There are a lot of third-party wine clubs one can join. Some of the most well known include the Wine of the Month Club, Naked Wines, and the Wall Street Journal Wine Club. I’m sure many of them are convenient and a good value.
But it’s hard to choose which wine club to join just by reading company websites and “best of” lists. The wine clubs don’t seem that different from each other.
In addition, when I started researching the different third-party wine clubs I ran into some turn-offs. Some of the wine clubs ship what appear to be random bottles. Others lure you in with introductory rates and then jack up the prices. Some charge for shipping, an added expense that needs to be factored into the cost.
We have become members of several wine clubs offered by individual wineries after sampling their wines but have never joined a third-party wine club.
So I was particularly intrigued when I heard about Fly Wines, a new, minority-owned third-party wine club. Established in 2023, it provides high-quality small-batch wines from independent under-represented vineyards located in the United States and elsewhere. It aims to introduce people to new wines and varietals they may not be familiar with.
Wine With Our Family recently had the opportunity to chat with Stephanie Franklin, CEO and founder of Fly Wines, to learn more about her new wine club.
Wine With Our Family: How do you choose which wines to include in your shipments?
Stephanie Franklin: We focus on quality, independent wineries around the world that have not gotten much visibility. We have exclusive relationships with the wineries we partner with. Our sommeliers are looking for geographic diversity and inclusion. There’s more to wine than just Napa and Sonoma.
WWOF: What distinguishes Fly Wines from other wine clubs?
SF: We take care that you’re experiencing something special. We don’t just deliver wine. It’s more than the wine itself. We send wine with a story behind it along with suggested pairings and tasting notes. We want you to understand why you like a particular wine. We want you to enjoy your wine and to expand your palate.
Other wine clubs are a dime a dozen, and their wines are not curated. Ours cost about the same, the wines are beautifully presented, and we include shipping. The company also offers flexibility; members can cancel or skip a month at any time.
We’ve received great feedback. We’re appreciated by the wine industry and consumers. We expect to succeed because this is a relationship business.
WWOF: Do you offer other products and services?
SF: Yes. We also offer everyone, not just members, tasting boxes with smaller-sized bottles so that people can sample different varietals as gifts or for themselves. They include instructions on how to sample the wines, particularly helpful for those who are less familiar with wine. We also offer virtual wine tastings for consumers and businesses.
On the industry side, we’re working on distributing wines to wine shops and restaurants and expanding to work with wholesalers.
WWOF: Do you have any advice for consumers considering joining a third-party wine club?
SF: The consumer market is based on building brand and trust. If you don’t care [so much] what you’re drinking, go with a big wine club. You’ll get varietals you already know like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Some of the wines you might even find in a supermarket.
But if you want to explore wines, including indigenous wines, then Fly Wines is for you.
We hope you enjoyed this interview with Stephanie Franklin, Founder and CEO of wine club Fly Wines. We look forward to learning more about her winery partners and sampling their products!
Do you or have you ever belonged to a third-party wine club? Would you recommend it? Please let us know. You can reach us at info@winewithourfamily.com
Photo credits to Fly Wines
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
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