Sonoma Wine Club Options

Sonoma Wine Clubs...
Wines from Paradise Garden

Even if you are not a wine enthusiast, chances are you have heard of beautiful Sonoma, which is one of the most famous wine regions on the planet.

Grapes have been grown in Sonoma County since the beginning of the 19th century. And when California changed hands between Spain and the United States, the latter inherited the area's grape-growing tradition.

Today, there are over 250 wineries in the area. And you’ll find the local production is largely devoted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir grapes, the cultivation of which spreads throughout the enchanting hills and valleys of Sonoma's 13 designated American viticultural areas.

Top of the Wine Clubs

As authors Jim Arnold and Ingrid Larnis recently went all around beautiful Sonoma looking for the best Sonoma wine clubs, I will now focus on some of the wine clubs their research established as the top ones in the region, either in regards to originality and customer service, or pricing and good value.

The Gundlach and Bundshu Winery offers 3 different wine plans, the standard Womer for current releases, Rojos for reds, and Corcer for their limited editions.

As a club member your benefits include complimentary wine tastings, access to special events 4 times a year, and succulent discounts of 20-30% on all their wines.

The Roche Winery also features one of the better known Sonoma wine clubs, called the Carneros club. They offer 3-bottle shipments in a price range between $15 and $30 per bottle. Extra benefits include a VIP wine tasting for 5 special events, food pairing recipes, and even a discount on horseback riding tours! :-)

As Exclusive As It Gets

There are 4 different wine plans at J Vineyards: J Signature, J Experience, J Elegance, and J Luxe. The first 3 are regular wine club memberships, offering you J Vineyards' exclusive wines in a price range around $40-50 per bottle.

The ultimate exclusive Sonoma wine cub, J Vineyards' J Luxe program is an all-inclusive plan, limited to only 50 members, who have the chance to enjoy all the pleasures of the J Winery's estate and its yields.

The Kendall-Jackson Wine Club at Kendall Jackson Wine Estates offers you small-production Malbec, Rosé, and Cabernet Franc, plus limited releases from the winery's Vintner's Reserve line. Two bottles are sent to you monthly at a set price of $40 plus shipping, including wine notes and a newsletter.

There is also another wine plan at Kendall Jackson called the Kendall-Jackson Estates Wine Club, which will give you, as a member, access to their Highland Estates and Stature collections of cellar-worthy wines at a cost of $60-120 for each 2-bottle shipment.

As a member of either of these clubs, you'll receive invitations to special events such as the Wine Club Holiday Reception and the Annual Heirloom Tomato Festival (sounds like fun!).

Beauty and Charm

As you can see, there are almost as many great Sonoma wine clubs as there are great Sonoma wines; enough to have someone write a book about it!

Judging by a couple of Sonoma Cabernets tried on a friend's terrace in LA some years ago, that is to say a lot.

My advice is that you go around the wineries a bit too, while trying to make up your mind between the different Sonoma wine club options. They all have comprehensive websites and all, but the beauty and charm of this wine region very well justifies a visit.