Three Unique Wine Clubs



By John ~ February 9th, 2011.

Today many wineries have some kind of a wine club. In fact, not too long ago we wrote a post entitled Should I join a Wine Club? in which we concluded that you should only join the wine club of a winery whose wines you already know and like, not just for the 15 to 20 percent or so discount on purchases through the wine club.

In the course of researching the wine clubs of Washington wineries whose wines we like, we found three wine clubs that are uniquely good for three very different reasons.

Members-Only Room
Alexandria Nicole Cellars has a Hidden Door Club room that its members can access any time they visit the tasting room in either Woodinville or Prosser. If you live or work anywhere close to their tasting rooms, it’s an especially attractive perk because they have members-only happy hours, light food available, and no tasting fees. Plus, there are wines available in the members-only rooms that are not available in the tasting rooms.

Lifetime Pricing
Rotie Cellars is offering Lifetime Pricing to all of their Rotiesian wine club members who sign up during the first year of the club (now about six months old). This means just what it says: the price you pay on your wine club purchases will never, ever increase. Plus, you get the other typical wine club perks of free tastings, free shipping on case lots, and access to special offerings.

Recipes and Pairing Suggestions
Columbia Crest always sends out pairing suggestions including detailed recipes with their Summit Reserve Club shipments. LaGayle loves this nice touch, and it gives her good ideas for new food to try. Again, this perk is in addition to wine club member discounts, special events, and other special offerings.

I know these are not the only wine clubs that offer unique perks, but they are three that have caught our attention. Please tell us about the wine clubs you have joined and anything you’ve found that makes them unique.


Filed under: American Wine, General Wine Information, Washington State Wine

Reader's Comments

  1. Renee Keele | February 9th, 2011 at 8:59 am

    Thanks for the post I will have to check out Columbia Crest. I love the added recipes, nice touch. Love your blog!

  2. Dick Nockleby | February 9th, 2011 at 8:59 am

    A big hassle in wine clubs is frequent shipments and the need to be home to receive them. Fielding Hills in Wenatchee has a better system, plus great wine. They ship once a year, and you can order as much as you want. Another good plan is at Dakota Creek near Blaine. They notify you each quarter of the planned wines for shipment, and you can take them, add more, or just say not this time.

  3. Rick G. | February 9th, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    After about a year or so on the waitlist, I got on Turley Wine Cellars’ list. To their credit, they haven’t raised prices in the three or four years I’ve been on the list. They ship their amazing zinfandels and petite syrahs (with a few others mixed in) twice a year. They have a “pick up party” if you can make it, in Templeton CA. I’ve done this once–it was a lot of fun. Winemaker Ehren Jordan gives barrel samples, and Larry Turley is there to freely pour wine. There’s also free food and music.

    I signed up for Martinelli’s list a while back. I never bought from them, because you had to choose from a “batch,” and they were very expensive. Recently they switched to a system allowing you to buy a la carte. I bought one lonely bottle (excellent Giuseppe and Luisa zinfandel). Even with my tiny history, my last allotment would cost me over $9,000 if I maxed it out. needless to say, I’ll be ordering only one or two bottles again!

  4. John | February 9th, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    Renee,
    Thanks for nice compliment about our blog. I’m confident you will like the recipes from Columbia Crest, not to mention the great wine.

    Dick,
    Fielding Hills is one of our favorite Washington wineries, too; and Mike and Karen Wade are great people as well. We’re on the list for their annual offering, but I categorize it more as a Mailing List than a Wine Club because the shipments are not automatic. I’m not familiar with Dakota Creek. I’ll have to check it out.

    Rick G,
    Thanks for your thoughts on Turley and Martinelli.

  5. aiza@selfstorage | February 10th, 2011 at 8:55 am

    great post John! i love the information you added in there and i definitely agree with those points.wine storage