Founded by Alan Scott and Stuart Calder in 1978, the Wine Club was established with the intention of finding top quality wines at reduced prices. The Wine Club is a non-profit making enterprise and each member purchases a £50 share on joining the Club. This share acts as the buying capital for the wines, and a small mark-up on each bottle pays for any administrative costs. From time to time any unintended surplus profit has been given to charity. Our first list consisted of three wines and our current list now has 71 wines!

There is an annual Spring list of 70 to 80 wines mailed to each member, with a small description of each wine. In addition we send out regular Special Offers throughout the year, which comprise a mixed case of two to four wines, based on a theme - e.g. Mixed Claret Offer, Selected Chardonnays Offer, Mixed Alsace Offer etc.. To order, the member simply contacts the Secretary or Treasurer and the wine is put out in the Cellars at the weekend, ready for collection.

Many of the wines are specially imported by the Wine Club and enjoy an exclusivity in the U.K., while over the years we have been responsible for introducing some wines into the country, that have been picked up by other wine merchants and are now readily available. Members of the committee attend the better Trade Wine Fairs each year, to find new wines from any country. I now make three trips abroad each year to find undiscovered gems in France or Italy, and return to York with a bootfull of the best ones for the committee to chose from later.

The Committee is responsible for choosing the wines that go on the list, and any member of the Wine Club can join one of these selection Tastings. All that is required is some tasting ability and lots of enthusiasm! Selection is made by tasting a selection of the best available examples "blind", marking each one for quality and for value for money. We then buy the winners.

WHY ARE THEY SO CHEAP?