The Robert Mondavi Winery, in Napa, California
It's not uncommon for a vineyard and winery to have a wine club. Not only does this guarantee a market for its product, it helps encourage visitation to the winery and build a grassroots buzz for the wine. Though the club serves as a marketing tool for the winery, it also offers legitimate benefits to its members and encourages a sense of community with wine producers and the consumers of their products. Because wineries have a finite supply, membership in the most desirable wine clubs can be limited and subject to a waiting list.
Laws
First and foremost, all wine clubs strive to be in compliance with the relevant laws. Of course, this means no one under 21 years of age can be permitted to join or order wine. It also means that shipments of wine will be limited to states where such shipment is not prohibited, and all relevant taxes or fees will usually be applied to purchase orders. For a more complete explanation of wine shipping laws in all 50 states, see the Additional Resources section below.
Minimum Purchases
Almost all wine clubs enforce a minimum purchase requirement. Some offer shipments every month, others do bi-monthly or quarterly shipments. Usually, a member has the option to decline one or more shipments per year, but failure to purchase the minimum requirement can result in cancellation of membership. The shipments usually contain one or two bottles of the wineries latest releases. Local members can also elect to pick up their wine directly from the winery rather than have it shipped.
Benefits
In exchange for taking on the minimum purchase obligation, wine clubs offer members unique benefits. Most often this means discount prices on purchases. Other advantages of wine club membership include free wine tastings, exclusive use of certain areas of the winery estate, and invitation to special events such as dinners, tours, wine releases and other celebrations. It's also not uncommon for wine clubs to have different levels of membership, with different obligations and different levels of benefits and access.
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