New Year, New Wine Club Sundays!

As I’ve written about previously in these “Scoops,” 2020 asked us all to be flexible, think creatively, and accept change. Some of these lessons were definitely harder to learn than others, but I’d like to think that we’re all better for having learned them (or for at least trying to learn them). And if you’re like me, you came into 2021 hoping for a little calm and perhaps even predictability. So far, neither of these has panned out. In fact, perhaps 2020 was just prepping us for early 2021.

At Texas Wine Collective, we’re continuing to apply the lessons we learned in 2020: We’ve changed our name and our marketing look, we’re planning new customer experiences, and this past Sunday, we rolled out a new format for our Wine Club Sundays. As an “insider,” I loved it, and based on the feedback I heard from our members and their guests, they did, too.

So what changes can you expect when you come to Wine Club Sunday? Well, the old ticket system is gone…as are the jokes about selling tickets for free tastings or glasses on the Wine Club Sunday “black market.” Instead, each member or guest receives a paper showing the six wines we’re pouring with food pairings to go along with three of the six. Using that sheet, the member/guest embarks on what one member called a “wine scavenger hunt” taking them from one station to another to learn about and taste a newly released wine. It’s a scavenger hunt for grownups!

In lieu of snack packs or the same single dish for all, we now have a local caterer making and serving three different dishes, each paired with a specific wine for balance and yumminess. I heard rave reviews on the food. But if you joined us on Sunday, don’t get attached to those specific dishes. We plan on changing things up each Club Sunday month so that you won’t know what you’ll be eating until you get there…and so that we can successfully pair foods with our changing wines and seasons.

We’ve also extended our times on Wine Club Sundays from two hours to two and a half hours for each session (we listened when you told us you wanted more time!). This means more time for members and guests to hang out, enjoy wines, purchase bottles and glasses, and pick up their shipments. And if someone prefers a glass to the six tastings, we can do that.

Here’s what isn’t changing about our Wine Club Sundays: live music, tasty foods, great wines, and excellent customer service. My teammates and I have gotten to know our members over time, and we love serving them when they visit TWC. It’s fun to catch up, share news, commiserate (this past Sunday, there was much discussion of how everyone fared during last week’s winter storms), and laugh. For now, we need to keep our crowds small, but as soon as we’re able, we’ll invite more members and guests onto our estate…for even more fun!

If you weren’t able to join us for this past Wine Club Sunday and haven’t yet made your reservation for the next one on February 28, be sure to visit our website (we’re still using the 4.0 address) to confirm your time (/Wine-Shop/Event-Tickets). At this point, we have a few spots available at 11:00-1:30 and many more at 2:30-5:00, and we’d love to see you then. My weather app is showing a slight chance of rain, but you know Texas…that could change in the next few minutes.

And to those of you who are still struggling from last week’s winter weather, please know that your friends at Texas Wine Collective are thinking about you and hoping you get back to some normal soon. If you need wine or bottled water or just a chance to get out of your house, we’ve got you covered!