This has been a hot topic of conversation on the socials for a little while leading up to this post. I asked for suggestions of wine clubs you belong to, that you would recommend, and then I went on a mission. I’m committed to bringing you the best in wine. You’re welcome, it’s a tough job but someone has to do it. Obviously. But how did that adventure into the depths of interwebs wine country go?
So. Much. Wine. Short version.
I trawled the interwebs for the best deals, the stand out places to order wine, via some kind of a club, in Australia. The first thing I learned about the ‘new school’ of wine clubs is that there are a number of ways to participate. Hence, why I added boxes to the title. Some don’t even require you to subscribe, but you can still access a seasonal box or ‘sampler’ type selection. Fun, right?
Each wine club or membership has its own unique way of doing things and for most of them, you can tailor what you receive to suit your tastes. Waaay essential. Actually, that was THE number one reason for giving up wine clubs according to the folks on Facebook; too many wines you didn’t like and/or drink. Well, the new school has you covered. Ready to check it out?
New school wine clubs + boxes
6ft6 Wine/Austins & Co
Boasting a range of sample and gift boxes, I’ve worked with these guys on a giveaway for the blog previously, and everyone LOVES this wine. I can personally vouch for the Prosecco, the Rosé and Sav Blanc after they ran the bar for the last Plus Fashion Week in Melbourne. Believe me, I more than sampled the range. So good. It’s not a subscription box, but from what I can see, their gift box contents change regularly so it’s a choose your own adventure type thing. Check them out and support an Australian, family-run company. Plus, striped bottles. Hello.
Good Pair Days
I found these guys on Instagram and fell in love with their branding too. I’m a branding geek, what can I say. After a little investigation, they do boxes WITH a guarantee that if you don’t like a bottle selected by your wine advisor, they will replace it the next month no questions asked. That’s a win. To quote directly from their website each month our three-time Australian Somm. of the Year sends our wine squad on a personalised wine adventure, with three delicious bottles, matching recipes and the stories behind each winemaker. Sounds good, yeah? This is the box that I signed up for. And If you end up doing the same, I’ll get a free bottle. Win/won. Haha.
Black Sheep Club
Brought to you by Hugh Hamilton of McLaren Vale Wines this is an exclusive members club with a selection made monthly {you can choose as few as two deliveries per year}. The membership of the Black Sheep Club comes with some other members-only benefits including access to exclusive releases, newsletters and behind the scenes access to the winery. Sounds like fun I enjoy a good wine tour. Black Sheep also offers a replacement guarantee ensuring that you get the wine you enjoy. Love that.
CRFT 100
One of the team on the Facebook page, the owner I believe, put me on to this club. And again, can I just say how strong this branding is for me? Swoon. Anyway. This is an exclusive 100 member club {yes, there’s still room for you} and when you join you receive the pack of exclusive wines shown above. Score. As a member, you continue to get access to their wine first, club discounts and VIP invites. CRFT wines are based in the Adelaide Hills, so it’s a chance to invest in Australians making really beautiful wines. Plus, they’re part of Team Suger, that’s worth some love.
Naked Wines
The Naked Wines wine club is called the Naked Angels, so you really can’t argue with that. Created to support independent winemakers I’ve purchased from Naked Wines directly before and if there was ever a club I’d join, this would probably be the one. To quote directly from their website, our Angels support independent winemakers by investing $40 a month into their Naked Wines account, to spend whenever they want – in return for discounts, freebies, exclusive wines and more. See how that works? Plus, as with all the clubs there are bonuses to be had. And let me tell you, the Engine Room, The Mechanic Shiraz is pretty freaking great.
VinoMofo
VinoMofo came onto my radar a wine ago because of a story I read online outlining their business development story. If I remember where I’ll update the link. These guys are crushing it and their wine club came up over and over again when I asked. They currently have two levels of clubs with a third coming soon. They say “There’s no lock-in contract and no bullshit. You just pick a club that works for your budget, personalise it to suit your tastes and decide how often you need your wine delivered. And before you ask, daily isn’t an option. Yet.” Daily, now that would be dangerous.
And there you go, team! Hopefully, this fulfils all your wine requirements for a little while. Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried any of these suppliers {or others!} so we can get a bit of a conversation going to support those who are buying. Until next time, cheers!
Photos via my Prosecco + Mixed Berries Cocktail post – Yum
Hi! I’m Melissa Walker Horn. Around here, they call me Suger. I’m the Chief Blogger and doer of all the things here at Suger Coat It. Blogging since 1901; I love a casual ootd, taking photos, and writing about things that irk or inspire me. I love wine and cheese, long days at the beach and spending time with my family. I make stuff for the internet over at Chalkboard Digital. You know, living the sweet life.
I used to be subscribed to Naked Wines and they were great! I had some absolutely delicious wines from them (including that Engine Room, The Mechanic Shiraz – yum!!). I loved being able to ‘shop’ for wine from my big delivery box in my PJs when I felt like a glass or ran out and needed to crack another bottle 😉 The good and bad thing about these wines is that they’re not available anywhere else which is all fun and exclusive when you’re part of the club, but a bit sad when you can’t afford to be in the club any more and you can’t buy your fave bottle from the bottle-o. I did really enjoy picking out my bottles for my next box and then having them delivered to my door. Always with some great extras. Maybe when my budget isn’t so tight I’ll get back into it.
I hear you on that. I miss that Shiraz something terrible. *sobs* My problem with shopping from that box at home was knowing when one more glass was not a great idea. Haha. This girl needs to find that off switch.
Haha YES! Me too.
😉
A US based podcast I listen to now uses a kind-of wine club so you can drink the exact wine along with them. It’s freaking genius. Me on the other hand drinks so little after the past few years that I wish bottlers were smaller cos one lasts me at least a month haha.
Haha. I love that! Sounds like fun to me too. And you’d love NZ, at more than one restaurant I ordered a smaller bottle which was about two or three glasses worth. A tipsy lunch, or perfect to share. 😉