Wine Club FAQs

What’s so special about these clubs?

For over forty years now, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant has been an importer and retailer of some of the finest wines from France and Italy. We purchase all the wine we sell direct from the winery. We value long-term relationships with our customers just as much as we value our relationships with the winemakers in Europe and consequently we offer wines that we’ve imported for more than thirty years.

Adventures Club, Club Rouge, and Club Bianco packages contain two bottles and our wine club bulletin, which provides a profile of each wine as well as recipes or food pairings.

Club Chevalier packages contain six bottles and a club bulletin that profiles the monthly theme, the wines, and includes pairing recommendations.

Club Gourmand packages contain twelve bottles and a club bulletin that includes an introduction to that month’s selections as well as technical info.

How do I join a club?

To join one of our clubs, simply click here or give us a call at 510-524-1524.

What kinds of wines can I expect in each club?

Adventures Club members receive our best values in red, white, rosé, and sparkling. Each package will contain at least one bottle of red. If you’re interested in discovering the wide range of regions and styles that France and Italy have to offer, this is the club for you.

Club Rouge members receive two reds each month. These complex, often cellar-worthy selections will expose you to the top appellations of France and Italy. Past selections include Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Barolo, Bandol, and Patrimonio.

Club Bianco members receive two white wines each month (and the occasional sparkler), hailing from France and Italy’s most pedigreed terroirs, as well as off-the-beaten-path gems.

Club Chevalier members receive six bottles every other month, mostly reds, with whites, rosé, and the occasional sparkling wine. From time to time members will also receive vintage selections that have been aged in the cellars of our producers in France and Italy. Each club package will have a theme, guiding members through a region, terroir, or concept. Club Chevalier ships every other month: January, March, May, July, September, November.

Club Gourmand members receive twelve bottles every other month, always six red wines plus a mix of whites, rosés, sparkling wines, and the occasional dessert wine or aperitif. The club will occasionally explore mini-themes—a few bottles that highlight a producer, variety, or region. Club Gourmand ships every other month: February, April, June, August, October, December.

If you can’t decide, you can always join multiple clubs! Many members opt to join the Adventures Club and Club Rouge and receive 4 bottles each month.

If you’d like to peruse our previous club selections, we have all of our previous club bulletins available in our Wine Club Bulletin Archive.

Who writes the recipes that come with each package?

Christopher Lee, the former head chef of Chez Panisse and Eccolo has been a close friend of the company for years now. He’s the culinary mastermind behind our parking lot events, and since the inception of our wine clubs, he’s been writing the recipes. He carefully pairs each recipe with the wines while also adding great insight into how a top chef puts together a dish. Learn more about Chris at his website, Old Fashioned Butcher.

When do you bill and when is my wine ready to be picked up or shipped?

We bill around the 23rd of each month. If you pick up your wine in our Berkeley shop, you will receive an email when your wine is ready to be picked up (retail store hours are Tuesday through Saturday 11 am to 6 pm). 

If you have your wine shipped, you will receive an email during the billing week detailing when your package will go out. Typically, the clubs ship four to eight days from billing—it just depends on what day the 23rd falls. We always ship on a Monday (provided that it is not a national holiday like Memorial or Labor Day) and our preferred method is with FedEx. 

If you prefer another carrier, need your shipment delayed, or have any special delivery instructions, either send us an email at [email protected] or call us at 510-560-5064. We’re happy to accommodate your shipping needs and understand you’re not always available at the beginning of each month.

Does someone need to sign for my club when it is delivered?

Yes. Because we are shipping alcohol, an adult, 21 years or older, must be present for delivery and sign for the package. FedEx makes three attempts to deliver your shipment and should leave a note each time they attempt a delivery. Also, if you prefer, you can have your package re-directed to the nearest FedEx-Office location and they will hold the package in their air-conditioned stores for you to pick up at your convenience.

What happens if I’m not available to receive delivery of my club?

In the event that you cannot receive delivery of your club, just respond to the shipping email you receive and let us know when we should ship it. If your package has already shipped and you are unavailable to sign for it, it is best to email [email protected] to remedy the situation.

How do you ship wine when temperatures are very hot or very cold?

We take the shipping of your wine very seriously and recommend postponing shipments during periods of very hot (highs of 80° or more) or very cold (highs of 25° or below) weather. Each month, we check the weather in your area and if we feel it is too hot or cold to ship, we let you know. We then hold the wine at our retail store until weather improves and accumulate your club shipments if needed. When weather improves, we adjust your shipping rate (saving you money) for the bundled clubs. If you feel that our prediction for weather in your area is not accurate and would like your wine shipped anyway, just let us know and we’ll send it along.

Where can I find archives of the bulletin?

We have all of our previous club bulletins available in our Wine Club Bulletin Archive.

How can I purchase more of my club wines?

We always have extra club wines available if you’re interested in purchasing more of wine you just tasted—but act fast, most club selections sell out relatively soon after the club is released. To place an order, give us a call at 510-524-1524 and a salesperson will help you, or visit our club selections page and purchase online. We encourage you to develop a relationship with one of our salespeople so they can get to know your likes and dislikes and better guide you on your wine path. If you’d like to work with a salesperson, send us an email at [email protected]

I have a new credit card, how do I update my billing information?

To update your credit card, please log in to this website and click “Wine Club Shipping & Billing” in your account. This will lead you to options to update your credit card and shipping information. You may also call us at 510-524-1524 and let the salesperson who answers the phone know that you’re a club member and you have new billing information. They will transfer the information to our club administrator.

I’m buying the club as a gift, can I include a note? Will the recipient receive an invoice?

You may absolutely include a gift note—before check-out, you’ll see a text box to write your note. Your recipient will never receive an invoice for their club.

How do I cancel my club?

We understand that sometimes people move on. To leave the club, send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 510-524-1524. When you cancel your club, you’ll receive a five-question exit survey. It takes about one minute to fill it out and greatly informs us on how we can improve the clubs.