Time for a Change
CHANGE – “to make or become different.” It has been the motto or creed we have lived by at Carpe Vino the past 16 years. The list of changes we have made are countless and whether they are small or large, successful or not, it’s the only way to move forward and be relevant as a business in our ever-changing economy. With a positive plan moving forward and a little bit of luck, these changes will bring new wine club subscribers creating growth for the membership and CV business!
Roughly 10 years ago, Carpe Vino’s wine club started with a membership of under 100. Now that has blossomed to roughly 1100 memberships and has become the backbone of our business. What made this club different, was the numerous benefits to our members including: free tastings on Saturday, no corkage fee, no $5 bottle charge and NO BAD VINTAGES. We have run this club with success but the inevitable fact is that we need to make some “changes” because the wine market has grown at an exponential rate leaving a tiny piece of what once was a large pie!
Currently we offer SIX different club selections:
(Clubs in RED will be changing / Clubs in BLACK no changes)
○ 2 bottles of Red, not to exceed $40 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
○ 2 bottles of Red, not to exceed $75 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
○ 1 bottle each; Red & White, not to exceed $40 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
○ 1 bottle each; Red & White, not to exceed $75 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
○ 2 bottles of White, not to exceed $40 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
○ 2 bottles of White, not to exceed $75 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
Starting November 1st, we will be changing the $75RED and $75W/R memberships to $95 each. The reasoning behind this is purely based on economics. When we started in 2002, there were roughly 800 wineries in California, today there is 3,674. We have never raised prices in our wine club, but due to the high demand of fruit, the cost of domestic wine grapes is at an all-time high and bottle prices have sky-rocketed.
The wines that fit the $75 platform are shrinking and the quality of wine and return for the members dollar will be much greater at the $95 price point. We’re not saying you can’t find nice $30-$45 bottles, what we are saying is that the options are becoming slimmer for wines of value and/or smaller production.
Another change will be combining the $40 White and $75 White together forming one club – White $50. It’s been our experience that most people select the RED only or WHITE/RED combo with less of a demand on Whites alone. Our decision was combining the two would create a stronger club and give us more negotiating power to get our membership the best wine for the price.
Finally, we will be introducing three new club options over a six-month period (one club every two months). Currently, we are releasing the “Sparkling Wine Club” to be followed by the Imports Only (both available at $40/$95) and a Collectors Club ($300) in future months.
As we continue to evolve we want to expand/diversify our wine selection and one department that needs an upgrade is our sparkling wine section. We have a great following for many of the domestic/imported sparkling wines and Champagnes…BUT…there is a whole world of options out there waiting to be discovered. The idea is we will select bubbles from all over the world, things that you wouldn’t probably just pick-off the shelf while perusing a bottle shop. These selections will be tasted/purchased by your CV sourcing team monthly. Not only will the bubbles be part of the club selection but they will be available “by-the-glass” that month on Carpe Vino’s wine menu! To put it simply, the $40 club selection will get you 2 bottles of bubbles that are meant to be consumed now. These will be outstanding values and/or great weekend poppers to consume and purchase more of right away! The $95 club will consist of one to drink now and one to lay down or special occasion sparkling wine. These wines might include an outstanding Champagne that would benefit from a little more time on the rack – to wines we purchased in such volume we were able to score you an unbelievable price (ie. regular price $90 and you pay $60)
With the addition of our new SPARKLING WINE CLUB (both the $40 and $95 option) below is a list of all the current and new clubs being offered.
New Wine Club Options
○ 2 bottles of Red, not to exceed $40 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
○ 2 bottles of Red, not to exceed $95 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
○ 1 bottle each; Red & White, not to exceed $40 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
○ 1 bottle each; Red & White, not to exceed $95 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
○ 2 bottles of White, not to exceed $50 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
○ 2 bottles of Sparkling Wine, not to exceed $40 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
○ 2 bottles of Sparkling Wine, not to exceed $95 ○ Bi-monthly ○ Monthly
(Cost for both bottles, excludes tax, handling and shipping fees when applicable)
THAT WAS ALOT OF INFO—WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?
It’s quite simple…if you are currently a RED $40 or WHITE/RED $40 member you don’t have to do a thing. Your membership will proceed as scheduled and processed during your designated month(s).
If you are are RED $75, WHITE/RED $75, WHITE $40 or WHITE $75 – we will be contacting you via email and phone to update your account BEFORE we process your next wine club. We will be starting the new clubs in the month of NOVEMEBER. All memberships set to process in October will proceed as normal at their current price level.
MEMBER BENEFITS WILL BE CHANGING TOO!
This is long enough, so in a couple of days we will be send a follow-up email with all of the new and exciting member benefits! Whether you are a long time CVWC member or just starting out as a newbie…these are some excellent perks we know you will love!!!
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, October 3rd!!!
Best,
THE CV CREW