Plonk vs California Wine Club Comparison 2022

About Plonk

Plonk is all about digging deep for the best 100% on small-production, organic and biodynamic labels.

Founder Etty Klein has had the spotlight shone on her across the drinks media for her ground-breaking club, through which she partners with family vintners across Old and New World regions. Its range is packed with fine well-known and undiscovered varietals..

About California Wine Club

Since 1990, California Wine Club has pleased oenophiles who have a soft spot for artisanal wineries of the Golden State.

With an international outlook and a mom-and-pop feel, the ethos of this club is to connect wine lovers with vintners who handcraft the finest with love and dedication.

Plonk Main Benefits Overall 

The USP of Plonk is its portfolio of wines made with considered care. Each label is made by a producer that religiously practices organic or biodynamic farming in the vineyard and carries on with gentle methods in the winery.

There are three membership options as well as a medley of shipping frequencies and bottle quantities so, whatever you want, you’re covered.

Plonk is conscientious about customer satisfaction and you can cancel whenever it suits you if you have a rolling subscription. On top of this, Plonk offers beautiful gift options for the wine lover in your life.

California Wine Club Main Benefits Overall 

Whether you know the varietals and wine styles of California inside out or you’re a beginner in this splendid wine region, this club has years of experience picking the best to share with you.

Its subscription plans cover all the touchstones of Californian wine and some. It covers much-loved areas in depth giving you a fine ready-made selection about what to explore in this exciting region. The club also goes further afield with clubs focusing on America’s Pacific NorthWest and iconic international regions. California Wine Club has clubs for a range of pockets, great perks for members, plus superb gift membership options for personal and corporate purposes. 

Overall Winner

Plonk and California Wine Club each have plenty to offer so they’re both winners.

Plonk Wine Selection

Plonk is a leading white wine club because it digs out its organic labels from iconic regions where fine Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Riesling abound.

It has an equally stellar selection of reds and rosés plus bubbles all crafted to stringent environmentally-friendly standards.

While Plonk covers familiar ground with much-loved grapes, it also digs around undiscovered regions like Hungary, Greece, and other countries where show-stopping wines are the norm where they’re produced and deserve more fans. 

California Wine Club Wine Selection 

The majority of California Wine Club’s portfolio hails from a wide network of top artisanal California wineries making it an excellent red wine club.

You can bank on all those powerful Zinfandels and amazing red blends that the Golden State is famed worldwide for.

However, it’s also known for its robust whites produced with a local approach, so you’ll be spoilt for choice there too. This club has a rich array of producers it’s built up over the decades so has direct links to the best, latest, and most interesting for subscribers.

Wine Selection Winner:

Plonk and California Wine Club both hit the mark with their wine selections.

Plonk Wine Subscription Plans

Plonk has the subscription choices, bottle counts, and shipping frequencies to cover all needs and budgets.

You can go for a case of all reds, whites, or mix them up with the odd rosé or sparkling wine featuring in the latter choice. Whatever subscription plan you choose, your case will include an interesting mix of both domestic and international labels.

There’s a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly membership plan and you have the handy choice of paying in a rolling month-to-month way or in advance. There’s also a selection of four, six, or 12 bottles per case.

California Wine Club Wine Subscription Plans 

The California Wine Club has five memberships to choose from, covering delights like aged Cabernet, premier California labels, international bottles, and limited-production wines.

The starting level is two bottles per shipment and for the limited-edition option, you can upgrade to four at a higher price. If you really want to stock up, there’s the 12-bottle club with the Case Club Series. Shipments cost $41.95 to $231 depending on the category you pick.

Each club has monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly frequencies and when you reorder a favorite, you enjoy a 20% discount. Additionally, you can customize your case to reds or whites.

Subscription Plans Winner:

It’s another tie

Plonk Pricing and Shipping

Pricing at this club is crystal clear. Whether you go for the red, white, or a mixed case option, each shipment is a flat rate based on the number of bottles.

Four wines are $110 per shipment, six bottles cost $160, and a dozen are charged at $285. Shipping is complimentary across all bottle counts and delivery frequencies.

Plonk may suspend delivery for a few days in very bad weather until it’s safe to transport your wines. Your cases are sent the first week of the month arriving between five and ten days later.

California Wine Club Pricing and Shipping 

Subscriptions start at $41.95 and go up to $231 across a good variety of clubs that suit different budgets and tastes.

On the delivery charge front, every case or half case ships to most states for $1 and you can keep an eye on your order through tracking once your order arrives in your locale.

Licensed carriers undertake shipping which takes from two days to three weeks depending on where you live. If for some reason you aren’t going to be at home to accept a shipment, you can make an alternative arrangement via a dedicated phone number.

Pricing and Shipping Winner:

Plonk and California Wine Club

Plonk Customer Service and Guarantee

Phone during office hours or email are the two ways of contacting Plonk. This club is very swift about responding in a timely manner, so there’ll be no unwanted frustration about lax customer service.

When it comes to a satisfaction guarantee, it would be unusual for any bottles to be below par just because of how fussy the Plonk tasting team is when it picks and chooses labels for its range.

However, if you do receive something you don’t like or that’s arrived damaged, contact the club within 72 hours and it will make you whole.

California Wine Club Customer Service and Guarantee

Get in touch with the California Wine Club customer service team via email or phone for any queries whether about general membership or a specific shipment.

On the satisfaction guarantee front, the club is very proud of what it calls a “Love It” guarantee. If you receive a rogue bottle, it will ship a replacement right away. On top of this, you have a personal wine consultant at your fingertips who gets to know what you like and is happy to guide you when necessary.

The club has perks such as VIP passes for members to participating wineries whenever they’re in the neighborhood and it offers a wine storage service.

Customer Service and Guarantee Winner:

California Wine Club

Plonk Cancellation Terms  

You can’t just out and out cancel all of your Plonk subscriptions. It depends on which plan you have.

Prepaid subscriptions with a duration of three, six, or 12 months are non-refundable because they’re classed as “final sales”. On the other hand, if you pay for your subscription on a rolling monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly basis, you can cancel whenever you want.

For Plonk to process this in time, you need to let them know no fewer than seven working days before your next scheduled billing date. You can go into your account and cancel it yourself.

California Wine Club Cancellation Terms  

You’re entitled to cancel your subscription at any time and there are no hidden fees for doing so.

What’s more, The California Wine Club has three convenient ways of closing your subscription.

You can contact customer service via phone, or send notice via email. If you’d prefer to cancel it yourself, go into your account and click "Make Changes to My Existing Membership" where you’ll find an option for cancellation.

Cancellation Terms Winner:

California Wine Club

Plonk Wine Gifts 

If you love the selection of healthy, fine, and interesting reds, whites, rosés, and bubbles Plonk sends you, you’ve probably thought of sending a club gift to a loved one.

Purchase a gift subscription for your friend or family member and surprise them with cases filled with exceptional, fine, healthy wines.

You go into your account, choose the “gift” option using your recipient’s address for the shipping, and Plonk sends all the gift details to them by email. For a more personal touch, the club can send you a printable gift announcement that you can give your recipient yourself.

California Wine Club Gifts 

Love the experience you’re having of the California Wine Club and eager to introduce a friend or family member to its delights?

There are plenty of options for doing so. You pick a membership, and the club will tailor shipping frequencies as you wish with a choice of anything from one to 12 shipments.

If you’d like to share the joy of the club but aren’t sure about a subscription, send an electronic gift certificate. This club also has a corporate gift service.

Buy as a Gift Winner:

They’re neck-on-neck here.