Gold Medal Wine Club vs Plonk Comparison 2022

About The Gold Medal Club

The name of this club is not just for show. As it suggests, the bottom line is, the wines in its portfolio are either winners in prestigious international competitions

and/ or have received high ratings from esteemed critics and go-to drinks publications.

About Plonk

Plonk focuses entirely on artisan organic and biodynamic reds and whites from across the Old and New Worlds.

It’s caught the attention of the drinks media with Owner Etty Klein receiving many an accolade for her ground-breaking club.

Gold Medal Club Main Benefits Overall

This club’s range is simply top-notch with seasoned pros judging each label and giving it a top award or rating, so you know you have exceptional quality in every glass. It has several good packages to pick and choose from so there’s plenty of flexibility plus there are numerous ways of getting in touch with the club’s customer service so there’s reliable accessibility.

This club also does something really nice: if yore on the road for work or play, it’ll send your case to your temporary address, so you never have to miss out on your beautiful bottles.

Plonk Main Benefits Overall 

Plonk’s signature is its range of wines made in sync with nature. Every single bottle comes from a vintner who practices organic and/ or biodynamic farming in the vineyard and takes this into the winery. There are no synthetic chemicals in your glass nor any enhancements from the winery  - just good, pure stuff which tastes divine.

This club has several bottle count and delivery options, and customer service is sound. If you have a special occasion coming up, Plonk has a range of handy options for your wine-loving recipient.

Overall Winner

Plonk and Gold Medal Club have plenty to offer so both are winners.

The Gold Medal Club Selection 

This club has a truly unique and fault-proof way of picking wines for its range: it covers more than 45 grape varieties and goes for what top judges and critics have awarded top accolades rather than just relying on the palates of its tasting team. What’s more, the wines all hail from boutique producers who handcraft their wares in small batches; Gold Medal Club doesn’t do “bulk”.

The club has six membership plans each filled with fine wines that you’d have a hard time finding anywhere else. To top it off, because there’s no middleman, you enjoy around 40% off retail prices.

Plonk Wine Selection

If you have a thing for white varieties in all their glorious styles, Plonk is perfect because it’s a top white wine club. The organic wines it stocks include Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Riesling and, to keep things interesting, untapped white grapes from lesser-known regions that deserve to be more widely known – and will be! It’s not all just about white grapes though.

it has an equally fine choice of reds plus rosés and sparkling labels all hand-crafted across wine-producing countries. Its tasting team tries hundreds of wines and only passes a handful so it’s quality all round.

Wine Selection Winner:

Both clubs offer fine quality and good choice - it’s a draw!

The Gold Medal Club Subscription Plans

There are six membership plans to choose from each filled with top wines and homing in on different tastes and regions. If you’re looking for a good red wine club, you’re in luck as one of the plans is dedicated to Pinot Noir! Whites are also center stage in a selection of clubs like the limited-membership Diamond Club which brims with premier vintages or Platinum Club which is packed with glittering labels.

If you like really off-grid wines, you’ll love its Garagiste Club which highlights ultra-small-scale production wines that you only get the chance to try once – or maybe twice!

Plonk Subscription Plans 

Plonk offers a sound range of subscription plans, bottle counts, and shipping frequencies for you to pick and choose from to tailor the perfect shipment. There are monthly, bi-monthly, and quarterly subscriptions and you can pay on a rolling basis or in advance.

The club usually offers special deals on the first delivery like $20 off or similar. In terms of bottle counts, you have a choice of four, six, or 12 bottles per delivery and you can go for full of red, white, or mixed with the latter option highlighting the occasional rosé or sparkling wine as well. 

Subscription Plans Winner:

It’s a tie as both clubs offer great value.

The Gold Medal Club Pricing and Shipping

Obviously, the prices differ from club to club. They start at $40.95 for the Gold Wine Club to $188 for the Platinum Wine Club per shipment depending on the plan that you go for. Also, it’s worth keeping in mind this is for two bottles and if you want to increase your bottle count, naturally the final price will go up.

