What Makes a Good Wine Club
The number of wine subscription club have grown massively over the past few years thanks to the rise of online wine retail and convenience.
Competition is fierce, so what should you look out for when subscribing to a wine club?
How do you know which subscription is right for you?
There are some simple things to consider to make sure you’re joining the right club.
Are the wines really that special?
The point of a wine subscription service is to discover wines that can’t be found anywhere else.
They’re hand-selected by specialists that are potty about Pinot or crazy about Cabernet.
The people who select the wines at Ourglass are personally invested in the wines they choose and will always offer you the best wine available for your money. That means exclusives, small batch and lesser-known regions, as well as the big beasts and trendsetters.
What wine?
Some clubs specialise in wines from boutique or organic producers, others focus on specific regions. Some cater to a wider cross-section of wines from multiple regions.
Do you want a subscription with a wide price range? Or will you always be buying at a similar price range?
Consider the prices and types of wines being offered and make sure a club’s range fits with your expectations.
How can I know I’ll get what I want?
Why sign up to a subscription service when you can just pick the bottles yourself?
Well, the point of joining a club is to explore new territory and try bottles you wouldn’t pick yourself, by putting your faith in the hands of an expert. That means you need to trust that what they send you will be to your tastes.
Ourglass assigns every subscriber their own personal wine advisor to make sure they’re getting the most out of their subscription. We want to bring you out of your comfort zone, while ensuring an enjoyable experience.
Show me the money – cost is a crucial factor
Most wine lovers are prepared to pay a premium for well-sourced, keenly priced wines, but even the most ardent of wine lovers need a break sometimes.
Is your contract fixed or rolling? Can you take a break from payments? Flexibility is key.
Ourglass offers six subscription levels, designed for the first time wine explorer, and the most experienced connoisseur. And if anything changes, you can press pause, change, or cancel your subscription at any time.
Aren’t delivery services bad for the environment?
Subscription services are convenient and cost-effective, but can be damaging to the environment.
The best services will try to mitigate this impact. Ourglass offers carbon neutral delivery and 100% recyclable packaging as standard.
What promises does your wine club make?
What else am I getting?
Ah the extras, the juicy bonus that makes any deal that much sweeter.
These can include all kinds of treats, but are crucial to getting the most out of a wine subscription. The best wine clubs will offer detailed tasting and food pairing notes to guide you through your wines.
Other bonuses could include exclusive content from top writers, curated playlists to accompany your wines, or free access to events and tastings. It’s the little things that make a subscription special.
So what now?
Ready to try things for yourself? Expand your wine horizons with our thoughtfully curated wine subscription packages. It's rather like upgrading from reading the album review vs. actually hearing the band live – the whole things comes alive.
Also don't miss our piece exploring what makes good wine good.