Since Winter has stubbornly succumbed to Spring, I'll be navigating to Northern Virginia and Maryland wineries testing
theCompass Winery Brewery Distillery Locator. Despite traveling the wine roads for over a decade, I've never joined a wine case club. No particularly reason; but I think this is the year. Thus, I've researched local NOVA and MD wineries that offer clubs and asked for suggestions from the well informed members of the
Virginia Wine Mafia Facebook group. Here are a few of their suggestions (plus a few hints from proactive wineries). Beneath that is a list of the wine club benefits for almost 30 Virginia and Maryland wineries. Cheers and safe travels.
Anthony Marocco of Virginia Pour House
By far the best wine club in the state has to be Rappahannock Cellars.
Two bottles a month, flat rate 50 bucks, club appreciation events, and
to top it ALL they offer 50% off ALL cases mixed or matched for all club
members. So if you buy 12 bottles 6 at 30 bucks and 6 at 10 bucks, your
price is 15 bucks for six and 5 bucks for the other six. How can you
beat that? It allows for people to be able to afford to drink Virginia
wine nightly if they choose rather than having to go to Trader Joe's.
Vicki Fedor North Gate Vineyards
No
signup fee. 3 bottles every quarter, winemakers' choice, but you can
switch out. 15% off that allotment. Pickup parties with extra tastings,
barrel tastings, food, winemaker presentation. Any other time: 2 free
tastings per visit, one group of 4 free tastings per quarter, 10% off
bottles, 15% of 6 packs, 20% off cases. We're beginning to off after
hours club only events, and have made several wines (with more to come)
for members only. Members get discounted rentals.
Erica Johansson
I'm a member of Breaux Vineyards, Sunset Hills Vineyard & Winery, Fabbioli Cellars, and Hiddencroft Vineyards
. They are all excellent clubs in what they offer, and the deals that
they offer. One thing that is different among them is Hiddencroft's.
It's a one time purchase of a case of wine...and you're a club member (2
free tastings each visit, and I forget what the discount on wine is?).
But that's it. There's no further commitment required and you're still a
case club member.
Silvia Miller, wine educator at Breaux Vineyards
We have 2 bottles every other month and the price is still the same since 2005 . And for the month of release you have the 20% discount of your current release, complementary tasting and more.
Kurt & Carol Jenson of Wine About Virginia
Our
first was North Gate (see Vicki's post) and currently we also belong to
Keswick, 3 bottles each quarter; Gadino, 2 bottles each quarter, and
Breaux. We have been case club members (buy a case at one time, you are
in for a year) of Linden for a couple years, and for the last year of
Glen Manor. Plus Arterra.
_____________________________________________________________________
868 Estate Vineyards (Purcellville, VA)
The Vine Case Club
- Quarterly shipments of the winemaker’s
choice of wines which will include a selection of world trend wines,
local Virginia wines and wines from 868. (The cost will be between $65 –
$85 plus s&h unless you choose to pick up the wines at 868 Estate.)
- A free standard tasting for yourself and a guest when you visit us at the vineyard
- A 10% discount on purchased wine and merchandise, excluding original art from our gallery
- A 20% discount on case purchases on event nights for The Vine
- Email notification of special events and promotions
- Our quarterly newsletter with features, wine and food pairings, tips and special offers
Arterra Wines (Delaplane, VA) The Vintage Priority Club or the Red White and Blue Club
- The Vintage Priority Club — Premium Reds: You will be invited to a
futures tasting annually in the cellar with winemaker Jason Murray,
where you will taste and choose your selection of wines for the year.
While some younger drinking wines may be bottled but not released,
others will still be in barrel, and others will be blended in stainless
steel tanks in preparation for bottling. This is a unique experience.
The initial 2013 offers Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and
Tannat. Varietals and quantities may change yearly, but potentially
include Petit Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and our Reserve blend. (The
wines will be sold at retail price. Attendance of the Futures Tasting
will have an additional fee, but is not mandatory. Your ranking of
choice of varietals and quantities will guide our allocation, but exact
allotment cannot always be guaranteed due to fluctuations in vineyard
yields that limit potential volumes of each individual wine — however,
overall production of the wines in the future derived from vineyard
blocks will be aimed towards matching club member preferences.)
