About The Firstleaf Wines
When looking at the Firstleaf wine selection, you can see that their expert wine team is always looking for the next up-and-coming wine trends. Their selection includes wines that have won awards at multiple important competitions within the wine world.
Since Firstleaf has direct relationships with the wineries, the prices you have access to are incredibly attractive and are usually 40%-60% lower than standard retail prices!
Firstleaf offers a wine selection that continually changes. The clubs wine tasting team works hard to find the best wines for their customers. Their list of wines is endless and includes hundreds of different wines from all over the world.
- Red wine types Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, red blends and more
- Whites wine types Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, White Blends, and more
Our Review Of The Firstleaf Wine Club:
The fact that most consumers dot what to fork out anything over $15 for a wine bottle was correctly determined by Firstleaf. They decided to limit their prices to this level and moved to source quality wines at the price simply because they aim to sell a large number of bottles.
From the finest wine regions including Piedmont, Bourgogne/Burgundy, and Bordeaux, they do offer a small number of bottles. Great deals are still available for importers of wine, and resultantly the consumer, from not-so-well-known areas of Spain, Italy, and France, from where they get most of their International offering.
Similarly, their USA offering, as we have seen this far, is made up of California tagged wines which as opposed from being sourced from the high-end Sonoma and Napa regions, come from lesser known locations including Paso Robles, Lodi, and other places further inland.
The variety of grapes used in their wines impressed us, for reds, its not just about Merlot and Cabernet, or for whites, about Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, we discovered as we carefully looked through their International wine list. You will find out about new wine varieties you might want to try out even when shopping at your local store with this selection.
The quality of their wine, according to us, is more or less the same as that of their competitors marketing $15-a-bottle wine subscriptions and at this price point is only slightly above average, even with their many awards.
Wine Of The Month Club
Founded in 1972 by Paul Kalemkiarian Sr., the Wine of the Month Club conceived the whole wine at your doorstep idea. This first and original Wine of the Month Club is now run by the founders son Paul Kalemkiarian Jr. He worked with his father in the 70s and brings valuable experience in wine tasting to the table.
Each month he tastes over 400 wines. Only 15% make it to the potential club selections of which only 1% make it as selections. It all gets narrowed down to two select bottles for that month. This Wine subscription guarantees you quality wine at the best price.
And the best part they never charge you for the wine that you dont like! And if you love any of the featured wines, you can reorder at special discounts of up to 65%.
With 11 different types of subscription boxes, youre sure to find the one that fits the bill for you.
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Firstleaf Wine Flavors And Quality
After hearing that the Firstleaf team samples over 10,000 wines annually, I was not worried about the quality of wine I was getting. Among the six bottles I received, the flavor profiles were rich and decadent with some light citrusy notes and deeper spiced fruit varieties. Though I usually prefer red wine, I thoroughly enjoyed all the selections Firstleaf sent me. These were the bottles in my box:
Choosing Wine With Firstleaf
Despite putting no more planning into this evening than we would a normal virtual happy hour, our team ended up enjoying a diverse collection of alcohol, though we all had a slightly different experience with how the wines lined up with our preferences.
The process begins with a simple quiz: You select wines you like, followed by wines you dont, and then answer about a dozen related questions on food and how gastronomically adventurous you are. Naturally, being stalwart journalists, most of us chose adventurous.
I chose a mix of red and white, leaning toward not sweet, Director of Content Marketing Ryan Craggs said. So far, his selection seemed satisfying: Ive only dipped into the Bordeaux and the Chardonnay. The Bordeaux was fine, but I surprisingly enjoyed the ChardonnayI take this recommendation as a win, because otherwise I might not have ever thought to try this wine.
Others were a bit more confused about how the algorithm made its choices.
I leaned towards red, but got a mix, says Director of Business Development Nyasha Bass. I actually went through the quiz a few times because I didnt like my options the first time.
I chose sweeter wines, like Riesling during the initial taste analysis quiz, said Senior Commerce Editor Ana Suarez. You get the option to thumbs down wines you do not like, and I did that for every Chardonnay they tried to send my way.
“The discovery aspect of wine.”
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Can I Give Firstleaf Wine Club As A Gift
Our Rating 5/5
You can buy Firstleaf membership plans and do the tasting quiz for your recipient if you know their tastes or leave it to them. There are also gift cards so I give it a 5.
Firstleaf gifts include eGift Cards ranging from $25 to $200, unlike customized wine club subscriptions. You can add the name of the recipient as well as a personal message. These are sent to the recipient directly and if you wish to do so yourself, add yourself as the recipient before forwarding it along.
Which Subscriptions Didn’t Make The Cut And Why
Our picks were chosen through a mix of personal experience, reviews from industry-leading wine and food sites, and customer reviews from casual enthusiasts via third-party sites like TrustPilot and HighYa. We also took into consideration customer service, ease of site navigation and breadth of selection.
