American Wine Clubs by State... Birth of a Wine Club
The present popularity of the American wine club is no surprise, given the fact that the first local wine of the month club was created in California, in 1976.
You may never have heard of it, if you live outside California, but the
original Wine of the Month Club
was the first one offering door-to-door delivery of monthly wine selections. The oldest wine club of America is still running today.
The scene has altered a great deal since the times when Paul Kalimkiarian Senior would deliver hand-picked wines to his most faithful customers. The American wine club has flourished, not only in large wine production states like California or Washington, but also in other states with a much more modest output.
Western Glories
When it comes to American wine, the West is the best, as Jim Morrison put it. Though he wasn't talking about wine at all, the phrase has never been more accurate.
Of course, wine clubs are more abundant where wine production is bigger; especially because the bulk of the wine clubs in the market are associated to one winery or another.
The
California wine club
is only rivaled by the
Washington wine club
in both number and variety. While the
Oregon wine club
comes in third, as does the state's wine production. You'll see that it is much more common to find wine clubs devoted exclusively to wines produced in these states than anywhere else in the nation.
Beyond the Sunny State
This doesn't mean that there is nothing out there for you, for example if you are looking for a
Texas Wine Club
or a
Florida wine club.
In fact, wherever there is wine, there is a wine club; and, in America, where there are people, there is wine. :-)
Even small states with an insignificant wine production have wine clubs; the elusive
Massachusetts wine club
is living proof of that.
The truth is that you don't need to have a million wineries around to have a wine culture. Of course, when we talk about the
New York wine club
both things come together, as the big city's vibrant wine scene is not at odds with the size of the state's vineyards.
With 130 wineries to choose from, the
Virginia wine club
is also very common. In fact, there are several wine clubs exclusively dedicated to Virginia wines. That is not the case of the
Wisconsin wine club.
In this state with very unfavorable conditions for grape growing, you won't find a single club with a focus on local wines, unless we are talking about winery-based clubs.
For a state with a moderate production, the
Michigan wine club
is quite common. The bulk of the local clubs are greatly focused on wine education, with an emphasis on special publications and tasting events.
If you are interested in joining an
Illinois wine club
chances are you will end up finding one in Chicago. This cosmopolitan city offers many socially-oriented wine clubs, which agree with its active wine events' scene.
As wine production is currently growing at an unprecedented rate in many American states, the number of local wine clubs is also greatly increasing. American wine clubs are frequently popping up in states with a growing wine production, like
New Jersey
and Idaho; but they can also be found in places like Ohio and North Carolina, where vineyards are more scarce.
