Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club Review

While the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club might not be on our Top 10 Best Wine Clubs list, it’s still a wine club that gets a lot of attention online these days thanks to all the money they spend on marketing.

If you’re unfamiliar with this monthly wine club, members receive new wines every month in either one or two bottle shipments. Like all wine clubs, the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club delivers a number of really cool benefits I detail below. So, let’s begin with the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club review!

The History Behind The Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club

Before you decide whether or not the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club is right for you, you’ll probably want to know more about the company that operates it. Tim McEnery founded the Cooper’s Hawk Winery in 2005 with the goal of serving a diverse range of customer the wine they love. It includes a vineyard and multiple casual dining locations. The company’s physical locations each have an integrated artisanal market and Napa-style tasting room. The company’s headquarters are in Illinois.

The Winemaker

The head winemaker at Cooper’s Hawk is Rob Warren. He has extensive experience fermenting wine in Virginia and Canada. He has worked at celebrated wineries including Kacaba Vineyards (Niagara, Ontario, Canada) and Tarara Winery (Virginia, US). Warren is responsible for producing the business’s wine and sourcing the fruit it comes from. Cooper’s Hawk sources grapes from outstanding vineyards all over the world. Domestic sources range from California, Oregon, and Washington to Michigan. He also makes food pairing suggestions for all of the wines in the company’s portfolio. (This currently includes roughly 50 wines.)

Wine Portfolio

Cooper’s Hawk produces a wide variety of different private label wines that you receive on a monthly basis when you’re a member of their wine club. Examples of these wines include:

• White: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay (oaked and unoaked), Viognier, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Moscato, Cooper’s Hawk White
• Red: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Malbec, Barbera, Zinfandel, Cabernet Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Super Tuscan, Shiraz, Petite Syrah, Cooper’s Hawk Red
• Sparkling: Rosé, Blanc de Blanc, Prosecco, Moscato, Almond, Sweet Red, Raspberry
• Dessert: Nightjar, Ice Wine
• Mulled Wines: Winter Red and Winter White
• Fruit Wines: Cranberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Rhubarb, Passion Fruit
• Other: White Zinfandel, Romance Red (sweet), Sangria (red and white)
• Cooper’s Hawk Lux: Sparkling, Pinot Noir, Meritage, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon

Physical Locations

Cooper’s Hawk operates physical locations (as described above) in a few states:

• Illinois
• Indiana
• Michigan
• Maryland
• Ohio
• Wisconsin
• Virginia
• Maryland
• Florida

Benefits Of Club Membership

Members who join Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club enjoy a nice spread of benefits. These include:

• Discounts on wines sold at physical Cooper’s Hawk locations (retail). The amount of the discount rises with the volume of wine bought: 10% for 1 to 5 bottles, 15% for 6 to 11 bottles, and 20% for 12 or more bottles (where legal).
• 10% discount for select retail products and carryout dining
• Access to exclusive offers, such as incentives and special limited bottling events
• Invitations to a range of member-only events, including classes, parties, and wine trips (domestic and international)
• Complimentary entrées (up to $15 in value) for two (e.g. member and spouse) during the member’s birthday month
• 350 points and a $25 reward redeemable at any Cooper’s Hawk location (terms and conditions apply)

Membership Tiers

There are several different levels of membership in the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club, suitable for a variety of different member interests. They include:

• Variety Membership: Monthly wines alternate between red and white
• Red Club Membership: During white wine month, choose any wine (additional charges apply for Cooper’s Hawk Lux Wines, Ice Wines, and special releases)
• White Club Membership: During red wine month, choose any wine (additional charges apply as per the Red Club)
• Sweet Club Membership: Choose any fruit, romance, holiday, or sparkling wine each month
• Gift Membership: Give the gift of a three, six, or 12-month membership to a friend

It is up to each member to choose whether he or she would like to receive one or two bottles monthly. Wines can be picked up in person at the nearest Cooper’s Hawk location, or shipped to members. Shipments are sent on a quarterly basis to home or business addresses. Each shipment must be signed for by an adult at least 21 years old.

The Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club offers fairly straightforward pricing. If you pick up your bottles in person (on a monthly basis), the cost for variety, red, or white membership is $19.99 a month for one bottle and $37.99 a month for two bottles. Sweet wines are $17.99 a month for one bottle and $33.99 for two bottles. If you choose to have your wine shipped instead, it will be delivered quarterly. One bottle per month is $82.99 per quarter and two bottles are $145.99.

Ambassador Club

Cooper’s Hawk may invite specific members to join its Ambassador and Ambassador Elite Clubs. Invites are sent according to longevity in the open tiers of the club and the member’s annual spending. Ambassador members enjoy additional benefits beyond those extended to open club members.

Besides tenure in the club, you can also earn more benefits by spending in the company’s restaurants and stores, or on its website. The Cooper’s Hawk website has full details on Ambassador Club benefits and eligibility for those who are interested in a more exclusive experience with the wine club.

Advantages And Drawbacks

Like any Wine Club, there are pros and cons to joining the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club.

Possible Advantages

• Flat rates protect you from unpleasant surprises on your credit card bill. Many other wine clubs that deliver different varieties adjust their prices with each shipment. Rather than offering you a price range on your wine club selections, Cooper’s Hawk delivers completely predictable pricing.
• Living in close proximity to a Cooper’s Hawk location makes it easy to enjoy the full range of benefits at the company’s physical locations.
• The club is especially convenient for experienced connoisseurs who know and appreciate Cooper’s Hawk’s portfolio. The familiarity is appreciated by many members who are looking for consistency above all else in their wine club.
• When dining at Cooper’s Hawk restaurants, Wine Club members enjoy the ability to order exclusive wines which do not appear on the regular wine list.
• Overall pricing is extremely affordable. The Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club features prices well below those of other clubs, some of which charge $50 to $100 per bottle.

Possible Drawbacks

• The membership benefits are much less appealing if you do not have a Cooper’s Hawk location nearby.
• Cooper’s Hawk wines can only be sampled at physical locations before joining. If you cannot visit in person, it is impossible to “taste test” the wines before making a financial commitment.
• Quarterly is the only scheduling option for members who choose to have their wine shipped.
• The limited portfolio may not suit enthusiasts who want constant novelty in their wine club selections.
• The company’s focus on its wine club and the “industrial” aesthetic of its physical location may disappoint if you’d prefer an artisan or boutique feel.
• Shipping adds significantly to the overall cost of membership. On a quarterly three-bottle membership, each bottle costs roughly $28 where they would cost $19.99 to pick up in person.

Awards

Cooper’s Hawk wines have garnered their fair share of positive attention. Their Lux Pinot Noir scored a 99-point win. Cooper’s Hawk is also the official wine of the January 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Size

The Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club is one of the largest in the nation. Their membership roster exceeded 200,000 members in 2016. Many industry experts have been surprised by Cooper’s Hawk’s explosive growth, but they point to its success as a clear sign that the company meets its members’ expectations successfully.

Reviews

There are plenty of enthusiastic members’ reviews available for the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club. The members’ only wine-pairing dinners are particularly beloved by short and long-term members. These events offer a memorable mix of fine dining, satisfying wine, and fun.

On the less-positive side, multiple online reviews critique the “industrial” feeling of the physical locations, likening them more to “wine factories” than artisanal wineries. TripAdvisor reviewers have also criticized the heavy emphasis on pitching wine club memberships when one attends Cooper’s Hawk events. The sales push continues through both the tasting and the dinner that follows it.

While the online reviews for Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club are not entirely positive, the balance is strongly tilted in favor of the plus side. The majority of members who post reviews are positive about their experiences.

Advice On Picking The Right Wine Club

Ultimately, your choice of wine club must be guided first and foremost by your own tastes and circumstances. It’s up to you to determine whether the monthly bottles and additional benefits of joining the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club really give you good value for your money. A wine club does give you a constant supply of fresh wine, and working your way through the club’s portfolio can be an educational experience. The wide range of additional benefits that are accessible if you live within easy travel distance of a Cooper’s Hawk location adds considerably to the value of a membership. The company does not skimp on the number or variety of events they offer to members; these can include access to exclusive wines, free tastings, specialty dinners, and more.

And while the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club isn’t on our Top 10 Best Wine Clubs list or our most affordable wine club list, we hope someday that it does make it there.