You’re right. It really varies. Some offers are near wholesale-level pricing, others are same-as-wine-club-pricing, others are a % off retail. All of the offers should be pretty good though.
If I were you, I’d use January 26th (preview day) to make a plan. Enter everything you want into a spreadsheet and tally the damage before buying anything. Then use the 26th to buy things that might sell out. (As a Grand Crü member, you can also purchase on the 26th. Edit: you can purchase from a subset of sellers who are BerserkerBusinesses, kind of the business equivalent of Grand Crü.)
Another way to limit the damage is to recruit your local wine buddies to go in on a couple offers. Or, buy more offers but in fewer quantities, i.e. two different 3-packs instead of a single six-pack. You might spend a bit more per bottle, but you get to try more producers.
This is the way. I limped in at GCC as I am not a baller.
Srsly though, I spend about 50% of my budget on the 26th. Some of the offers are limited and it is your best chance to get something that might sell out.
Signing up for GCC should give you a pretty good sense of some of the perks involved, especially if you anticipate participating in Berserker Day.
Whether or not one signs up for the higher tier Monopole Cru, is entirely dependent on their individual comfort level. For me, I find that I get way more than $100 of value out of this forum alone, without any of the perks like Preview Day, etc. The way I look at it, if I find value in signing up for other wine publications, it seems silly not to contribute to a site that has been (to me at least) at great source of wine knowledge and insight. I also get to do my small part in helping keep this wonderful community going. Then there’s all the perks layered on top that makes it a great value and no brainer for me. Everyone’s situation is different though, so it’s what membership level one signs up for is entirely dependent on what they are comfortable with.
Thank you - and I agree that Metrick does some great wines. I hope Alex participates this year, but not sure. I missed Shiba Wichern last year, so hope to get some this year!
I signed up for GCC for a preview and plan ahead as mentioned above. Last two years felt like those WalMart black Friday videos scrambling from thread to thread trying to figure out my purchases. It’ll be nice to have that sorted out a day in advance.
