A PYOW (Pick Your Own Wine) Club
I don’t have to tell you that there are a lot of wine clubs out there – and most of them don’t allow you to pick the wines that you receive. Lately I’ve noticed a trend that puts the consumer in charge. Club W does just that. It is a wine club focused on bringing consumers value wines without being pretentious or telling you what you should drink based on some “expert’s” palate. It allows you to choose the wines based on your taste and have them shipped directly to your door.
Club W asked me to experience why their way of doing things is different. As part of the process, I filled out a Palate Profile, a questionnaire that helps Club W choose wines matched to my tastes. Once I submitted the questionnaire, twelve wines were recommended to me and I choose three for shipment. All of the wines are $13 retail, so your subscription is $39 plus a flat rate of $6 for shipping. If six or more bottles are ordered, shipping is free.
While one of my original choices was out of stock, there were 11 other wines that I could select. I ended up with the following:
- 2009 Wolf Den Chenin Blanc – this was a lush white full of tropical fruit like pineapple and banana with notes of vanilla. I thought it was a great Summer white.
- 2009 Mas de Bayle VdP des Collines de la Mare Rouge – a nice little French red with berry, spice and notes of mocha.
- The Messenger Red #1 – chocolate, blackberry and notes of oak, cherry and mocha. The no vintage blend was a favorite of the group gathered to taste.
The club also has wine choices of “still available” from past selections and “curator’s choice,” wines that are offered for $19, a slightly higher price point. After you receive and taste your shipments, you can post your wine ratings so Club W can further customize your selections.
The mission of Club W is to take the guesswork and pretention out of enjoying wine at a value price point. You’ll find no jargon or ratings, but the ability to discover what it is that you like without breaking the bank. Each bottle also comes with a QR code that links back to Club W content, which includes video reviews of the wines that are accessible from the Club W mobile app.
The Club W people were nice enough to offer Dallas Wine Chick readers a free $13.00 credit, which is basically 1 bottle of free wine, if you sign up. Use this URL and enter a coupon code of 411dallas.
I hope you enjoy the journey.