-
The Red, White, & Blue Club: As a thanks and tribute to the great
people of America that rallied to help establish our business, and the
amazing United States Department of Agriculture loans and grants that
facilited our launch and left us thankful to be in the “Land of
Opportunity,” the Red, White, & Blue Club further showcases the
diversity of this great land, offered in metaphor as a diverse selection
of our wines. Your annual allocation will include four bottles of Red
wine, four bottles of White wine, and four bottles of Blueberry Apple
Wine. Participation in this club is also very limited, due to minimal
production of white wines at Arterra. The wines will be sold at retail
price.
Barrel Oak Winery (Delaplane, VA) BOW Club
- Membership is only $195 for 2 years and includes
- 15% off all glass, bottle and case wine purchase
- Free BOW tasting for up to 8 individuals upon the Owner’s visit to the winery. (If a party greater than 8 is planned, please call BOW first to inquire about space availability)
- Free Vintage Piedmont Lifetime membership
- Special private club member parties from June to September
Black Ankle Vineyards (Mt. Airy, MD)
- Members opt to receive either four, six, or twelve bottles of wine, four times each year
- Access to limited production wines not available to the general public
- Exclusive opportunity to receive new wines before release to the public, retailers, and restaurants
- Complimentary tasting for Club Members and guests during visits to our tasting room
- Special invitations to members only events
Boordy Vineyards (Hydes, MD) The Landmark Club
- Receive the new vintage of every Landmark Series wine, including Reserve wines.
- Highly limited production wines will be set aside for Landmark Club members.
- Included
in your quarterly wine packages will be a newsletter written for the
Landmark Club by winemaker Tom Burns, vineyard manager Ron Wates, and
owner Rob Deford; detailed tasting notes; and delicious recipes custom
made for each wine.
- Pickup parties with
- Wine
activities such as tasting young wines straight from the barrel;
vertical tastings of previous vintages; sales from Boordy's library of
wines; and sales of limited release wines.
- Complimentary wine tastings at Boordy Vineyards for four people per visit.
- 10%
off all Boordy wines purchased at the winery, Boordy's festival tent,
or farmer's market booth - good for single bottle purchases or more.
- No membership fee.
Boxwood Winery (Middleburg, VA) Wine Club
- Two shipments a year in Spring & Fall
- Discount on purchases the day you join:
- 20% Discount: Platinum Plus, Platinum, & Gold Levels
- 10% Discount: Silver Level
- Discount during membership year
- 15% case discount
- 10% bottle discount
- Member Referral Program
- New release priority
- Exclusive quarterly events for Club Members
- Advance notification of all wine events at the Winery & Wine Bars
Chrysalis Vineyards (Middleburg, VA) VIP Wine Club
- Enjoy Chrysalis Vineyards premium wine selections hand selected by our winemaker,
every month! This includes
one white and red wine
, a total of 2 wines
–
or
–
you
may also choose the option of “White Only”,
“Red Only”
or “No
Sweet” membership,
pick
-
up or ship
, in
-
state and out,
AND
w
e hold your wines
for
up to
six
months.
- Save 15%
on
all wine, food,
gift
purchases
+ facility rentals
,
regardless of quantity purchased
every visit.
- Visit our tasting room as often as you
like for
4
c
omplimentary Reserve Tasting
s
!
•
Attend both our
Hottest Cool Jazz Festival
(spring)
and
Norton Wine and
Bluegrass Festival
(fall) for
FREE.
- Attend our monthly
VIP Pick
-
Up
P
arties
catered
ONLY
to our club members for complimentary food pairings for
your wines
-
of
-
the
-
month and “VIP Tastings” that include wines that are not
regularly tasted.
- Receive
6
complimentary Reserve Tastings
with a birthday cake every year for your birthday!
- Attend our annual
VIP Club Appreciation Party
expressly
held
for all
active
members
for
free
, which includes
wine
-
by
-
the
-
glass, catered food and live music
!
(Must be active for 3 months and/or purchase
the previous
3 VIP
Club
shipments)
- Have priority over new vintages
before
they are released to the
general
public.
- Receive
special
VIP
Club
-
only
wine selections
crafted
from our finest lots,
specifically
for
you.
- Enjoy
exclusive
recipes
and tasting notes
each month
catered to compliment
your wines
-
of
-
the
-
month.
- Sign up your friends or family, and if they join, receive a
25% discount on a future purchase.
Delaplane Cellars (Delaplane, VA) Wine Club
As a club member you will have access to our members-only retreat
where you will enjoy comfortable seating in an adult-only, serene
atmosphere. Seasonal releases are accompanied by tasting notes from the
owner and winemaker, Jim Dolphin, along with food pairing recipes, many
of which come from the kitchens of local chefs.
