Looking for a thoughtful gift for a New Jersey wine lover? Giving a membership to their favorite Garden State winery’s wine club is a perfect choice because it will keep on giving all year long. Wine club members receive allotments several times a year, and there are often special, exclusive perks that come along with a membership.
Three Tips to Keep in Mind When Choosing a Wine Club
When gifting a wine club, keep these things in mind and make sure your recipient also knows these three helpful tips.
Understand all the perks. Some wine clubs offer just wine. Others offer much more. Members may be eligible for free tastings when visiting the winery, discounts on food and other non-wine offerings at the winery, and first access to reservations for special events that will also be open to non-members.
Join a club that’s close to home. If you want to take advantage of all the extras such as special events and pick-up parties, join a wine club that’s within a reasonable driving distance. You’ll be more likely to take advantage of all the club membership has to offer.
Always open wine club emails. Many wine clubs offer more than just a shipment or pick up of allocations. Many clubs offer exclusive events at the winery, special pricing, and first chances to purchase limited-edition wines. Tell your gift recipient to always open their wine club emails so they don’t miss out on a single perk.
Seven New Jersey Wine Clubs to Consider
Not every local winery offers a wine club membership, but several do. We’ve chosen seven throughout the state, keeping the “join a club that’s close to home” tip in mind. We’ve summarized the basics of the club, but for complete details, visit the winery’s website.
If your gift recipient has a favorite winery that isn’t on this list, simply head to its website to find out if it has a wine club.
Villa Milagro Los Banditos de Villa Milagro Club
Warren County
Give the gift of partners in the crime of obsessive love of good food and wine with the Los Banditos de Villa Milagro Club from Villa Milagro. There are no regular shipments with this club, just tons of discounts and savings plus special treatment when you visit the winery.
Included in the club that’s for one or two people is $10 off wine tastings, 50% off tours, an additional 5% off all wine purchases on top of any other discounts, 5% off tickets to popular events, access to limited-production wines, an annual free dinner to meet other club members, a V.I.B. (Very Important Bandiditos) membership card, and more.
Old York Cellars Vintner’s Club
Hunterdon County
Old York Cellars Vintner’s Club has two membership tiers: The Virtual Cellar Plan and (a monthly plan) The Vinter’s Curated Plan (a semi-annual plan). Both tiers offer a silver or gold level with varying numbers of bottles and perks such as discounted reservations at the winery, 10% off non-club wine bottle purchases, 10% off food, merchandise, and booked private events, along with other various perks, including a yearly birthday tasting with up to six guests. Members also get first access to newly released wines and ticketed events.
Old York also offers an easy way to gift memberships that don’t lock the recipient into a whole year and may be more affordable for the giver because the memberships are for 3 or 6 months. There’s a three-month membership with one bottle a month for three months, and a six-month membership with one bottle a month for six months. The gift memberships come with many of the same perks as the year-long memberships, too.
Saddlehill Wine Club
Camden County
Saddlehill Cellars opened last spring, and its wine club came along a while later. There’s an excellent chance that the wine lover on your list doesn’t have a membership to any of the winery’s three levels of the Wine Club.
For the Saddlehill Wine Club, you choose 3, 6, or 12 bottles that arrive quarterly in September, December, March, and June, and you get to pick from a variety of wines each time, making it a truly customizable experience. The Trailblazer membership consists of 3 bottles a shipment, at 5% off a bottle. The Filly membership consists of 6 bottles a shipment, a free guided tasting for two, and a 10% coupon to use in Saddlehill’s market on non-wine items. The Stallion membership consists of 12 bottles a shipment, a free guided tasting for four, and a 15% coupon to use in the market on non-wine items.
White Horse Winery’s WHW Wine Club
Gloucester County
WHW Wine Club members receive four premium wines chosen by the winemaker three times a year (Fall, Winter & Spring/Summer). Additional perks include 15% off additional cases, 10% off individual bottle purchases, food boards, and wine glasses, plus invitations to exclusive events and barrel tastings. When available, club members also are invited to purchase Specialty Library Wines.
Cedar Rose Vineyards Select Case Club
Cumberland County
Cedar Rose’s Select Case Club offers multiple choices so you receive only as much wine as you want when you want.
Choose from the Dry Wine club, the Sweet Wine club, or the Reserve Red Wine club. Each option can be delivered quarterly or bi-annually and comes with a full or half-case option. The biannual memberships come with an option to ship in March and September or June and December shipments.
Membership fees vary per shipment. Full-case shipments receive a 20% case discount and free shipping. Half cases receive a 10% discount and $10 shipping. Or, choose to pick up the allotments at the winery.
Auburn Road Vineyards CSA
Salem County
Aurbun Road CSA (which stands for Community Supported Agriculture) doesn’t call itself a wine club, but it functions much like one. Four times a year, the winemaker and her assistant pre-select a special 12-bottle collection at 25% off for CSA members. The CSA is free to join and you can cancel at any time so you’re not locked in for the full year, but membership certainly has its perks beyond the discount on the quarterly allotment that can be picked up on allotment day or any day after.
Perks include tasting notes and a letter from the winemakers along with recipes to pair with the wines. Any additional wine purchased on allotment day is 25% and any additional cases of the wines of your choice are 25% at any time. There are discounts on merchandise, wine flights, and more. And, from time to time, offerings on exclusive wines not offered to the general public and exclusive events.
Cape May Winery Case Club
Cape May County
To become a member of Cape May Winery’s Case Club, you must purchase two full cases of wine within a calendar year. Once in the club, you must continue to purchase two full cases each calendar year.
The perks once you’re in the Case Club include discounts on cases (a case is 12 bottles purchased at the same time), additional discounts on cases, 10% off all single bottle purchases less than 12, complimentary glass of wine during Member Tasting Events, held three times a year. During these events, members receive a full 20% off any full cases purchased at the event.
