Have you ever discovered a vineyard in a wine region who only sell their wines direct to the public? So once you are back home, you won’t see their wines in your local bottle shop or liquor store? The Hunter Valley is full of these smaller vineyards who sell exclusively from their cellar door. How do you access their wine once you have left the valley? By joining a wine club of course!

All vineyards have a wine club. And it’s a very important part of their business! There is nothing better than a regular customer. And most of these vineyards work very hard to build up their member list. It’s not something you can do overnight, it can take many years.

What is a wine club? Well, membership is free, but it involves signing up to regularly receive cases of wine throughout the year. Usually 1 or 2 as a minimum. By committing to buying these cases, you are entitled to a member discount on your wines (often around 20-30%). You are also offered wine specials from time to time, as well as wines exclusively for members only. And there are usually wine events during the year such as lunches and dinners. 

How do you successfully build up your membership? Firstly, a vineyard must have great wine. Nobody is going to join a wine club unless they enjoy drinking the wine. You should also have enough variety to give plenty of options. No two palates are the same! And, most importantly, you must have a lovely bunch of people running your cellar door. Never underestimate the power of being likeable when you’re trying to sell something. All the best wine sales go towards the wine presenters who are interested, engaging, polite, funny and knowledgable.

So next time you are in The Hunter Valley, or any other wine region for that matter. And you would like to keep a personal connection to your favourite vineyard once you are long gone. Consider joining a wine club! Everybody wins. You help support a passionate small business and you get lovely wines delivered to your door at discounted prices each year!

Need help finding once of these deserving vineyards? Never fear, that’s where we fit in. Join one of our Hunter Valley tours and let us introduce you to your new best wine friend! Contact us here