Wine Club Membership: What You Get, What It Costs, and How to Start

Opimian is a Canadian wine club that charges a $99 annual membership fee, then lets you buy wine through subscription cases or individual bottles from its cellar. It suits you if you want access to wines not sold in Canadian retail stores and are comfortable paying a yearly fee before you buy any wine. It is a poor fit if you want free browsing or a no-commitment monthly box, since membership is the entry point to everything else.

How the membership model works

Opimian describes itself as a non-profit, member-owned club rather than a retailer. According to its site, every dollar goes toward access, quality, and community rather than shareholder returns. That distinction matters mainly in how the club is structured, not in whether you pay — you still pay.

The cost structure has two layers:

The site states there are "no surprise charges, no auto-renewal traps," so the $99 is a stated annual cost rather than a recurring charge you have to actively cancel. Tax applies on top of the $99. The site does not publish per-case prices in the material available, so budget for the membership fee plus whatever case or bottles you choose.

What you actually receive

Beyond the bottles, each case is described as including tasting notes, producer stories, and guidance from the Masters of Wine. The club says its wines come through long-standing relationships with independent producers across 13 countries and 120 wine regions, and that selections are made by eight Masters of Wine rather than by algorithm.

Two claims are worth weighing as a buyer:

• Exclusive access. Opimian states its wines are not found in Canadian retail stores. If you already have a good independent wine shop nearby, this is the main thing you are paying the membership for.
• Expert curation. The Masters of Wine credential is among the highest qualifications in wine. If you want guided discovery rather than browsing a shelf, this is the value proposition.

Shipping is across Canada, and the site notes that changing your delivery address sets it as your default address — useful if you split time between locations.

Choosing a first subscription case

The site recommends starting with a subscription case after joining, and calls subscriptions the best way to start. Two options are described:

• Everything But Red — six bottles of white, rosé, or sparkling wines. Described as a lively introduction to the cellar beyond the classics, and recommended for new members.
• The Masters Case — the flagship subscription, curated directly by the Masters of Wine, and marked as most popular.

Pick Everything But Red if you do not drink reds or want a lower-commitment first case. Pick The Masters Case if you want the club's signature selection and are open to reds. If neither fits, the site says you can skip subscriptions entirely and browse 500+ individual wines in The Cellar instead.

The three-step path from joining to first bottle

1. Join the wine club. Pay the $99 + tax annual membership. This unlocks the cellar, the subscriptions, and the full club experience.
2. Start with a subscription or browse. Choose a curated subscription case, or pick individual wines from The Cellar. New wines arrive each order cycle.
3. Receive and discover. Wines ship across Canada. Each case includes tasting notes, producer stories, and guidance from the Masters of Wine.

What to check before you commit

• Total first-year cost. The $99 membership plus the price of your first case — the site does not list case prices in the available material, so confirm before joining.
• Tax. The $99 is plus tax; your province affects the final number.
• Renewal terms. The site says there are no auto-renewal traps, but confirm how renewal is handled when you sign up.
• Delivery. Shipping is across Canada; confirm your address is set correctly, since changing it resets your default.
• Fit. If you want wine without a yearly fee, or you mainly buy the same labels from retail, the membership math may not work for you.