Your place is yours for life, as long as there’s room. The active list holds 150 members. Periodically, we look at where everyone stands. When every spot is taken, standing is held by what you collect: if an active member below you is asking for more wine than you’ve lately been buying, we may move your tier to make room for that demand. We always write to you first and give you the chance to hold your place — never a quiet downgrade. In practice that can mean a step from Tier III or II down to Tier I, and if every active Tier I member is also asking for more than they’ve bought, a return to the Tier I waitlist. The surest way to hold your standing is simply to keep taking the wine you’re offered.

Tier I has two states — active and waitlisted. Active members can build a wishlist; waitlisted members are holding for a place to open and don’t receive wine yet. If waiting doesn’t suit you, you’re welcome to write Dan & Blake directly at danandblake@robertclay.wine and make your case to be considered for an active place.

Restaurants, wine bars and shops, grocers, and other trade accounts are welcome on the allocation as well — and are treated exactly like everyone else.