Below are questions and answers related to the club to help clarify things for new members.
Do I have to pay for every evening, even if I'm not planning to attend?
No. You only pay for the evenings you register to attend. For our club to function we buy the wine ahead of time to meet the number that come along. So we need to know how many are attending. But we only charge people for the tastings for which they register. Of course, the more people that come each month the better the wine we get to try, because we'll have more in the pot to spend. And any left over money adds to the next month's pot.
No. You only pay for the evenings you register to attend. For our club to function we buy the wine ahead of time to meet the number that come along. So we need to know how many are attending. But we only charge people for the tastings for which they register. Of course, the more people that come each month the better the wine we get to try, because we'll have more in the pot to spend. And any left over money adds to the next month's pot.
How do we register each month? (See the picture above). Two alert messages are sent out each month in good time to request registration. Each member receives details of a bank account which is used solely for the club. By transferring the funds for the tasting to the account, you are automatically registered for that months tasting event and the wine will be purchased by the host according to the numbers registered. This is another secret ploy. By becoming a host and publicising your night well in advance of your designated evening, you can drum up interest for folks to attend and so boost the pot you have to buy with. :)
Does everyone have to Host?
Absolutely not. It's up to you. Some people love doing so but others hate the idea of talking infront of the group. There's no pressure.
Do I need to know much about wine in order to join?
We're all in the same boat. We know we like wine but we neither have a clue about what's good, nor what we each prefer.
That's the whole idea of the club, to try wines in order to build a better picture of what we like and how to avoid buying what we won't like.
We do try some wines that are out of reach pricewise, as that's fun. But we try to go for wines which, if we like them, we can buy them relatively locally.
None of us are experts, so we bring in experts whenever possible to learn from them.
But what happens if I register and then can't attend?
If you have registered and are then unable to attend then I'm afraid that you forfeit your money for that month because we will have needed to spend it on the wine. But the other members will be very grateful as we'll be forced to finish it off for you. :)
If I register and then can't attend, can I send someone else in my place?
Provided the admin has been informed in plenty of time, then yes substitutions are allowed. But these people must be over 18 years of age and respect the culture and procedures of the club.
Can I just turn up on the night?
Well you can, but you will not be able to join-in the tasting that evening. Only members that have registered for the evening will be provided wine because we will have purchased just enough wine to cater for the numbers. We can't guarantee sale or return on the wine which means we can't over-buy just in case someone turns up unannounced.
If I join, can my partner come along to each tasting?
Absolutely, as long as they become a member beforehand. Indeed we encourage couples to come together as members, but each individual must become a member and pay their joining fee & fees for the night. If we don't follow these simple rules then we might not have enough glasses and certainly won't have enough wine (see below).
Does this mean that I can't bring a guest at all?
Absolutely not! Guests are most welcome for a single evening, as long as they pay their fees for the night and you inform the administrator that the guest (name and email) will be attending when you register for that evening (i.e. when the money for the guest is put into the account).
Can someone come along to a tasting just to try it out before joining?
Absolutely! Simply make contact with the club through the contact page, providing your contact details and the evening you would like to attend. You will be required to pay the 'guest subscription fee' for that evening as you will obviously be sharing in the wine.
How much is the Guest Subscription Fee?
The 'guest subscription fee' for a tasting evening is normally £20, but can vary depending on the subject of the evening. To find out the cost for a specific tasting, simply make contact with the club through the contact page, providing your contact details and the evening you would like to attend.
Can I bring my own wine?
Absolutely. If you volunteer to be the host for the evening then the choice of wine and theme for the evening is your own as long as it's in budget. But all members must receive full sight of the costs of each wine and where the wine was bought from (mainly so that we can buy additional bottles ourselves if it's one we particularly like). No member can make money out of the club. If money is left over after buying the wines needed for a particular week then the remainder returns to the account in order to boost the pot for a future evening.
What happens if the wine we want to taste for the evening costs more than the pot for that evening?
