About The Washington Post Wine Club

Q. How does the Wine Club work?

A. Our Wine Club is a great way to learn about wine from regions found all over the world. As a Club member, you will receive a shipment every three months of 6 bottles of wine (4 red, 2 white). Our Wine Club costs $90/shipment, plus shipping and applicable taxes, with the option to purchase additional special occasion shipments: Holiday Celebration Sampler for $180, Explore Virginia for $150 and Grilling Collection for $180 (plus shipping and applicable taxes). There are no membership or cancellation fees, you only pay for the wine you receive. All wines are selected by licensed retailers for sales in their state.

Q. Is there a fee to become a member?

A. There is no membership fee. You are only charged for the wine you receive in each shipment. Your credit card is charged at the time of each shipment.

Q. How many bottles do I receive and how often do I receive a shipment?

A. For the Jefferson Wine Club, you will receive six different wines, 4 reds and 2 whites, every 2 months. For the Franklin Red Wine Club, you will receive six wines, 4 unique reds with 2 bottles of each of our 2 favorites, sent every 3 months.

Q. How do I know what wines I’m getting? What if I only want red or white wines?

A. The wines vary in each shipment, and become available on the website when we begin shipping for that month. We offer an all-red option, the Franklin Red Wine Club. However we currently do not offer an all-white option, but please send your request to customer service, and we’ll let you know when we have additional offers.

Q. How are the wines chosen for the Wine Club?

A. Our team of experts taste thousands of wines every year, and information is provided on potential selections to the licensed retailers who make the final selections on wines that will be included in the Wine Club packages for sale in their state. Each wine is evaluated based on its balance of quality and value.

Q. Where do the wines come from? How are they sourced? Can I find them in retail stores?

A. The majority of our wines are sourced from boutique wineries from all over the world, many of which are small unknown, family-owned labels. Global Wine Company’s team travels the globe to find wines with the best quality for the best value to feature in the wine club. Most of these wines are not available in stores. Unlike many other clubs, we do not privately label wines.

Q. Who is Global Wine Company?

A. The Washington Post Wine Club has carefully chosen Global Wine Company and its panel of experts to operate the wine club on our behalf. Global Wine Company has been running branded wine clubs for over 7 years. Global Wine’s panel of wine experts sample wine on a daily basis to find the best wines for members of The Washington Post Wine Club. Thousands of wines from around the world are tasted each year and information is provided on potential selections to the licensed retailers who make the final selections on wines that will be included in the Wine Club packages for sale in their state. The licensed retailers agree to the wines before the shipment is finalized. This process ensures that the wines selected are of the highest quality and value for our members.

Q. Is The Washington Post involved in the wine selection?

A. The Washington Post has carefully selected Global Wine Company, an expert wine company, to select the wines for The Washington Post Wine Club.

Q. What type of payment do you accept?

A. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. We authorize the card, and your payment is made directly to the applicable licensed wine retailer.

Shipping

Q. Why do you need my birthday and why do I have to be 21?

A. We need your birth date to verify you are over 21 at the time of purchase. It is the law that you must be over 21 to purchase and or take receipt of a shipment of alcohol.

Q. When will my shipment arrive?

A. New or first club shipment orders are shipped every week; ongoing wine club shipments are sent at the beginning of the applicable month. Depending on the state you are shipping to, the shipment time may vary. We will send you an email the day your Wine Club package ships, which includes a link with a tracking number to allow you to track your shipment.

Q. How will my wine arrive? What sort of packaging do you use?

A. We ship in unmarked corrugated cardboard boxes and use recycled pulp bottle inserts. All shipping materials are 100% recyclable.

Q. How is my wine shipped?

A. The wine is stored and shipped via temperature control methods and when it arrives at your nearest UPS or FedEx hub, it's stored at a constant cellar temperature. For optimal delivery, we recommend using a business address as your ship-to address. UPS and FedEx often deliver to business addresses earlier in the day, which could mean your wine will spend less time on their truck. Should there be extreme weather concerns whether it's very hot or very cold in certain parts of the country, we will try to hold your wine so it isn’t subject to unduly hot or cold conditions.

Q. My tracking number does not register on the FedEx/UPS website – what do I do?

A. Due to state laws, we need to use different shipping partners in some states. It can take those shippers up to a week to get your shipment to your local UPS/FedEx location. While in transit to your state, your tracking number will not register on the UPS/FedEx website. Once received and registered by your local delivery company (UPS/FedEx), your package’s tracking number will register on the website.

Q. What if I won’t be home to accept my package?

A. To prevent minors from buying or accepting alcohol purchases, an adult 21 years or older must be present to sign for each shipment; UPS and FedEx do require proper identification. This person may be an adult besides you, but the person must be 21 or older with an acceptable form of ID present at time of delivery. UPS and FedEx will not deliver to adults who are visibly intoxicated at the time of delivery in accordance with federal law. To avoid unnecessary delays and complications during transit and delivery, we suggest that you use your business address or make arrangements for an adult 21 years or older to be present at the delivery location. After several failed delivery attempts, the shipper may return the package to the sender. Should this occur, we will contact you and you can either cancel the order and receive a refund for your order less the initial shipping fees, or request that a shipment be sent out again, in which case you will be responsible for paying the applicable shipping fees again.

Q. Why don’t you ship to my state?

A. Each state government regulates the shipment of wine in their state. We’re working tirelessly to add new states where permitted. Please give us your contact details and we’ll inform you of any changes to our shipping policy.

Q. If I like a particular wine in my shipment, can I order more?

A. Yes! Subject to availability, you can order additional wine by browsing our Wine Shop or by logging into your account and viewing your order history. In your account, you can check the boxes next to the wines you would like to re-order, hit add to cart, adjust quantities in your cart and then continue through checkout. As a member you receive 10% off all purchases from the Wine Shop. All wine that is in stock is listed on the Wine Store of our website.

Q. How much does shipping cost on shipments in my Wine Club membership?

A. Your 6-bottle Wine Club shipments have a shipping cost of $19.95. Shipping costs for other purchases vary depending on the number of bottles.

Returns and Cancellations

Q. Can I return an order of wine?

A. Unfortunately, due to state shipping laws, we are unable to accept wine returns. If you have a problem with your order, please contact customer service at 1-855-263-8989.

Q. What if my wine is damaged or tastes a little off?

A. Sometimes wine bottles do get damaged in transit and occasionally, a particular wine can be ‘corked’, which means the cork has failed and has spoiled the wine. Not to worry, the licensed retailer in your state offers a 100% guarantee. If you are unhappy with a particular wine, they will replace the wine or refund your money, whichever you prefer (subject to applicable laws of the retailer's state). Please contact us and we’ll arrange a replacement shipment.

Q. I'm going out of town and won't be able to receive my shipment – what can I do?

A. Give our Customer Service team a call at 1-855-263-8989 to put your wine club membership on hold or reschedule the delivery date so you can be available to receive it.

Q. What is your cancellation policy?

A. You can stay a member as long as you want or you may cancel at any time. If your recurring wine shipment is in process at the time of cancellation, your cancellation will go into effect the following month.

Q. Can I cancel my membership online?

A. To cancel your membership, you must call Customer Service at 1-855-263-8989 or send us an email at support@washingtonpostwine.com.