I’m sure many of our readers have realised the benefits of being a wine club member of one of our fantastic Yass Valley wineries. If you love the delicious drops that our cool climate wine region produces, and you’re not a member of a local wine club, then you might be missing out.
Most of our local wineries offer some form of wine club membership. It’s a great way for producers to regularly connect with punters and keep engagement levels on simmer. Newsletters provide a canvas for producers to paint a picture of their trials and tribulations throughout the year. We get an insight into vintage conditions, an insider’s view on daily life in the winery and out in the vineyard, when a new vintage hits the streets or even the arrival of a new wine dog—all great stuff to keep a finger on the pulse of your favourite wineries.
One of the best reasons to be a wine club member is the financial one. Many of our local wineries offer their members significant discounts on wine purchases – up to 20% in some cases. That’s surely reason enough to sign straight up. Wine club members can receive discounts on regular deliveries of wine that are tailored to their tastes. For example, my autumn or winter wine delivery usually ramps up on red wines. In contrast, my spring and summer specials are primarily whites.
Just ask the winery what options there are to tailor to your taste buds. Whether you’re visiting their cellar door or getting your wine delivered, the members discount still applies.
Wine clubs also offer their members special offers. They might give you access to wines that are not generally available to the public, such as older vintages or wines that have become as rare as rocking horse doodoo. Cellar doors might have a special tasting area for members, providing them with a more intimate and personalised tasting experience. This is a great way to showcase our region to friends and family who are visiting.
Good wine clubs will also offer up special wine tasting or wine dinner experiences. I have been to several member-only tastings over the years where wineries pitch their wares against leading examples of variety or style from other regions in Australia or from across the globe. Such tastings are a great way to discover more about the wines you love. Wine dinners are a culinary combination of gourmet menus designed to complement their wines.
A fantastic way to meet new wine and food-loving friends, or just sit back, relax and soak in some of the finer things in life – that we all surely deserve.
So, sign up, save, and savour!
Cheers!
Brent Lello