- Three bottle release each season
- Priority notice on all wine events, new releases, special offers and
access to limited release, small lot and special reserve wines.
- Members-only Barrel Tastings
- Preferred pricing on library wines
- Complimentary periodic wine and food pairings with library or newly released wines.
Winemaker’s Dozen Club Membership Benefits:
- Four complimentary wine tastings per visit for club members in the tasting room.
- 20% discount on all wine bottle purchases
- 15% discount on merchandise in the tasting room
- 15% discount on all Local Light Fare in the tasting room
- Delaplane Cellars Winemaker’s Dozen Club membership cards
Doukenie Winery (Hillsboro, VA) Heritage Club
-
15% off every bottle
-
Flexibility: Select any of our wines, and change your selections at any time
-
20% off all wine after two full years of membership
-
30% discount per case of our Blue Cap Collection
-
Automatically scheduled shipments (to your home or office) or pick ups at the Winery
-
Complimentary tastings for 2 on one membership in our Tasting Room
-
Private Tastings for 4 on one membership in our exclusive Heritage Club Room. Reservations required
-
Invitation Only Status to our Wine Club exclusive events
-
Receive newsletters with interesting wine facts from our winemaker, and updates about the club
-
One free ticket to each of our annual Spring and Fall Music Concerts
-
Private dinners for Heritage Club members only
Elk Run Vineyards (Mt. Airy, MD)
- Two (2) complimentary tastings of 6 wines for each visit to the winery
- Exclusive opportunity to receive new wines before release to the public
- Quarterly newsletter updating you on new wines, pairing recipes, and happenings at Elk Run
- Six wines, 10% discount.
- Second six each year 15% discount.
- Continue to buy six bottles each year and you will continue to get 15% discount.
- Two (2) complementary tastings of 6 wines at each visit to the Winery.
Gadino Cellars (Washington VA)
-
Two Gadino Cellars wines every three months at discounted prices (one red and one white).
- Reserve wines available only to club members.
- Includes club discounts of 10% off 11 bottles or less and 20% off 12 or more for your wine purchases when visiting the winery.
Glen Manor Vineyards (Front Royal, VA)
-
Membership is automatic with the purchase of 12 bottles or more and lasts for 12 months from the date of purchase. Each time an additional case, 12 bottles, are purchased your membership is again extended for 12 months.
- Complimentary tasting room wine tastings for club members and their guests, up to a party limit of six.
- Exclusive invitation to all Glen Manor wine events such as our Spring Barrel Tasting and comparative tastings in our cellar.
- Early notice on wine releases and notification when wines are close to selling out.
- An allocation of each of their wines for club members purchase only.
- Certain limited production wines allocated exclusively to club members.
- Early notification of all offsite Glen Manor events, such as vintner dinners, seminars or other tasting venues.
Hillsborough Vineyards (Purcellville, VA) Frequent Winer Club
- 20% discount off all of our wines
including limited and reserve releases.
- Free bottle of
wine for every person you refer that joins the Frequent Winer family.
- Complimentary
tastings in our Tasting Room
- Frequent Winers and
one guest also receive free admittance to one of the scheduled Barrel
Tasting events, held by our winemaker Kerem Baki.
Mediterranean Cellars (Warrenton, VA) Winemaker's Selection
-
Discounts: 10% discount on all purchases; 15% discount for 1-3 cases; 20% for 4 or more cases
-
Quarterly shipments of three bottles of the winemaker’s
selection. As a member, you can elect to pick up the wine at the
winery, or have it shipped to you.
-
Complimentary tastings; free wine tastings for the member and one guest.
- Sneak previews and tastings of our new releases before they become available to the general public.
- Special offerings throughout the year.
- Recipes to accompany our wines, featured with each quarterly selection.
North Gate Vineyards (Purcellville, VA)
- No
signup fee.
- 3 bottles every quarter, winemakers' choice, but you can
switch out. 15% off that allotment.
- Pickup parties with extra tastings,
barrel tastings, food, winemaker presentation.
- Any other time: 2 free
tastings per visit, one group of 4 free tastings per quarter, 10% off
bottles, 15% of 6 packs, 20% off cases.
- We're beginning to off after
hours club only events, and have made several wines (with more to come)
for members only.
