Wine clubs are the latest and greatest luxuries hoisted onto the middle class. Much like the Columbia House/BMG days of yore, wine clubs promise lower prices on a wide selection with the promise of earning perks if you get your friends to join. The benefits seem very encouraging, but with so many wine clubs out there, how do you choose the best one?
Bright Cellars
Many wine clubs offer personalized palate profiles, but Bright Cellars is the only one I have found that claims to use a scientific method to pick the best wines for you. I took the quiz, but was immediately turned off by the first question:
What is the one type of chocolate you could eat for the rest of your life?
The obvious answer, which was not among the choices, is all chocolate.
Regardless, I went through the Bright Cellars quiz and was matched with a full-bodied syrah, a bold cabernet sauvignon, a woody tempranillo, and a rich red blend. I was intrigued but, not being a fan of cabs, I chose not to join. At $15 per bottle, I would like to edit my order. I saw no such possibility with Bright Cellars.
Many wine clubs offer personalized palate profiles, but Bright Cellars is the only one I have found that claims to use a scientific method to pick the best wines for you. I took the quiz, but was immediately turned off by the first question:
What is the one type of chocolate you could eat for the rest of your life?
The obvious answer, which was not among the choices, is all chocolate.
Regardless, I went through the Bright Cellars quiz and was matched with a full-bodied syrah, a bold cabernet sauvignon, a woody tempranillo, and a rich red blend. I was intrigued but, not being a fan of cabs, I chose not to join. At $15 per bottle, I would like to edit my order. I saw no such possibility with Bright Cellars.
Club W
Club W is the only one that I have personally tried. I enjoyed Club W because I could choose my own bottles either from their recommendations or their assortment, which varies from month-to-month. The price is low, with $13 per bottle being the norm and free shipping on six bottles or more.
The reason I ended my membership with Club W had very little to do with the club itself. I would also argue that the same issue could happen with any club. You see, when you ship alcohol through the mail, you have to have a person aged 21 or older present to accept the shipment. If no one is home, it doesn't get delivered. End of story. Most people are able to work around this issue by having the wine delivered to their place of work, but I just so happen to work from home and don't have a secretary or a sister-wife to sign for the package for me if I happen to be absent.
Forbes
I like the idea of the Forbes Wine Club. You receive a Wine Tasting Kit, made up of six mini bottles, for $9.95 and free shipping. You rate these wines and then receive a shipment of 12 bottles every three months. The first shipment is only about $85, which is insanely inexpensive, but the price roughly doubles from there. If that doesn't work for you, maybe you should try...
Lot18
Interestingly, Lot18 and Forbes Wine Club are exactly the same. However, if you join through Lot18 rather than Forbes, your first shipment includes six bottles for about $60. Thereafter, the shipping times, selection, and prices remain the same as Forbes Wine Club. FYI: The Zagat Wine Club and the Wall Street Journal Wine Club operate on the same schedule and price range.
There are a number of other clubs out there, and most will send you their recommendations under the belief that you are not as choosy about your wine as I am. If you do want more control, go with Club W. If you don't mind leaving your home, take a trip to your local supermarket. The larger supermarkets generally have wide selections and offer much lower prices than wine cellars. Many also run promotions for percentages off of wines if bought in bulk. Let's face it; if there is one thing that is better than a great bottle of wine, it is a lot of great bottles of wine. Until this happens:
Club W is the only one that I have personally tried. I enjoyed Club W because I could choose my own bottles either from their recommendations or their assortment, which varies from month-to-month. The price is low, with $13 per bottle being the norm and free shipping on six bottles or more.
The reason I ended my membership with Club W had very little to do with the club itself. I would also argue that the same issue could happen with any club. You see, when you ship alcohol through the mail, you have to have a person aged 21 or older present to accept the shipment. If no one is home, it doesn't get delivered. End of story. Most people are able to work around this issue by having the wine delivered to their place of work, but I just so happen to work from home and don't have a secretary or a sister-wife to sign for the package for me if I happen to be absent.
Forbes
I like the idea of the Forbes Wine Club. You receive a Wine Tasting Kit, made up of six mini bottles, for $9.95 and free shipping. You rate these wines and then receive a shipment of 12 bottles every three months. The first shipment is only about $85, which is insanely inexpensive, but the price roughly doubles from there. If that doesn't work for you, maybe you should try...
Lot18
Interestingly, Lot18 and Forbes Wine Club are exactly the same. However, if you join through Lot18 rather than Forbes, your first shipment includes six bottles for about $60. Thereafter, the shipping times, selection, and prices remain the same as Forbes Wine Club. FYI: The Zagat Wine Club and the Wall Street Journal Wine Club operate on the same schedule and price range.
There are a number of other clubs out there, and most will send you their recommendations under the belief that you are not as choosy about your wine as I am. If you do want more control, go with Club W. If you don't mind leaving your home, take a trip to your local supermarket. The larger supermarkets generally have wide selections and offer much lower prices than wine cellars. Many also run promotions for percentages off of wines if bought in bulk. Let's face it; if there is one thing that is better than a great bottle of wine, it is a lot of great bottles of wine. Until this happens: