you may receive a wine in your club shipment that’s produced in a limited quantity, and it may only be available to you as a club member. Once you join a wine club you will become part of the winery’s family. When you attend special events at the winery for members only, chances are you’ll get to know the owners and winemakers personally. New friendships will be created and your wine experiences will be elevated to the next level. As I said, membership has its benefits! If you aren’t a wino now, you will be when you join Applewood Winery’s Wino Club! With a quarterly commitment, you will receive two bottles of wine in February, May, August, and November. BENEFITS: 20% off wine purchases, free wine tasting when you visit the tasting room, and discount tickets to their events. Occasionally, Applewood will have special events for their Wino Club members that will include special tastings and limited edition wines. Whitecliff Vineyard’s wine club is a one-year commitment of twice-yearly shipments—one in February and one in August. You can choose either a half case (six bottles) or a full case (12 bottles). The selections you’ll receive can be the winemaker’s selections, or you can choose based on wine availability at the time. BENEFITS: Receive a 20% discount per case for a full-case member, and 10% on a half case for the half-case member, complimentary wine tasting for you and up to three guests when you visit, and 10% off any wines purchased in the tasting room. Plus, access to exclusive and limited run wines. Palaia Vineyards offers a quarterly wine club, which means you’ll receive one red and one white wine in February, May, August and November. You must commit to the entire year. BENEFITS: 20% discount on the wine, and 25% off your order the day you sign up. On other visits receive 20% off Palaia’s products. Each wine shipment includes a voucher for a complimentary tasting for four, and you also receive discounted tickets for two to Palaia’s events. You are automatically eligible to enroll in Robibero Winery’s case club when you purchase a case of wine in the tasting room (at a 10% discount). BENEFITS: Receive a discount card that entitles you to a tiered savings based on the number of bottles purchased. Card is valid for one year. (If you purchase more than three cases of wine during the year you are entitled to 20% off for the entire year.) You will also receive a complimentary tasting for four in their tasting room, 10% off all tickets for winery events, and 10% off tasting room merchandise. A look at eight Hudson Valley wine clubs that really deliver: The Benefits of Joining a Wine Club By Debbie Gioquindo, CTC, CSW, WLS
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Clubbing It - Thinking about joining a wine club, read this article for the do's and don'ts.
Transcript of HVW Spring2015 Wine Clubs
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68 HUDSON VALLEY WINE Summer 2015
clubbing it!M
y first experience with a wine club was after aweek of wine tasting in Napa. I dont want to date myself, but at the time wine clubs werentthat commonbut I knew I wanted to join one. So when I returned from my trip, I signed up for
a wine club in California, and one in the Hudson Valley. As awine region, the Hudson Valley was in its infancy then so there werent many options. Im proud to say, though, thatfifteen years later I am still a member of that same club!
Nowadays, almost every winery has a wine club or somevariation of oneperhaps its called a case club. In any case,membership in a wine club has its benefits besides having a nice variety of wine delivered right to your door.
Making the Case for a Club
When you are at a winery and tasting wines, its very temptingto want to join the wine club because you are enjoying theexperience and can get caught up in the moment. A goodwinery employee will tell you about the wine club offered thereand about the member benefits. For instance, your tastingsmay be complimentary, there may be a percentage discounton your purchases, and you may have access to privateparties. Your first instinct is, sign me up! But wait, is a wineclub for you?
Before signing on that dotted line (with the hand notholding your wine glass), here are a few things to consider:
You really like the wine. You live quite a distance awayand/or the wine isnt distributed in your state. You wontbe able to pick up a bottle in your local wine shop. Join.
Shipping. Due to complex interstate liquor laws that dateback to just after Prohibition, not every winery can shipto every state. Even if your state does allow wineshipments, the winery might not have the special licenseit needs to do so. Make sure you ask before signing up.
How long is the commitment? With some clubs, youmust sign up for a year; you can cancel after a fewmonths with others. Read the fine print.
The cost of joining a wine club might be reasonable, butremember shipping and tax are usually additional.Shipments are often automatically charged to your creditcard on file with the winery, so make sure you have thebudget for a recurring charge before committing.
With some wine clubs you have a choice of red or white wines,but most offer a mixed selection. Not all club selections willplease your palate, but thats okay. You may be pleasantlysurprised when you dont think youll like a certain wine, thenonce you open it, youre looking to order a case more. Keep anopen mind! A winery values your club subscription just asmuch as you enjoy their wine, so sometimes you may receive awine in your club shipment thats produced in a limitedquantity, and it may only be available to you as a club member.
