Wine Club Suggestion

[as2324]

I have recently joined the Oriel wine club, I am very happy with their wines, but they are limited. I would like to join another club and am looking for suggestions. I stay away from wine.com, their prices are VERY high. When I buy by the bottle, I usually end up at winelibrary.com, great prices... anyway, does anyone have any wine club recommendations?

[Innkeeper]

We generally stay away from wine clubs except for those from wineries that we are particularly fond of. Since we pay attention to what is recommended on this board and have a feel for what the regulars drink, we can get a particular wine locally or find it on the web. Don't like people dictating what we drink, even though we know that we can turn it down just like book clubs! The ones we like are the clubs from Tobin James and Easton/Terre Rouge.

[oostexan]

My favorite wine club is Flora Springs. All the wines are great, and they have a couple different price ranges to account for different budgets.

[wdonovan]

Agree with IK. Why would you want to be pinned down to wines from only one producer (or just a few). When you shop for food, you don't only buy foods from say, Kraft do you? Even if you did, you would have choices of hundreds more products than by joining a wine club. In Monmouth (or maybe Middlesex) County, you have to have oodles of choices of wine stores. Try out a number of them. Find one with selection, price, and a friendly, knowledgable staff. Don't give up on the dotcom you mentioned. They are good for selection and price. I buy certain specific wines from them. But..... there's nothing like having a local place you can walk in and "kick the tires" on a thousand bottle selection. One couple I know made their own "wine club". They found a local store they like and they both go there every Friday, asking the same salesperson for a suggestion. This salesperson has gotten to know their tastes and they've gotten to know his choices and have been able to "steer" him in the right directions to suit their interests. Their private wine club has led them the many nice wines and introduced them to wines they wouldn't have found by joining a "wine club".

[as2324]

Thank you for your help.

I do go into stores to purchase wine. I have some of the greatest wine stores I've ever seen around my area. I like clubs because I can try things I would otherwise never have the opportunity to do so. What's wrong with automatically being sent a couple of bottles every month, so I pay shipping. I like the idea of being surprised with what comes in the mail.

[Innkeeper]

That's fine. The world of wine is a huge world, and there certainly is more than one or two ways of exploring it.

[lizardbrains]

I used to want to be in wine clubs, too - so that I wouldn't have to think about what to drink, I could just drink what was sent to me.

But now that I've tried lots of wines and have learned what I like, I find wine clubs a real waste of money. I was a member of one wine club, and was finding that I actually rarely liked their wines... so I went tasting at their winery and realized that I really don't like their wines, even though my friends say they're the best in the valley! So, I dropped that wine club.

For what you're looking for, it's probably a great idea! I think it's fun to be surprised. I joined one winery's wine club, b/c I liked everything I tasted there (for the most part), and I figure "hey, send me something - i'm sure it'll be good!".

-Elizabeth

[as2324]

I am now a member of Oriel wine club and Gold Medal Wine club. So far, I like Oriel very much. I'll let you know how the Gold club works out.