David has not had this guest on for a really long time. In fact, we dug into the archives and figured out how long ago it was. We were shocked to find out that it was exactly 10 years ago to the day that we had him on. Totally an accident or perhaps serendipity. Regardless, he is one of the most interesting people in the wine business and a wealth of information because he also has his own very successful podcast. He and his father founded a truly iconic organization and the name will be familiar because it spawned every other wine club in the country. It’s Paul Kalemkairiam, Jr. of “Wine of the Month Club” fame. Paul’s dad started the club in 1972 and Paul Junior purchased it in 1988 and has run it ever since.
Just like we use the term “Kleenex” to generically (but incorrectly) describe tissues to blow our noses, “Wine of the Month Club” has risen to a similar level of prominence. But there is really only one official Wine of The Month Club and we’ve got its owner on this week’s show to share a ton of information about the birth and rise of the most recognized wine club in the world. And even though the name is trademarked, Paul explains why it’s sometimes wiser to look the other way than to engage in costly litigation.
On today’s show, you’re going to learn a lot about wine clubs, including how they became a $3 billion industry and how you can get the most out of them. The fact is, nearly every winery has a wine club and if they didn’t have one, they probably couldn’t survive in this market. At least not the small guys. That means an awful lot of wineries owe their success to Paul and his father. No pressure there.
There are few people as plugged into the wine industry as Paul Kalemkairiam. With those broad connections comes a lot of insight. Paul is a wealth of information about product trends, consumer behavior and how to find great wines for a truly great price. The best part is, Paul isn’t evasive when it comes to sharing what he knows, so give a listen. You’ll gain a lot of new insight into wine enjoyment and acquisition in less than an hour. That means you’ll be able to get more enjoyment out of your wines than ever before. At a minimum, you’ll learn how to stretch your wine-buying dollar quite a bit further!
This edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More. Just a couple of generations ago, you could have set ALL of the major wine choices available to you on a small table. Today, if you want to truly do justice to the world of wine, it takes several thousand square feet to properly showcase what’s available. With more than 8000 wines in stock at every store, nobody showcases the astounding world of wine today better than Total Wine & More! To check out their mind-boggling selection or simply get inspired, click here and we’ll show you something truly amazing!
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