This is the reason that we must register our attendance at least one week before the event. That's how we will determine the pot and what wines it will be possible to fund. As mentioned earlier, the more people that attend each month, the better the wine can be for that evening. It's a cunning plan to get you to attend :)
What time does the evening begin and end? The evening starts at 7.30pm, but as members we are all responsible for the venue. We have the hub from 7pm until 10pm, allowing 30 minutes each side of the tasting for us to tidy up and stack the chairs. Normal Hub rules apply - The Hub has to be restored to the way we found it each evening.
How many people attend each month? Most wine clubs seem to do well to achieve 20 people on an average night. Currently we generally exceed that number each month. The venue takes 50 people, so we've got lots of head-room for new members.
This page is updated as questions come in, but feel free to email us via the contact page if you're uncertain about anything to do with the club.
Does everyone have to Host?
Absolutely not. It's up to you. Some people love doing so but others hate the idea of talking infront of the group. There's no pressure.
Do I need to know much about wine in order to join?
We're all in the same boat. We know we like wine but we neither have a clue about what's good, nor what we each prefer.
That's the whole idea of the club, to try wines in order to build a better picture of what we like and how to avoid buying what we won't like.
We do try some wines that are out of reach pricewise, as that's fun. But we try to go for wines which, if we like them, we can buy them relatively locally.
None of us are experts, so we bring in experts whenever possible to learn from them.
But what happens if I register and then can't attend?
If you have registered and are then unable to attend then I'm afraid that you forfeit your money for that month because we will have needed to spend it on the wine. But the other members will be very grateful as we'll be forced to finish it off for you. :)
If I register and then can't attend, can I send someone else in my place?
Provided the admin has been informed in plenty of time, then yes substitutions are allowed. But these people must be over 18 years of age and respect the culture and procedures of the club.
Can I just turn up on the night?
Well you can, but you will not be able to join-in the tasting that evening. Only members that have registered for the evening will be provided wine because we will have purchased just enough wine to cater for the numbers. We can't guarantee sale or return on the wine which means we can't over-buy just in case someone turns up unannounced.
If I join, can my partner come along to each tasting?
Absolutely, as long as they become a member beforehand. Indeed we encourage couples to come together as members, but each individual must become a member and pay their joining fee & fees for the night. If we don't follow these simple rules then we might not have enough glasses and certainly won't have enough wine (see below).
Does this mean that I can't bring a guest at all?
Absolutely not! Guests are most welcome for a single evening, as long as they pay their fees for the night and you inform the administrator that the guest (name and email) will be attending when you register for that evening (i.e. when the money for the guest is put into the account).
Can someone come along to a tasting just to try it out before joining?
Absolutely! Simply make contact with the club through the contact page, providing your contact details and the evening you would like to attend. You will be required to pay the 'guest subscription fee' for that evening as you will obviously be sharing in the wine.
How much is the Guest Subscription Fee?
The 'guest subscription fee' for a tasting evening is normally £20, but can vary depending on the subject of the evening. To find out the cost for a specific tasting, simply make contact with the club through the contact page, providing your contact details and the evening you would like to attend.
Can I bring my own wine?
Absolutely. If you volunteer to be the host for the evening then the choice of wine and theme for the evening is your own as long as it's in budget. But all members must receive full sight of the costs of each wine and where the wine was bought from (mainly so that we can buy additional bottles ourselves if it's one we particularly like). No member can make money out of the club. If money is left over after buying the wines needed for a particular week then the remainder returns to the account in order to boost the pot for a future evening.
What happens if the wine we want to taste for the evening costs more than the pot for that evening?
This is the reason that we must register our attendance at least one week before the event. That's how we will determine the pot and what wines it will be possible to fund. As mentioned earlier, the more people that attend each month, the better the wine can be for that evening. It's a cunning plan to get you to attend :)
What time does the evening begin and end? The evening starts at 7.30pm, but as members we are all responsible for the venue. We have the hub from 7pm until 10pm, allowing 30 minutes each side of the tasting for us to tidy up and stack the chairs. Normal Hub rules apply - The Hub has to be restored to the way we found it each evening.
How many people attend each month? Most wine clubs seem to do well to achieve 20 people on an average night. Currently we generally exceed that number each month. The venue takes 50 people, so we've got lots of head-room for new members.
This page is updated as questions come in, but feel free to email us via the contact page if you're uncertain about anything to do with the club.
