This credit card for wine enthusiasts is offering a 50k sign-up bonus

April 30, 2021

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6 min read

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Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.

Over the past few years, there have been numerous credit cards that have hit the market, targeting just about every type of consumer. Cards for NFL enthusiasts? Check. Disney super fans? Oh, you're a big NASCAR fan? There's a card for that too. And the list goes on.

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But now, it's wine enthusiasts' turn. Today, wine connoisseurs can rejoice because there's a card built specifically for you: the Grand Reserve™ World Mastercard®. Below we share the details on if it's a good fit for your credit card portfolio.

The information for the Grand Reserve card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Grand Reserve rewards rate

Grand Reserve may sound familiar to some of you because it launched its own wine-focused rewards program a few years ago. That program allows members to automatically earn points on eligible wine-related purchases. This credit card will earn points that flow into that loyalty program, helping you accelerate earnings.

At first glance, the earning structure isn't half bad. You'll get:

Up to 7x points per dollar on wine purchases, with the card's Top Wine Merchant Bonus
5x points per dollar at nearly 500 wineries, wine clubs and other Grand Reserve Partners
3x points per dollar at any other winery, wine store, liquor store, restaurant or bar
2x additional points per dollar on purchases from your top wine merchant (where you spend the most) each month
2x points per dollar everywhere else

With the Grand Reserve Rewards program, you can redeem points for wine through ProofLoyalty or for a number of wine-related accessories and wine experiences. Note that the card does come with a $149 annual fee.

You'll also earn additional bonus points with unique offers from Grand Reserve partners and your top wine merchant. Cardholders receive discounts and upgrades at hundreds of wineries with a Priority Wine Pass that comes with the card — worth $120 according to Grand Reserve.

Other benefits include a pair of luxury wine glasses as a welcome gift, cardholder offers on wine, invitations to exclusive cardholder events and more. Some examples of events are first-tastings from a famed Napa Valley winemaker and an invite-only virtual Penfolds event with entertainment from Leslie Odom Jr. (from the broadway hit, Hamilton) with a complimentary tasting kit.

Sign-up bonus

The Grand Reserve card is offering 50,000 bonus points to new cardholders who spend $3,000 in the first 90 days of account opening.

However, the Grand Reserve program doesn't follow a set redemption rate. While redemptions start at 750 points, the monetary value of those points will depend on what you choose as your redemption. As a result, the 50,000-point bonus could be worth as much as $400 or as little as $250. But even at the highest redemption value, you're still getting less than 1 cent per point.

Most of the better redemption options on the Grand Reserve Rewards program catalog cost hundreds of thousands of points. For example, an "all-inclusive two-night Napa weekend getaway" will cost you up to 555,600 points — not including flights or any wine you may purchase to take home with you.

Unfortunately, the 50,000-point bonus is only worth up to $400, and you won't be able to use it to purchase actual wine. (Photo by Julio Alvarez / Getty Images)

Is it worth it?

While the card itself doesn't have a bad earnings rate, the program will only benefit die-hard wine lovers.

Your rewards points are going to be worth than a cent apiece, even with the most valuable redemption options. Considering the best rewards programs earn points worth up to 2 cents each according to TPG valuations, this program just doesn't compete. In reality, you could easily get a cash-back card and redeem it for wine-related purchases at a better redemption rate.

Keep in mind that the card costs $149 a year. If you get the full value from the Priority Wine Pass, that will lower that fee to $29 out of pocket. For those who live near wine country and who partake in wine clubs and are constantly visiting wineries and vineyards, this card may make sense for the Priority Wine Pass, discounts on experiences and invites to exclusive cardholder events. But that's a select subset of the population.

So, all in all, I don't think this is a super compelling offer overall for most consumers. There is some appeal for true wine enthusiasts with some of the benefits and the community aspect that comes with exclusive cardholder events. But it's certainly not going to make the top of our best rewards cards list.

Bottom line

A number of top travel credit cards offer nice perks on wine, wineries and other experiences.

Amex Offers frequently has savings and earning opportunities on wine or wineries. Chase, Amex and Capital One all offer exclusive cardholder events — some of which are geared toward wine enthusiasts.

Travel cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve will even give you bonus points on Airbnb experiences you can book at wineries and vineyards worldwide. There are many ways to be rewarded for wine-related purchases and plenty of ways to redeem rewards for wine-related accessories and experiences at a much higher value — all without this card or the Grand Reserve Rewards program.

While this card has a solid offer initially, it just doesn't quite hold up to the competition with its current rewards program.

Additional reporting by Stella Shon.

Featured image by (Photo by John Gribben for The Points Guy)

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.