Add New Life to Entertaining this Fall by Starting a Virginia Wine Club

October, 2002
Contact: Pamela Jewell
Virginia Wine Marketing Office
Phone: 804-786-0481
pjewell@vdacs.state.va.us

Denise Bird
CommuniQué Marketing
(804) 225-1800, ext. 16

RICHMOND, VA – Looking for a great way to meet neighbors, spend time with friends or spice up a traditional holiday gathering? Start a wine club featuring Virginia wines. Wine clubs, which are turning up all over the state, allow people to experience Virginia wines in an entirely new way by demystifying them. They give new and experienced wine enthusiasts alike the chance to consider color, complexity, body and bouquet in a relaxed setting, free from the intimidation factor that was once the very essence of the wine world.

Interest in wine clubs on the rise
“I am increasingly being approached by neighborhood groups about helping to put together Virginia wine tastings or clubs,” says Jeff Aumen, owner of the Wine Cellar, a retail wine store in Virginia. Aumen, who moved to Virginia from California, the perennial wine powerhouse, says, “Virginia wines are creating a whole new brand of wine drinkers. And as these folks demand higher quality wines, Virginia wineries are stepping up to the plate.”

Wine clubs take many forms
Anyone can start a wine club. Bob Wilcox, owner of Virginia Pantry
in Central Virginia, says, “Not only are we seeing new wine groups form, we’re also seeing other kinds of groups such as garden clubs, women’s clubs, neighborhood groups and corporate planners take a real interest in tasting Virginia wines.”

Wine club organizers are free to determine the style and nature of their club. There are many formats from which to choose. Some clubs opt to make their gatherings wine-only functions, for example, while others emphasize education such as the pairing of foods with wines.

Help is available from wine retailers
Many local wine retailers, both large and small, will conduct special tasting events for a wine club. “We hold wine tasting events for customers in our stores,” says Bev Cates, owner of Belle Kuisine in Richmond. “We also go to the clubs for tastings.” She says that clubs have an interesting array of Virginia wines to enjoy tasting. “Five years ago, Virginia was known mostly for its white wines. Now the state grows an incredible variety of grapes that make many different wines, including a large selection of red wines.”

For additional information on Virginia wines, visit these websites:

www.virginiawines.org. Offers a complete listing of all of the wineries in the state, as well as types of wine produced at each winery and where to purchase the wines. (You may also call the Virginia Wine Marketing Office at 1-800-828-4637 for this information.)

www.vawineclub.com. The Virginia Wine of the Month Club site offers an easy way to have Virginia wines delivered directly to your home. Those starting a wine club might consider basing their format on tasting the club’s selections each month. You may learn more about the club by calling 1-800-826-0534.

www.virginiawineguide.com. This comprehensive website includes bi-monthly newsletters with updates on Virginia wines and news on state wineries, tips for pairing wines with food and an opportunity to share your own experiences with Virginia wines. Those forming a club might focus on tasting the site’s recommended Virginia wines, or concentrate on wines from a particularly winery favored by the site.

www.aboutvirginiawine.com. Offers a complete laymen’s guide to Virginia wines. The site, run by two Virginia wine enthusiasts, provides a review of their visits to various wineries and reviews of Virginia wines. There is also a guestbook on the website that allows guests to provide their own comments.