Austin's Wines Rent a Vine

What's in the box: The site doesn't say what a regular shipment contains; membership mainly gets you wine discounts, free cellar door tastings, event invitations and early access to small batch wines.

Austin's Wines is a second-generation, family-run winery in the Moorabool Valley near Geelong, Victoria. Its vines grow in limestone soils in a cool climate. It makes wine under two labels, Austin's and the better-known 6Ft6, and runs a cellar door that offers tastings, cheese and wine, and lunch. If you're shopping for a hands-on Rent a Vine program, be aware that the main site doesn't describe one. It doesn't say how vine rental works, what you would receive, or how often. The membership it does promote is the WonderVine wine club, which is free to join. Members get discounts on wine all year, a free tasting for themselves and up to three friends on every cellar door visit, invitations to exclusive events, and first access to small batch releases. The events include what the winery calls its popular winemaking workshops, so this is the closest thing to a winemaking experience the site describes. That makes the club a good fit for people who live near Geelong or visit often. It offers less to anyone who wants regular deliveries or a structured vine adoption. Ask the winery directly about vine rental terms, what's included and costs before you commit.