Delivery is added to the cost and you have the option of picking up cases from holding locations of FedEx, the official shipping partner of the club. Cin cin!

Plonk Pricing and Shipping 

It doesn’t matter if you choose an all red, white, or a mixed case, there’s a flat rate per shipment (not per frequency). The cost is down to the bottle count. Four wines are charged at  $110 per shipment, six bottles are $160, and a dozen cost $285.

Shipping is free for all membership types, quantities, and delivery frequencies. If the weather is really bad, Plonk may delay delivery for a few days until it’s safe to hit the road. All wines are sent the first week of each month, taking between five and ten days to arrive. 

Pricing and Shipping Winner:

Plonk

The Gold Medal Club Customer Service and Guarantee

The Gold Medal Club is a real leader when it comes to keeping in touch offering just about every possible way you could want. There’s phone, live chat, out-of-hours answer service, email, and even good, old-fashioned mail.

The club has a “satisfaction guarantee” and if you receive a bottle that’s been damaged in transit, it will replace the label with no questions asked. This also applies if the wine is corked or defective in some other way. If for some reason on a rare occasion you receive the wrong product, the club will offer you a discount on it or you can return it at no charge.

Plonk Customer Service and Guarantee

You can get in touch with Plonk with queries or quibbles in two ways; phone during office hours or email. This club is pretty prompt about responding in a timely manner if you don’t get hold of it right away, so you won’t feel frustrated about lax customer service.

All in all, it offers a solid satisfaction guarantee. If you receive a bottle that’s damaged or corked or it turns out you’re not enthusiastic about it, all you have to do is get in touch within 72 hours and Plonk will find a way of making you whole. 

Customer Service and Guarantee Winner:

Both do their best so it’s another draw.

The Gold Medal Club Cancellation Terms  

If you decide to cancel, there are no fees or hidden catches. Simply get in touch, let the club know about your intention, and it will get the ball rolling. The club points out that there may be another option besides cancelation. You can change your shipping frequency if you’re getting too much or too little wine.

Furthermore, you can have deliveries delayed until a future date or have them rerouted to your temporary vacation or business trip address. If you’re sure you want to cancel though, The Gold Medal Club will make the process easy as pie.

Plonk Cancellation Terms  

How easy cancelation is of a Plonk subscription depends on the type of plan you have with the club. If you’ve prepaid for subscriptions whatever the duration, bottle count, or frequency, unfortunately, you’re not entitled to a refund of any kind. This is because they’re classed as “non-refundable final sales”.

On the other hand, if you pay for the subscription on a rolling monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly basis, you’re at liberty to cancel whenever it’s convenient for you. In order for it to take effect before the next scheduled delivery date, cancel yourself in your account or contact Plonk no fewer than seven working days before your next billing date.

Cancellation Terms Winner:

Plonk

The Gold Medal Club Gifts 

The selection of clubs at Gold Medal is really spot on so it’s good to know that you can spread the word with the gift of a subscription. You can go for any of the six memberships the club offers and choose monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly deliveries.

If a club membership doesn’t fit the bill, you can check out the range of Gift Box and Combo Case suggestions for every occasion under the sun. Each is filled with the finest wines, artisan food goodies, and luxury products for pampering. It also deals with corporate gifts.

Plonk Wine Gifts 

If you know someone who has the same great taste as you in wine, there’s the chance to send Plonk membership to your fellow aficionado. You simply access your account, choose the “gift” option inputting your recipient’s address for shipments, and know they’re getting a lovely surprise on their special day!

Plonk offers two handy ways of spreading the joy with your recipient. There’s a direct gift message via email or a gift announcement you can print out and present to your loved one yourself. Cheers!

Buy as a Gift Winner:

It’s yet another tie! Gold Medal and Plonk can’t be faulted on gift options.