Club W is a monthly wine subscription that re-imagines the traditional wine club. Utilizing a “palate profile quiz” that you take when you join, Club W recommends bottles to suit your personal taste in wine. Each month, you make the decision whether to go along with their suggestions or choose your own bottles from their regularly changing assortment. If you don’t login to make your monthly bottle selection, your recommended wines will be sent by default. You can skip a month at any time.
The wines are sourced directly from vineyards and winemakers, which helps Club W avoid middlemen and secure better wine for less money. Direct to consumer shipping also means they are able to offer smaller, more unique wines than you’ll find in the grocery store.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Club W
The Cost: 3 bottles per month start at $39 + $6 flat rate shipping. (Shipping is free on orders of 6 or more bottles.)
The Products: 3, 6, or more bottles of small-lot wines sourced directly from vineyards and wine makers.
Ships to: All US states EXCEPT: AK, AL, AR, DE, HI, KY, MS, OK, PA, RI, DS, and UT
Check out our previous Club W Reviews or visit the Drink Subscription Box Directory for more boozy boxes!
Club W includes a tasting card for each of the wines in your shipment. Each card includes a description of the wine, tasting notes, and information about the flavor profile.
Printed on the back of each tasting card is a suggested recipe pairing.
2014 Zwicker Edelzwicker (Monterey, CA)– $13
2013 #TBT Syrah- $13
2014 Scarlet Smack Zinfandel-$13
Based on my answers to the “palate profile quiz,” Club W recommended these bottles. My tastes are fairly varied: I like everything from deep & earthy reds to light & lively whites. I usually prefer bold wines to those with more subtle flavors, which I indicated in my quiz, but I’m willing to try just about anything.
I received a bottle of 2014 Zwicker Edelzwicker in my first box from Club W. It’s a blend of 60% Riesling and 40% Gewurztraminer. I thought it was just okay, so I’m not thrilled to receive another bottle. If I’d realized I’d had it before, I could have logged into their website and swapped it out for a different bottle. I’ll need to keep a better eye out for repeat recommendations in the future.
#TBT has produced bottles for Club W before, and I received a #TBT Pinot Noir in a previous Club W shipment. I was a big fan of the Pinot Noir and was excited to try the Syrah. Syrah is grown around the world, and the climate in which it’s grown helps dictate whether it will be big and juicy or more earthy and reserved. This is a cool-climate wine, and Club W describes it as having “some earthy, floral, and oak-driven qualities” as well as some berry notes. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the #TBT Syrah as much as the Pinot Noir. For me, the flavor was a little muddy and a touch unpleasant.
According to Club W, the Scarlet Smack Zinfandel has “showy aromas of strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and vanilla [that] lead you to believe it’s going to be bursting with candied fruit flavor. But take a sip and you’ll notice how much more reserved this scarlet is.” Sadly, I wasn’t really a fan of this bottle, either. It was drinkable but definitely not the lip-smacker I was hoping for. I really like the label, though.
Each month, I look forward to trying at least one of the recipes that Club W recommends pairing with their wine. This month, I HAD to try making Dark Chocolate Doughnuts (the suggested pairing for the Scarlet Smack Zinfandel)!
This is a “sour milk” recipe, which is a vintage take on classic buttermilk doughnuts. I began by measuring out my ingredients and adding vinegar to milk, which caused it to curdle slightly.
I then made the doughnut dough according to the instructions.
I don’t have a designated “doughnut cutter,” so I cut out the doughnuts using a round biscuit cutter and then used a knife to cut out the “holes.”
In a deep saucepan, I heated oil to 375 degrees. When it was up to temperature, I began frying my doughnuts, cooking them for approximately 3 minutes on each side.
When they were cooked through, I transferred them to a paper towel and allowed them to cool.
To finish, I dipped the doughnuts in dark chocolate ganache and served them with a glass of Scarlet Smack Zinfandel.
The doughnuts were tasty and a lot of fun to make. Even though I wasn’t a big fan of the Zinfandel, I thought the doughnuts were a pretty good pairing. The chocolaty doughnuts brought out dark berry flavors in the wine, and I thought the wine tasted better alongside the doughnuts than it did on its own.
Verdict: This box from Club W wasn’t a hit with me. I accept that they can’t get it right every time, but I haven’t been very impressed with the wines I’ve been sent for the last couple of months. I think it may be time to update my quiz answers. Right now, my preferences are for big wines with bold flavors, and I think I might like to try some of the lighter offerings Club W has to offer (especially since I tend to drink more delicate wines in the summertime). Hopefully, changing up my profile will mean I’m a lot happier with my wine recommendations next month.
Do you subscribe to Club W? Which bottles did you receive this month?
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