- Members get discounted rentals.
Old Westminster Winery (Westminster, MD) Cru Club
- The Cru is based on quarterly wine allocations thoughtfully selected
by our winemaker and an annually-crafted custom blend, Cru Cuvée. On
pick-up day, enjoy a gratis glass of your favorite wine, taste new
releases and connect with other members. It’s free to join and you can
modify your wine allotment via the member’s area of our website. No
strings attached!
- Complimentary tastings at the winery
- Annual vintage release party invitations
- Special pricing on wine purchases
Paradise Springs Winery (Clifton, VA)
- Complimentary tastings for you and up to 3 guests (4 people total)
- 15% off all wine purchases (20% off cases)
- 20% discount on current wine selections for first 30 days (25% on cases)
- Quarterly pick-up events for members only
- Priority reservations for wine dinners and in-house events
- Host your private event and apply your membership discounts on wine
- All members receive a PSW Black Card
- Winemaker selected wines including occasional selections crafted exclusively for the club
- Welcome package to include PSW frameable print.
Pearmund Cellars (Broad Run VA) Old Vine Club
- 30% off your purchase of 3+ bottles of wine at registration
- Pick-Up Parties for Wine Club Members only, featuring a free tasting of selected wines and cheese platter
- Voucher for 2 complimentary tastings with each wine club pick-up or shipment
-
All club wine packaged in exclusive 4-bottle Pearmund Cellars wine totes
-
Access to unique wines exclusively for Wine Club Members
-
Members-only newsletter with tasting notes
-
Bring a friend with you to enjoy Pearmund Cellars wine… If your
friend joins our Wine Club, you receive 30% off that day’s purchase of
3+ bottles
-
$60 + tax for each 3-bottle package, 4 times per year. Pick-up or shipment ($5/bottle)
- Harvest Release Party
- Invites to wine dinners throughout the year.
- Participate in harvest and join the team for Friday lunches in the fall.
- Invitations to RdV hosted events at the winery exclusive to only Ambassadors.
- Exclusive ability to host private tastings in the Wine Library, Lab or Private Tasting Salon
- The first Friday of every month we host a casual cocktail party with various themes.
- Access to our second wine, Friends & Family, which is reserved just for Ambassadors.
- Joining is as simple as buying some wine. Ambassadorships come in two forms:
- 6 Pack – two bottles of Lost Mountain, four bottles of Rendezvous (Plus tax, shipping and handling)
Rocklands Farm (Poolesville, MD)
- 3-6-12 bottle plans
- 10% Discount on All Wine Purchases
- Special Discounts on Quarterly Club Purchases
- 50% Off Wine Tastings (up to 6 Guests) Each Time You Visit
- Exclusive Annual Barrel Tasting and Tour Invitations
- Provision of Tasting Notes of Each Quarterly Selection, Plus Rocklands Garden Recipes to Compliment Each Wine and Its Pairings
- Exclusive Access to First Releases
Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard (Dickerson, MD) Bacchus Club
-
3 bottles of wine/quarter Winemaker's selection (shipments will always be a $65 or greater retail value)
-
10% off all retail purchases in the tasting room
-
Half price tastings for you and your guests
-
Two free tickets to our Stomp Festival
-
Invitation to quarterly pick up parties
-
Invitation to barrel tastings, reservations required, space is limited
-
Exclusive "Bacchus Club Only" wines
- Bacchus Club Only express register on select busy days and festivals
- Delivery within Maryland available for an additional $15
Sunset Hills Vineyard & Winery (Purcellville, VA) Cellar Club
- Two bottles of wine bi-monthly and
receive discounts on food and wine purchases, event tickets and
merchandise.
- Access to exclusive wine selections.
- Special access in the upper loft and deck areas
of our winery and the privilege to bring groups with advanced
reservation.
Tarara Vineyard & Winery (Leesburg, VA) Artisan Red, Artisan White, Artisan Single Vineyard or Artisan Winemaker's Select
- Four times a year, a trio (3) of Tarara’s wines selected by Jordan
Harris, Tarara’s winemaker, including pre-release and Vine Club
exclusives.
- Convenience of having Tarara wine on hand for impromptu occasions.
- 15% discounts on wine purchases at the Winery and online
- Quarterly Vine Club newsletters detailing your wines, pairing recipes and updating you on the happenings at Tarara
- Invitations to exclusive members-only events, including package “pickup parties”.
