wine of the month clubs

The wife did this wine of the month club thing for me for Christmas, and it was delivered today. We have never had wine shipped to us , so I'm wondering if anyone who has more experience with this could tell me if we need to let the wine settle for a while before opening. Also, does the fact that it's winter make any difference since I don't think there's much chance of it 'cooking' in transit? Thanks.

Some say you should rest the wine for about two weeks after travel. Others say they don't notice any difference and that "travel shock" may be imaginary. I'm not an expert but would err on the cautious side.

Ron
Some thoughts.
Yes no danger of cooking and although extreme cold can be bad for wine as well. Good shippers are aware of the vagaries of weather for shipping & storage en-route. I don't expect great care mind and any broken bottles should be replaced by the supplier at their cost (as a minimum).

As for 'travel shock', yes it's a commonly (albeit anecdotally) accepted factor - for me more credible with older wines (what with the sediment being thrown around). Nothing that a day or two's rest shouldn't sort out though.

Probably not many people here in such a club, as it would feel akin to asking a stranger to choose our spouse for us! I for one get great fun out of choosing the wines to buy and wouldn't want to give this element of choice up. A good wine club should be useful for stretching the imagination though, taking you into areas you might not venture otherwise.

regards

Ian

It's true that there is only anecdotal evidence of travel shock. Even among believers, marine travel seems to be more firmly viewed as a problem than land package shipping. But I'd say a solid majority of ITB people seem to believe in it. I personally try and wait for several weeks before I open anything. I have enough wine there's always something else to open, and figure why risk any issue. I'm almost certainly overcautious, but want to give every wine a chance to show its best.

Only exceptions have been when I really needed something for an offline or something.

FWIW, Im also on the fence with the issue of travel shock....

The wife did this wine of the month club thing for me for Christmas, and it was delivered today. We have never had wine shipped to us , so I'm wondering if anyone who has more experience with this could tell me if we need to let the wine settle for a while before opening. Also, does the fact that it's winter make any difference since I don't think there's much chance of it 'cooking' in transit? Thanks.

I have some friends, who were in a K&L wine of the month club for a while, and they were quite pleased with it. I hope you find the same satisfaction with your Christmas gift.

The cold winter temperatures in your area could be a problem if the package was left sitting outside. Since it contains wine, however, the carrier is obligated to have an adult sign for it. I don't know how cold it gets inside the trucks that run between the package transfer centers. They can also get pretty hot in the summer, and I assume the club runs throughout the year. You might contact someone at the wine club operation to ask about this.

Good luck. I'm sure you will enjoy this Christmas gift all year.

-- Clark

Big thanks to everyone for the comments. I suppose we'll see how they turn out.