Though media companies are credited with kicking off the wine club renaissance in 2008 , they use one of a few, massive wine merchants to fill their orders. As a result, these companies, along with older clubs like Laithwaite’s and Turner Classic Movies’, essentially pull from the same lot, often marking up prices in the process. The lack of value and unique offerings excluded these services from our list. Some of the older clubs like Vinesse and California Wine Club do deliver a high-quality selection, but they also have text-heavy sites that are exhausting to navigate as well as cancellation policies that involve tedious phone calls.
Winc and Firstleaf are great examples of quiz-based wine clubs that offer customizable breadth to consumers. However, Bright Cellars, which also uses a quiz to discern customers’ likes and dislikes, did not make our list. We found that this particular club ships lackluster wines, the palate quiz often spits out the same or nearly identical recommendations for very different people and its customer service could be better.
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Details Of How The Wine Club Operates:
1. When you complete their quiz after signing up, they start working on your personalized wine subscription.
2. The ratings you assign to the wines they send to you are used to personalize your selections further.
3. All the details on the wines they stock are compared to your preferences.
4. To point out some of the wines you should try, they refer to what they have in stock.
Heres a list of other details used in personalizing your selections:
In addition to the opportunity to choose between sparkling and rosé, you get to specify your preferred wine color, whether mixed, white or red.
From mixed, imported or USA you get to specify your preferred wine region.
Quarterly, every other month or monthly, you get to specify the frequency of deliveries.
To ensure that you end up with a perfectly suitable selection, you can swap out any wine bottles you dont want
How Does Firstleaf Vs California Wine Club Work
Lets start by taking a look at Firstleaf vs California Wine Clubs basic subscription models. While no one model is the absolute best for a wine subscription service, we do want to find an option that is intuitive and easy to navigate.
- Firstleaf touts itself not only as a custom wine service but Americas #1 Awarded Wine Club, based upon that over ninety percent of their wines are award-winning. Customers begin by taking a quiz asking about preferences, are shipped an intro box a few days later, and then you have the option to rate wines. Based on that feedback, youll then be set to start receiving regular shipments.
- California Wine Club has an immediately different marketing focus. Where Firstleaf touted its customer-based, adaptive and wide selection, California Wine Club instead emphasizes its commitment to supporting small wineries and supplying handcrafted and artisanal wines. They promise better taste and quality service compared with other wine clubs. Unlike with Firstleaf, youll begin not with a quiz but by selecting one of several subscription options that provide different types of wine at different price points and some internal customer reviews. From there the process is just as youd expect: you make your payment and your first box will be delivered to you.
Verdict: Firstleaf may be easier for first time users, but both mission statements deserve further scrutiny.
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Firstleaf Wine Club Membership Benefits
Our Rating 5/5
Firstleaf is faultless when it comes to member benefits so I’m giving it a 5. You do a tasting quiz for wine personalization, get to change plan or skip delivery with ease plus there’s a 100% satisfaction guarantee and up to 60% off each bottle.
For wine enthusiasts who want to learn more than the basics, this club presents an excellent educational option. This club is even better for people on a budget because it offers a lot of savings for members.
Here are some of the best benefits to expect when signing up for the Firstleaf wine club.
Firstleaf Sustainability And Sourcing
Firstleaf works with vineyards and farms around the globe, sourcing the best possible wines for its customers. A Firstleaf representative noted that the company sources wines based on quality and cost. Suppliers are not required to farm sustainably, but, according to the rep, Firstleaf has been asking winemaking partners for more information about their sustainability practices, such as whether the wine is biodynamic or vegan-friendly, so that it can be represented on bottle labels. Each wine undergoes rigorous testing to ensure quality, which explains why they taste so good. When wine is sampled by the Firstleaf team, it’s also analyzed using technology to assess subtle flavors to help curate the company’s premium inventory.
In regards to sustainability, Firstleaf uses minimal packaging, which is easily recyclable, reduces waste, and properly secures the wine for shipment. Further sustainable efforts include carbon neutral shipping, cellaring wine near its final destination , and using naturally renewable corks in each bottle.
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Naked Wines Wine Club Main Benefits:
- Hand-made small-batch wines, made by real top winemakers from the USA and all around the world.
- Best saving 40-60% off retail prices on bottles and cases of wine.
- 100% money-back guarantee on wine bottles you didnt enjoy.
- No commitment, You can leave at any time or order on a one-time basis.
- You can find gift cards and voucher options available.
Firstleaf Ships To All States That Are Eligible
Shipments can be made to a home or business, and someone twenty one or over must sign for the package. You can manage and track your order online orders are shipped via FedEx Ground os USPS Ground and arrive within two to five business days.
