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Step 1
Look for longevity. A wine club that has been around awhile will have advantages over newer clubs. Wine clubs that have established, long-term relationships with many wineries will get first choice when it comes to selecting a wines for distribution through their clubs. The ability of your wine club to choose the most coveted and sought after wines will ensure that your gift recipient's consumer experience is a good one.
Many wine clubs attempt to feature wines that are otherwise hard to find in hopes of creating the value of having wine selected and shipped for you over going to the corner store. Because so many wine clubs have emerged in recent years, there has been an increase in demand for the boutique wines often offered in wine clubs, and only a limited supply. Wine clubs without established connections with reputable wineries often find themselves only being able offer wines from un-proven, lesser quality wineries. To ensure that your wine club gift is a good one, be sure to choose a wine club with a track record. -
Step 2
Look for a wine club that emphasizes quality and backs up their claims with evidence. There are many wine clubs that base their business model on being "like one friend recommending a great bottle of wine to another friend." They talk a lot about the quality of their wine selections, but for the consumer, there is no way to really know without trusting the palate of individual person selecting the wine. Wine preferences are as diverse as the people who drink wine.
Again, availability comes in to play. The person in charge of selecting the wine for any given wine club might be swayed by the price or availability of a given wine. These factors might actually influence his or her decision to offer this wine to their wine club members. Studies have shown that the palates of wine consumers are positively influenced as the price of a bottle of wine increases. If a person is convinced that a more expensive bottle tastes better, how can we trust the palate of an individual? For a wine club owner, how do we know that the bottom line and profit margin isn't a major influence when deciding which wines to choose for their club members?
One way to ensure that your gift recipient is receiving quality wines every time is to choose a wine club that selects their wines based not on the palate of an individual, but on the palates of many. Choosing a wine club that selects only the wines that have gotten major marks from wine publications, or wines that have received awards at wine competitions are sure bets. These awards and accolades are given based on the palates of extremely knowledgeable wine experts who collectively come to a conclusion about a wine. Your wine club should deliver only wines with this level of evidence that the wine is of excellent quality. -
Step 3
Be sure your wine club gift recipient can re-order. When you find a great bottle of wine, you may want to order more for your wine cellar. Be sure that the wine club you choose has enough wine available for you to get more of your favorites. One of the advantages of giving a wine club as a gift is that your special someone gets to try wines that are not typically available in your area. Often these wines are only available at the wineries themselves. Because wine clubs receive these wines at a wholesale price, often they are able to pass some of that cost savings on to the consumer by offering re-orders for significant discounts off winery-direct prices. Be sure that the wine club you choose offers re-orders and member discounts.
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Step 4
Learn about wine. Whether you are giving a wine club as a gift to a special person, or securing a membership for yourself, consider what it is that you hope to gain from subscribing to receive exceptional wines. Be sure the club you choose aims to educate you about the wines they select. Part of a great wine experience can be discussion the wine, the grapes, the history and the winery. All this information should be available to the member if they choose to use it.
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Step 5
Personalization. Make sure your wine club can be personalized to fit your gift recipient's needs and desires. Areas of flexibility should include, types of wine, price points, number of bottles shipped and how often. You should be able to customize types of wine-even varietals. Your wine club should be there to serve you and introduce your gift recipient to the best wines the world has to offer.
