Wine Clubs are a developing extension of modern wine culture. Wine clubs are designed to provide costumers with a series of wine bottles on a monthly or quarterly basis that they would otherwise have to find and purchase on their own. Wine clubs often behave in a themed manner, providing recipients with red wines, white wines, or a mixture of the two. Due to state shipping laws, wine clubs are still in an early development stage and are often limited in their scope. Despite the limitations of state-to-state shipping, wine clubs are experiencing a period of growth as American consumption and penchant for wine grows. Wine clubs are most frequently offered by vineyards or specialty wine shops, but they can also be found as independent bodies.

History

Available documentation suggests that the first true wine club was established in 1972 by Wine of the Month Club. The idea was conceived by Paul Kalemkiarian Sr and was established at Palos Verdes Estates.

Variations

Most wine clubs involve all red bottles, all white bottles, or a combination of both. However, there have arisen many stylistic variations.

Bottle Amount - Wine clubs that ship monthly tend to send between 1-4 bottles. Quarterly clubs tend to send between 2-12 bottles1Wine Clubs 101, Retrieved 17 June 2008.

Alternate Club Styles - Certain clubs choose to send bottles only from a particular region. Others choose entire continents and consider themselves international. Others still will choose a varietal and focus specifically on that.

Cost Range

The cost range for wine clubs is vast. As a commodity, wine itself can range in price from affordable (see Two Buck Chuck) to extraordinarily expensive (see Forbes Most Expensive Wines). It is considered the consumer's responsibility to research price before subscribing to a wine club. Despite the large range, there are common price scales - "Some wine clubs are designed with the thrifty consumer in mind and can generally range between $20-$80 a month...Certain clubs are designed for high rollers. These can have a broad price range, anywhere between $80 and $500 a month."

Shipping Concerns

Shipping is a growing concern in the wine community. To read more about the current state of wine shipping laws, consult the Granholm_v._Heald case.

Common Problems

There are no governing bodies overseeing the quality of wine clubs. Some common complaints regarding clubs involve value and bottle selection. Since clubs can set their own monthly/quarterly rate, it is possible for them to provide bottles of lesser value. It is also possible for clubs to purchase closeout wines at a discounted price and supply those bottles to members at an inflated cost.