Once you join a wine club you will become part of the winerysfamily. When you attend special events at the winery formembers only, chances are youll get to know the owners andwinemakers personally. New friendships will be created andyour wine experiences will be elevated to the next level. As Isaid, membership has its benefits!
If you arent a wino now, youwill be when you joinApplewood Winerys WinoClub! With a quarterlycommitment, you will receivetwo bottles of wine in February,May, August, and November.BENEFITS: 20% off winepurchases, free wine tastingwhen you visit the tastingroom, and discount tickets totheir events. Occasionally,Applewood will have specialevents for their Wino Clubmembers that will includespecial tastings and limitededition wines.
Whitecliff Vineyards wine clubis a one-year commitment oftwice-yearly shipmentsone inFebruary and one in August.You can choose either a halfcase (six bottles) or a full case(12 bottles). The selectionsyoull receive can be thewinemakers selections, or youcan choose based on wineavailability at the time.BENEFITS: Receive a 20%discount per case for afull-case member, and 10% ona half case for the half-casemember, complimentary winetasting for you and up to threeguests when you visit, and10% off any wines purchasedin the tasting room. Plus,access to exclusive and limitedrun wines.
Palaia Vineyards offers aquarterly wine club, whichmeans youll receive one redand one white wine inFebruary, May, August andNovember. You must committo the entire year. BENEFITS: 20% discount onthe wine, and 25% off yourorder the day you sign up. Onother visits receive 20% offPalaias products. Each wineshipment includes a voucherfor a complimentary tasting forfour, and you also receivediscounted tickets for two toPalaias events.
You are automatically eligibleto enroll in Robibero Wineryscase club when you purchasea case of wine in the tastingroom (at a 10% discount). BENEFITS: Receive a discountcard that entitles you to atiered savings based on thenumber of bottles purchased.Card is valid for one year. (Ifyou purchase more than threecases of wine during the yearyou are entitled to 20% off forthe entire year.) You will alsoreceive a complimentarytasting for four in their tastingroom, 10% off all tickets forwinery events, and 10% offtasting room merchandise.
A look at eight Hudson Valley wine clubs that really deliver:
The Benefits of Joining a Wine Club
By Debbie Gioquindo, CTC, CSW, WLS
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www.hvwinemag.com Summer 2015 69
Millbrook Vineyards & Wineryoffers three types of wineclubs: Portfolio Club, PortfolioPlus Club, and Case Club.With the Portfolio Club, you get two wines delivered everyother month, with tax andshipping included. The PortfolioPlus Club includes the regularPortfolio Club shipments alongwith alternate wine selections, such as Vineyard Designates,Reserve Wines, and LimitedProduction wines. BENEFITS: 15% discount onretail bottle prices, enrollmentin the Case Club and theirPurchase Credit Account (PCA)Rewards Program.
The Case Club requires thatyou purchase one case of wineannually, either in the tastingroom or online. BENEFITS: Complimentarywine tasting for members,discounts on all winery events,advance notification of winereleases, exclusive members-only discounts, enrollment intheir PCA Rewards Program,and free custom wine labeling.
Glorie Farm Winery has acase club membership whichrequires you to purchase onecase annually in their tastingroom. BENEFITS: A tiered-leveldiscount depending on howmany bottles you purchase,and a free standard winetasting for you and up to fiveguests.
Benmarl Winerys wine clubrequires a yearly commitmentof four bottles shipped threetimes a year. You have achoice of red only, white only,or a mixed case. BENEFITS: Complimentarywine tasting, 15% off winepurchases at the winery,invitation to a members onlySpring Barrel Tasting Gala, andadmission for two to theirannual Bud Breaking Festival,Sangria Festival, and HarvestGrape Stomping Festival.
Purchase a case of wine atHudson-Chatham Winery andyou are automatically enrolledin their case club. Membershipduration is 12 months andrenews with the next case ofwine purchased the followingyear. BENEFITS: Tiered percentageoff your wine purchases basedon the number of bottlespurchased (maximum is 20%off a case), 10% off any wineryevent tickets, and a compli-mentary wine tasting for youand up to four guests in thetasting room.
Managing Contents
Make sure an adult is home to accept your shipments, aswine has to be signed for by someone aged 21 or older. Ifyoure like me and you werent on a first name basis withyour UPS or Fedex delivery person, you will be once yousign up for a wine club.
Before you open a bottle, allow the wine to rest for at least a week or more. Your wine may have bottle shock frombouncing around in the delivery truck, so youll need to giveit some time to settle down.
Now, you can finally sit back and enjoy your rewards!
My advice: Knowing that you cant sign up for a wine club atevery winery you visit, you might want to start by joining oneor two of your favorites. Then, after a while, change it up andjoin a few different ones.
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