Wine Clubs

Fine Wines For Practically Every Taste

If there is a country somewhere in the world that has only 100 people, it probably has a wine club with a dozen members. Wine clubs, once the province of only the wine enthusiast or specialist, are now as common as Starbucks coffee houses.

Wine clubs are created for many reasons. For one, there are the advantages of membership for wine drinkers. Many people join so that they are able to take advantage of group or special pricing that is available to members only. Other people just want to enjoy the variety that comes with receiving a new, vintage or vineyard each month. Of course, a great many wine clubs begin because the members seek the social interaction and the joy that comes with sharing their favorites with other like minded individuals.

Wine clubs are an invaluable source of information about the varieties, vintages and wineries worldwide. There are clubs in practically every country that are devoted to their native wines, and other clubs around the world seek out the new flavors by exploring wines imported from elsewhere. French clubs investigate wines from Australia (though they don't admit it!), and Italians and Spaniards review wines from California, many that are made by relatives with family ties that go back generations.

Some wine clubs are very new, while others were started over 100 years ago. Often the experts that founded or joined these clubs have comparable knowledge and experience, regardless of the age of the organization. These experts are able to provide valuable advice about wine glass preparation, tasting methods or home winemaking tips, as well as recommendations for the best whites, reds or dessert wines.

There are clubs that are devoted exclusively to the product of a particular winery, often having been founded by the owners themselves. These specialists can provide you with early information about their own harvests, so enthusiasts can look forward to sampling some of the finest wines these entrepreneurs have to offer in the coming years. These wine clubs often will make certain wines available exclusively for club members and at reduced prices.

One club is even dedicated to individuals who have sampled over 100 different wines — and the forum discussing the wines is very lively! Each member has tasted over 100 wines, so the total selection ranges in the several hundred, with some overlap.

But at the end of the day, all the clubs provide their members with the expertise and experience of some of the world's most knowledgeable and enthusiastic makers and drinkers of wine. And a mind-boggling amount of material it is.

The ease of sharing information worldwide and almost instantaneously, made possible by e-mail and the Internet, has produced a cornucopia of opinions about every aspect of wine. Debates rage about best vintage, pairing, vineyards, pros and cons of soil and climate types and on and on. Passions around political disagreements pale beside this United Nations of wine.

Fortunately, no wars have recently broken out, (some historians assert the influence of the grape is responsible in part for more than one!), but there are occasional skirmishes. Still, next time you're invited to attend that special event honoring the 'premier' of a new wine, leave the Kevlar vest at home. Just be prepared with some oenological (the study of wine) ammunition — and don't forget, the purpose is to enjoy!

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