So, you’ve come across one of the many adverts for wine clubs promoting some amazing offers, or maybe you have heard your friends talking about how much they love the selection of wines at their chosen club, but don’t know if it’s worth joining yourself?
Read on to find out some of the pros and cons to decide if joining a wine club is worth it.
Advantages
- Wine clubs save you time.
One of the many positives of joining a wine club is that it ultimately saves you time. This includes time spent researching, physically going to the wine shop, looking for and navigating the wine aisle, and then having to carry your purchase back home. Being part of a wine club and signing up for a regular subscription and delivery service. This means that you get to experience the magic of opening your front door to a ready and waiting box of wine instead.
- You can get access to exclusive discounts.
There is no denying that wine can be expensive, especially if it is a special occasion and you’re buying a few bottles at a time. Joining a wine club can save you money in the long run, with many offering their members exclusive discounts that you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to find elsewhere. Many also offer free delivery, tickets to wine tasting sessions and events, and sometimes even access to limited release wines. If you are a true wine lover, joining a club is worth it for the financial savings.
- They help you make discoveries.
Once you’ve found your favourite wines, it can be easy to stick to the same bottles time and time again. The beauty of wine clubs is that they help you branch out and discover new flavours and, hopefully, some new favourites to add to your collection. Some wine clubs offer a service where they offer you a quiz to find out your taste preferences and will then pick a wine in line with your results.
This is a great way to try something new that already agrees with your taste palate. It also takes the hassle of doing the research and choosing yourself. Therefore, joining a wine club can push you to get out of your wine rut and help you discover new delicious wines.
- Most clubs offer member flexibility
Clubs know that drinking habits vary from person to person. That’s why the best wine clubs are those offering the most flexibility. This includes the number of wines you want to purchase and have delivered each month, as well as multiple delivery timings. Clubs understand that there will be special occasions, for example during Christmas, where you will need more bottles, and that some months you will need less. You might even want to cut back entirely for a month. Look for clubs that offer a pause and cancel option so that you don’t feel forced to purchase.
Cons
Despite the many benefits, there is no arguing that wine clubs simply aren’t for everyone, and they also have their con’s. Some of those include:
- Long contracts
Some clubs ask you to sign long-term contracts that could last from anywhere as short as six months to a full year or even two. This is quite a commitment, especially if you aren’t sure that you get full use from the club and are worried about receiving bottles of wine that you know you will never get around to drinking. If you still want to join but don’t want to commit, opt for clubs that offer month-to-month services that allow you to cancel your subscription whenever you like instead.
- Lack of personal storage space
Not everyone has a personal wine cellar. So, if you rely on a wine fridge or a singular wine rack in your kitchen for your wine storage, you might not have enough space to add multiple bottles each month. Wine should be drunk responsibly and in moderation. Therefore, the bottles are bound to stack up each year when using a wine club service.
Not only that, the bottles that you receive aren’t typically meant to be stored for further aging and are instead meant for early consumption. This means that they shouldn’t be lying around for a long time and could end up taking up space for any bottles that you prefer to keep and age for more extended periods.
- If you already have a deep understanding of your palate
If you are somewhat of a wine connoisseur, have already been a collector for many years, and have a deep understanding of your palate, then joining a wine club might prove to be redundant and a waste of money. If this is the case, and you have a selection of staunch favourites, you probably don’t need a club to pick out new wines for you to drink every month, and it makes more sense for you to carry on doing your research and try new varieties in your own time.
Wrapping up
Joining a wine club can be fun, and they are a great way to save yourself some time and money. However, if you already know what you like, lack personal storage space, and are scared of being tied into long contracts, then they might not be for you. Ultimately, whether or not joining a wine club is worth it all boils down to your overall drinking habits and if these would suit being part of a club. If you are a regular wine drinker and lover who isn’t yet an expert, then joining might be worth it enough to expand your palate and discover amazing new wines you’ve never tried before.
