Are wine clubs worth joining? | Fiona Beckett on drinks
I'm amazed at how many people join wine clubs - not because I don't see the benefits, but because they rarely represent good value- price, which is currently more important than already. It's fair to say that the two big players, Naked Wines and Laithwaites, have improved over the past two years, although I still have reservations about their marketing.
Naked, for example, lures you in with a half-price offer and the promise that if you become an "angel", for which you pay £25 a month to offset your purchases, you can save up to 33% on the wines. The problem is that the original price generally seems too high, despite Naked claiming to compare it to the "market price" of similar wines (albeit at retailers such as Laithwaites, Majestic and Virgin, which are also expensive in the high price). The offer I was directed to when I signed up to test it out isn't as good as it looks, especially since Naked claims to cut out the middleman entirely. So while £6.99 isn't an unreasonable amount to pay for the Arabella Cabernet Sauvignon that's part of the current launch deal, it's credulity to say it's worth £10.99, and most supermarkets could easily match the so-called 'insider price' of £10.99. for Naked's Marcelo Bocardo Reserve Malbec, not to mention the "full" £14.99 pick, which, combined with the feel-good factor of supporting small winemakers, just might make you want to sign up. Maybe may the angels not care about the money, as the average outlay for a bottle at Naked is apparently £10.26.
Laithwaites, meanwhile, works more like Majestic, offering regular discounts if you buy a mixed case (usually 12 bottles, compared to six at Majestic) and an additional discount if you take out a regular subscription.The company's wines have certainly gotten more interesting lately - the Dornfelder in my pick this week is an example of that. There's also an exciting South African Syrah made by Joseph Dhafana of Mosi Wines, a Zimbabwean winemaker, that you can pre-order, but the downside is that it will tie you to a company whose prices are usually high.
The problem is, as Naked and Laithwaites well understood, if you take out a subscription, you'll be less likely to shop elsewhere, which may make you miss out on better and increase your overall wine spend. But if you don't want to think too much about what you're buying, wine clubs might be the way to go.
I'm amazed at how many people join wine clubs - not because I don't see the benefits, but because they rarely represent good value- price, which is currently more important than already. It's fair to say that the two big players, Naked Wines and Laithwaites, have improved over the past two years, although I still have reservations about their marketing.
Naked, for example, lures you in with a half-price offer and the promise that if you become an "angel", for which you pay £25 a month to offset your purchases, you can save up to 33% on the wines. The problem is that the original price generally seems too high, despite Naked claiming to compare it to the "market price" of similar wines (albeit at retailers such as Laithwaites, Majestic and Virgin, which are also expensive in the high price). The offer I was directed to when I signed up to test it out isn't as good as it looks, especially since Naked claims to cut out the middleman entirely. So while £6.99 isn't an unreasonable amount to pay for the Arabella Cabernet Sauvignon that's part of the current launch deal, it's credulity to say it's worth £10.99, and most supermarkets could easily match the so-called 'insider price' of £10.99. for Naked's Marcelo Bocardo Reserve Malbec, not to mention the "full" £14.99 pick, which, combined with the feel-good factor of supporting small winemakers, just might make you want to sign up. Maybe may the angels not care about the money, as the average outlay for a bottle at Naked is apparently £10.26.
Laithwaites, meanwhile, works more like Majestic, offering regular discounts if you buy a mixed case (usually 12 bottles, compared to six at Majestic) and an additional discount if you take out a regular subscription.The company's wines have certainly gotten more interesting lately - the Dornfelder in my pick this week is an example of that. There's also an exciting South African Syrah made by Joseph Dhafana of Mosi Wines, a Zimbabwean winemaker, that you can pre-order, but the downside is that it will tie you to a company whose prices are usually high.
The problem is, as Naked and Laithwaites well understood, if you take out a subscription, you'll be less likely to shop elsewhere, which may make you miss out on better and increase your overall wine spend. But if you don't want to think too much about what you're buying, wine clubs might be the way to go.
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