Wine clubs

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 [ [http://www.amazingwineclub.com/faq.cfm] Amazing Wine Club Facts, Retrieved 17 June 2008] . Due to state shipping laws [ [http://www.wineinstitute.org/initiatives/stateshippinglaws] WineInstitute.org, Retrieved 17 June 2008] , 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 [ [http://www.slate.com/id/2167292/] Slate Magazine, Retrieved 17 June 2008] . Wine clubs are most frequently offered by vineyards or specialty wine shops, but they can also be found as independent bodies [ [http://www.cawineclub.com/about-wine-clubs.php] CA Independent Wine Club, Retrieved 17 June 2008] .

History

Available documentation suggests that the first true wine club was established in 1972 by [http://www.wineofthemonthclub.com/aboutwomc.asp#About%20The%20Wine%20of%20the%20Month%20Club Wine of the Month Club] . The idea was conceived by Paul Kalemkiarian Sr and was established at Palos Verdes Estates [ [http://www.wineofthemonthclub.com/aboutwomc.asp#About%20The%20Wine%20of%20the%20Month%20Club] Wine of the Month Club, Retrieved 17 June 2008] .

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 bottles [http://www.classicwines.com/articles/Wine-Clubs-101] Wine 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 [ [http://www.winemonthclub.com/] International Wine Club, Retrieved 17 June 2008] . 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 [http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/19/cx_np_1119feat.html 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."

hipping Concerns

Shipping is a growing concern in the wine community [ [http://www.specialtywineretailers.org/] SWRA] [ [http://freethegrapes.com/] Free The Grapes] [ [http://www.wineloverspage.com/oxford/shipping.shtml Wine Lovers' Page/Oxford Town Wines ] ] . 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.

ee also

* Wine
* Wine tasting descriptors
* Glossary of wine terms
* Wine accessory

References

External links

* [http://www.classicwines.com/wine-clubs Wine Clubs Educational Resource]
* [http://wine.about.com/od/wineclubs/a/wineclubs.htm Wine Club Listing] at About.com
* [http://www.wine-club-guide.com/ Wine Club Guide]