Give the Gift of a Wine Club

One of the best compliments was when I gave a 6 month subscription to the California Wine Club as a wedding present.  The bride told me that was the best wedding gift they received.

So this Holiday Season give the gift of a wine club.  Here are some suggestions to find the right wine club for that person on your list.

Know the person you are buying for.  Don't try to impress them with expensive bottles that they themselves aren't going to be able to purchase.  You want to make this fun and enjoyable.

Do they like red or white?  There are some wine clubs that you can specify for the white or red wine drinker.

What region do you want to introduce them to?

Then decide on the amount of months you are going to gift them.  There are usually 3, 6, 12 month subscriptions or quarterly.

Here are some suggestions:

California Wine Club This wine club offers  a few regional clubs.  You can subscribe to the Premier Series is a great introduction to the California wine scene.  The average bottle price here ranges from $10-$15.  One step us is their Signature Series as these wines are usually priced $25 and up. If you want to expose your friend to the international scene try their International Series.  With this club they will recieve hancrafted wines from all around the world.  The prices for the wine are $19 up.  If Washington State or Oregon wines are their favorite, they have a Pacific Northwest Series where they will receive wines from Oregon and Washington's small family wineries.  The prices on the wine here begin around $20 up.

Vintners Collective If you looking to send the gift of big California reds, this is the club to get.  Many of the wines are from small boutique wineries that often don't have tasting rooms.

Oregon Pinot Noir Club This is a great club to experience Oregon Pinot Noir. There are three levels to choose from.  Most of the selections are on the higher end wines.  What is nice is as a member you also have access to purchase Futures in the fall. Average price per bottle is $30

Club W Experience Here you can design a club based on their tasting profiles, so you will need to know your friend well.  The average price per bottle in this club is $13

Tasting Room by Lot 18 This is another profile based wine club.  Here they will receive a tasting kit of 5 mini bottles of wine to try.  From there they can set up their profile to receive the regular size bottles every month based on their preferences.

Also don't forget you favorite winery.  Many wineries offer wine clubs.  If you think your friend will like those wines, set them up with a subscription.