- Six (6) complimentary wine tastings each quarter (or 3 tastings for 2)
- Priority notice for new releases and special offers
- 50% Savings on Premier Tasting Experience
- A Vine Club manager dedicated to assisting you with selections and inquiries
Veramar Vineyard (Berryville, VA) Estate Wine Club
- 2-Bottle Shipments pre-selected and automatically shipped six times a year.
- Cost of each shipment is $38 plus tax and shipping.
- No tasting fees for you and a guest.
- 15% Discount on tasting room merchandise.
- 15% Discount on wine bottle purchases.
- 15% Discount on cases of wine.
- 15% Discount to Veramar events(excludes weddings, rehearsals, and corporate events).
- Notification of early and limited releases, recipes, and access to library wine stock purchasing.
- Invitations to exclusive programs and events created especially for Estate Club members.
Vineyards At Dodon (Davidsonville, MD)
- Pre-release access to limited production wines.
- Allocations of two 6 bottle releases per year.
- 10% per bottle discount on all purchases.
- Invitations for two people to wine dinners & events.
- Tasting and social hour for members on designated allocation pickup days.
- Free delivery within 20 miles.
- Access to our tasting room for private group tastings followed by a social hour.
Willowcroft Farm Vineyards (Leesburg VA) “Press”tige Club
- Complimentary tasting for 2 or a free
glass of wine upon each visit to the tasting room
- Bi-monthly shipments
of two Willowcroft wines hand-selected by our winemaker, Lew Parker
- Two planned evening socials elusively for club members.
Winery at La Grange (Haymarket, VA) Benoni's Reserve Wine Club
- 10% off 1-5 bottles or 20% off 6+ bottles purchased at the Manor House
- 10% off all merchandise in the Manor House Gift Shop
- 10% off facility rental prices for private events
- One Complimentary tasting card for two per delivery
- A bottle of our Reserve Sparkling Wine when you join
- 50% off facility rental price for your birthday at the winery
The Winery at Olney (Olney, MD) VINO1800 Wine Club
- 10% all batches of wine (During our annual
Christmas in July sale, members will receive 25% off all batches whereas
non-members will only receive 15% off)
- 15% off all cases of wine
- 5% off all individual bottles & glasses of wine
- Two complimentary bottles of wine each month
selected by our Wine Maker. One of the two bottles will be an
exclusive varietal of wine not presented to other customers. These
wines will be available for pick-up on a designated day each month. NOTE:
If you prefer to have the wines shipped to you within the state of
Maryland, there will be an additional shipping fee of $12.95 added to
your monthly membership fee.
- Two complimentary custom label designs annually (a $50 value)
- A members-only quarterly e-publication highlighting exclusive member specials and information about The Winery
- Invitations to two semi-annual VINO1800 Wine Club events, featuring wine flights, hors d’oeuvres, and entertainment.
We continued our #VABreweryChallenge by visiting two Loudoun County breweries Old 690 Brewing Company (Purcellville) and Mad Horse Brewpub (Lovettsville). On January 21st, 2015 Old 690 celebrated the repeal of Prohibition of Loudoun farm breweries as the county's Board of Supervisors approved allowing breweries on farms provided they use crops grown on site in the brewing process. Old 690 satisfies this requirement by growing hops behind the brewery. At the tasting bar, we settled on splitting an eleven beer sampler, reveling in the diversity of their portfolio. Chris and I agreed on their two IPAs (21 Session & Bitter Neighbor) and the Stoner Point Smoked ale whereas I also liked the 690 Beer (Blonde ale) and Happy Neighbor Tripel. With two large screen TVs showing March Madness, GK's BBQTruck, and a fire pit - this is a brewery to camp out. 
Lovettsville is a scenic 15 minute ride from Old 690 and Mad Horse is located in a renovated funeral home near the Community Center. Brewer, Tom Troxell utilizes a 7bbl mash/tun and brew kettle and several 7bbl fermenters. Instead of a sampler, Chris continued with an IPA, the Mad Falcon IPA and I settled on the Resurrection Pale Ale. Both were clean, hoppy, and refreshing. Next time I'll hit the blonde ale, hefeweisen, brown ale. The food at Mad Horse matches Lovettsville's German heritage - so go with the bratwurst and Bavarian pretzel. And for the winos, the brewpub offers a few wines from North Gate Vineyards, ironically located yards from the turnoff to Old 690. Cheers and safe travels. 
