Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who is Global Wine Company?
A. The Times has carefully chosen an expert wine company, Global Wine Co, to operate the wine club for our readers. Global Wine Co. has been running branded wine clubs for over 5 years. Global Wine’s panel of wine experts sample wine on a daily basis to select the best wines for members of The New York Times Wine Club. Thousands of wines from around the world are tasted each year and the selection process used by us ensures that the wines selected are of high quality and value for our members.

Q. Is The Times involved in the wine selection?
A. See above—we work with Global Wine Company to ensure the best quality and value product for our wine club members.

Q. Where do the wines come from? How are they sourced? Can I find them in retail stores?
A. The majority of our wines are sourced from all over the world, from boutique wineries—many small unknown family-owned labels. Global Wine Company’s team travels the world to find the best quality for the best value to put in the wine club. Unlike other clubs, we do not privately label wines. Most of these wines are not available in stores.

Q. Is there a fee to become a member?
A. There is no membership fee. You only get charged for the wine you receive within each shipment. Your credit card is charged at the time of each shipment.

Q. What is your cancellation policy?
A. You can stay a member as long as you want. You may cancel at any time. If your re-occurring wine shipment is in process at the time of cancellation, your cancellation will go into effect the following month.

Q. How many bottles do I receive and how often do I receive a shipment?
A. In our wine club, we select six different wines a month and ship directly to you. You can receive wine every 1, 2 or 3 months.

Q. How do I know what wines I’m getting? What if I only want red or white wines?
A. The wines vary from month to month, and become available on the website when we begin shipping for that month. We don’t currently offer an all-red or all-white option, but please voice your request with customer service, and we’ll let you know when we have additional offers.

Q. Why don’t you ship to my state?
A. Each state government controls how wine can be shipped into their state. We’re working hard to add new states where permitted. Please give us your contact details and we’ll inform you when your state becomes available.

Q. When will my shipment arrive?
A. We ship wine club shipments two times each month. Depending on the state, the shipment takes 2-10 days. We will send you an email the day your wine club package ships. The email will have a link with a tracking number which will allow you to track your shipment.

Q. How will my wine arrive? What sort of packaging do you use?
A. We ship in unmarked corrugated cardboard boxes and use recycled pulp bottle inserts. All materials are 100% recyclable.

Q. Why do you need my birthday and why do I have to be 21?
A. We need your birth date to verify you are over 21 at the time of purchase. It is the law that you must be over 21 to purchase and or take receipt of a shipment of alcohol.

Q. What if I won’t be home to accept my package?
A. We encourage you to have your wine club membership shipments delivered to a business address to increase the likelihood of someone over 21 being present to sign for your package. But, if you can’t do this, the shipper will give you 3 chances to accept your package. When you receive a notice on your door, simply fill out the form with instructions on a better date or location for delivery of a package. Usually, you can make this type of change by calling the shipper or visiting them online.

Q. If I like a particular wine in my shipment, can I order more?
A. Yes. You can order additional wine in (6) or (12) bottle cases from your previous shipments. As a member you receive on additional wine case discount. All wine that is in stock is listed on the Wine Shop on our website.

Q. What if my wine is damaged or tastes a little off?
A. Sometimes wine bottles do get damaged in transit. Also, sometimes a particular wine can be ‘corked’ which means the cork has failed and has spoiled the wine. Please do not worry, we offer a 100% guarantee. If you are unhappy with a particular wine for any reason we will replace your purchase or refund your money, whichever you prefer.

Q. My tracking number does not register on the FedEx/UPS website…what do I do?
A. Due to state laws, we need to use different shipping partners in some states. It can take those shippers up to a week to get your shipment to your local UPS/FedEx location. While in transit to your state, your tracking number will not register on the UPS/FedEx website. Once received and registered by your local delivery company (UPS/FedEx), your package’s tracking number will register on the website.