Whole Foods Uncorks Wine Club

Whole Foods Market on Oct. 1 will pop the cork on a wine club that pledges to bring "extraordinary, one-of-a-kind wines from around the world directly to wine lovers’ homes" via a partnership with wine.com.

The Austin, Texas-based chain's charter Wine Club members will receive four shipments of six bottles each per year at the price of $125 per shipment, which includes shipping costs.

The selections will be made by a pair of in-house wine experts, Doug Bell, global beverage buyer, and Devon Broglie, associate global beverage buyer and master sommelier, who collectively boast more than 50 years of vintage industry experience.

Springboarding off its "long-standing commitment to offering high-quality wines to customers" and its standing as the first national grocer to offer in-store wine bars and the first to serve to wines from kegs, Bell said the wine club marks another first for the company and a natural evolutionary extension to "satisfy and delight our very passionate wine shoppers. We look forward to turning on potential new shoppers or enthusiasts who might not live near a Whole Foods Market to some delicious wines.”

Poised to fill holiday gift-givers' needs, shoppers may select between one and four shipments for gift memberships and can choose the date they’d like the first shipment delivered. Ongoing subscribers will receive new shipments in February, May, September and November and will receive their first shipment within a week of signing up.

The retailer is encouraging those interested to sign up on its wine club microsite to be notified when the Wine Club launches on Oct. 1.

Whole Foods Market operates more than 380 stores in 41 states in the U.S., as well as locations throughout the U.K. and Canada.