You can email support and be refunded within thirty days for any individual bottle. Shipments returned or damaged on the shipment part are also eligible. They appear to accept major credit cards, but no information is readily available about secure checkout.
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Firstleaf Wine Club: Editors Verdict
More affordable than most of its competitors, the forward-thinking wine subscription company opens up our palates to the unknown with wines sourced from wineries and winemakers from all over the world. If you are looking for new ways to broaden your way of living wine, FirstLeaf Wine Club is the way to go.
For this FirstLeaf review, weve looked at all the companys features to shape our opinion of the brand, from the personalized wine selections, the 6-bottle introductory shipment, the Club Firstleaf, and the customer service. The company introduces its customers to wines on par with their tastes, thanks to an in-depth quiz you take when you decide to subscribe to the Wine Club. The introductory first shipment brings the price per bottle to less than $7, which is really cheap for good-quality wine, after which your feedback and rating will be invaluable for future wine selections. Thanks to the websites innovative algorithm, wine drinkers should only get sent wines that they are sure to love, however, its good to point out that sometimes, some customers do receive wines they do not find particularly tasty. Hey, it happens even to the smartest of algorithms.
Firstleaf Wine Club Membership Programs
The Firstleaf wine club involves two different stages:
- Introductory Shipment includes six wines. The wines are matched to your initial tasting profile after answering a few simple questions. This initial shipment then further develops your taste profile based on how you rate the wines you received.
- Club Shipments after you rank your introductory wines, every next club shipment will include six wine bottles that are personally matched to your palate and preferences. If you dont like a bottle included in your box, you can change it before it is shipped. The first club shipment will arrive a month after the initial shipment. You can then stipulate your preferred delivery frequency, whether every month, every two months, or three months.
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Giving Firstleaf As A Gift
You can give Firstleaf as a gift.
They offer E-Gift Cards in increments of $25.00 that start at $25.00 and go up to $200.00.
To give Firstleaf as a gift, you provide the email of the gift recipient and then purchase the gift card on the Firstleaf web site.
The Gift Cards can be used for wine club shipments or to buy individual bottles at the Firstleaf online store.
Also, the gift card is immediately sent to the email of the gift recipient, once purchased.
If you would like to send the gift later, heres what Firstleaf recommends:
If you wish to give the gift later we recommend sending it to your own email and forwarding at your convenience.
Once purchased, the gift cards are non-refundable.
Firstleaf Sparkling Wines Review
This wine genre has a significant quantity of carbon dioxide. With this, it is no surprise that Firstleaf Sparkling wines are fizzy. It is a grape juice with a mixture of alcohol and bubbles.
Firstleaf Sparkling Wines are made from three grapes they are -chardonnay, pinot noir, and Pinot Meunier. Starting from $18, one can purchase at least a bottle of this wine genre.
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Firstleaf Red Wines Review
For subscribers of Firstleaf, there are different kinds of wine choices they can settle for. Even their favorite wine color has numerous types in a bid to settle wine lovers. Amongst the numerous types, one would find Cabernet Sauvignon, which has varieties for the treating of customers preferences.
But explaining what Cabernet Sauvignon is all about, it is pertinent to understand that it is one of the worlds most widely-recognized wine grape varieties. Often referred to as the King of Redwine Grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon has its roots firmly in France, especially in Bordeaux.
Wine lovers typically view it as a type of wine that is fairly robust with appealing acidity, and rich-fruit flavor components. It is affordable, as the price ranges from $19 to $26.
Offering rich-fruity flavors, and average tannin levels, Malbec, which is under Firstleafs red wines category, has a higher quantity of alcohol compared to other types of red wines. It is low in sugar, plum, and cherry flavors. The price ranges from $17 to $23.
You can categorize this type of red wine into two, which are New World Malbec, and the Old World. Compared to the latter, the former is softer and less tannic.
Other Firstleaf red wines are -Merlot, Pinot Noir, amongst others.
What Are The Delivery And Shipping Policies For Winc Vs Firstleaf
As you can imagine, shipping and delivery policies are essential to the best wine clubs.
- Firstleaf ships UPS and FedEx Ground to all states that can legally accept deliveries. Just seven states have such restrictions, which you can check here. You do have to be over 21 and present to sign for orders, and deliveries can be shipped either to your home, business, or FedEx or UPS location. Shipping is not included in subscription fees, and averages ten dollars. Returned shipments due to you not being present can be refunded, for are subject to a twenty-dollar stocking fee.
- Winc ships within the continental US and costs fifteen dollars a package, or is free with shipments of four bottles or more. For both members and nonmembers, shipments do add on around $9 delivery fee, which is waived when you add on additional wine bottles with your order. You must be of legal drinking age and present to sign like Firstleaf, you can have your delivery shipped to a business or for pick up.
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