This is something I just do not get. You join a wine club, which means a min of a case purchase per year on average. For the committment, some (not all) give you a 10% to 20% discount. But, the discount is off of the retail price published on the winery’s website.
In the end, your price per bottle is equal to the price you would pay at retail. Add shipping to it and you pay more per bottle to be a club member than buying from retail.
I understand the pricing influence of not wanting to compete directly with retailer who have supported you. But, in the end, no one can argue with giving your best customers the best pricing, right?
OK, rant over. Time to get back to my confusion over shipping costs. [deadhorse.gif]
Completely agree. Unless the wine is something that’s so low production it’s only available to club members (and don’t you think a few wineries deliberately make small batches exactly for this reason), or you live in some godforsaken part of the world that has trouble getting access to decent wine then I just don’t get it.
The only clubs I’m currently in are Windy Oaks and Ridge Monte Bello Collectors.
this is the main attraction for me, although a slight variation (i’ll join a club if the wine is something that’s so low production it’s not available at retail) … i will not join a club if i can find the same wine at retail for less than what i pay as a club member - regardless of how well i like the wines – it just ain’t happenin’.
The only ‘club’ i’m in is Windy Oaks and they are rare to non-existent at retail.
Via a fairly low cost club option you get discounted access to a number of higher end wines.
The only ‘club’ I belong to is Barlow Vineyards ‘Reds Only’ club. They send me 2 bottles per year of
each of the 4 reds that they produce. If I subsequently buy more, I get 15% off on a case purchase.
If I may add to your rant, the clubs that insist on sending you 2 bottles at a time, six times a year really get me. Short of adding a brick to the package, there’s no way they could possible inflict more total shipping costs on me.
Clubs, mailing lists, allocations, they’re all wonderful marketing tools and great for wineries with enough buzz to sustain business using them. I don’t mind helping a few friends with their list purchases, but overall as a consumer…I don’t get it. There will always be scarce, in-demand wines but there’s such a crushing volume of tasty vino that for every “must have” bottle, there are numerous worthwhile alternatives…unless it’s the label that really matters.
I’d separate these into 2 categories however.
WO and Arcadian clubs get you access to wines otherwise hard to obtain.
Inman and Swan (both of which I love and buy annually, btw), all wines are available either on futures or significant mixed case discounts to non club members. And neither of these sell out that quickly for any particular wine. Actually none of the above sells out immediately ala certain mailing list wines.
Being in a wine club rarely makes sense if you can find the wine retail.
Cal’ers often rant about wine clubs, but often we guys living in the boondocks can only get many wines through the clubs! The three tier systems kill us, along with the goons at distrubtors like Southern that take anti trade/trust to a new height.
Many low production wines are only avail via the wine clubs. Love them, or hate them, that’s the way it is. So you take the hit on some higher volumes wines to get the really great one you want! Life goes on! If you don’t want the special wines: (1) Move to California or (2) shut up!
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The three tier systems kill us, along with the goons at distrubtors like Southern that take anti trade/trust to a new height.