Wine Subscriptions Save You Money
With a wine club, you can enjoy different wines for drastically less than youd spend in almost any store. Retail wine shops have overhead to cover, which means retail price tags on your wine. Even a big box store will mark up the price of a bottle of wine and high-end wine shop prices are often far higher. Wine subscriptions offer a much better deal for your wine-drinking adventures, cutting out the middle-man, connecting you directly to the winery all for a fraction of the price youd spend buying wine from a store.
Wine subscription prices vary, however. For example, Martha Stewarts Wine Club starts at 12 botte for $89.88 per bottle but after that introductory first shipment, membership jumps to $159.98 plus tax.
Naked Wines offers twelve bottles for $79.99, but is not exactly a wine subscription. The deal is a per transaction, not a repeated benefit of membership. If you want to order again, you pick 12 more bottles from their catalog and they will ship them to you. You can also create a $40 a month Naked Wine Piggy Bank from which you can draw anytime you want to buy wine, but there is no monthly obligation to buy the money waits until youre ready. This could be great if you have a lot of experience with wine and know what you want, and are great at remembering to order regularly, but doesnt offer much guidance for exploration.
How To Taste Wine
Go slow and use the right techniques. “Tasting wine to learn something about it is different from just knocking a glass back casually with friends,” said Price. “Take the time to think about what you are tasting. Make sure you stick your nose in the glass and really smell the wine. When you drink it, coat your entire palate. After you swallow, think about how long the flavors and textures linger in your mouth.”
The sommelier and wine writer also recommended starting a tasting group with your friends or family. “Pick a theme and have everyone bring a bottle within that theme. For example, if you want to understand Syrah, the line-up should include a Northern Rhône , Barossa Valley , Stellenbosch , Paso Robles , and Tuscany bottling amongst others. Each person should bring their bottle wrapped so you can’t see the label , and put the wines out for everyone to taste and guess which wine is which. It’s helpful to write your tasting notes down so you see how you progress over time. The entertainment value goes up even more when afterward you discuss your impressions as a group, enjoying the wines you brought with friends.”
Watch Our Video Review For Vinebox
- Pros: First case is well discounted
- Cons: Quarterly deliveries only
Laithwaites is a great choice for your average American. Sure, theres a handful of states that it wont deliver to, but putting aside its excellent selection of prestigious wines for a moment, youll find anything you want in terms of top-end wine available here to pretty much the majority of states only a handful is exempt. The beautiful thing about this club is that itsone of the longest-serving options out there, with few that even come close to the heritage and quality service that Laithwaites provides.
What makes this club great is that it works for everyone. Sure, you can trust the experts to build your order for you but, should you have an idea what you want already or youre a bit more experienced than the average newcomer to the club, orders are 100% customizable.
Laithwaites always makes our top 10 lists for a reason. Want to know more? Find out all you need to right here.
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Wine Clubs Let You Explore The World Of Wine
When choosing the best wine club, choose one that offers you an international variety without the guesswork. Wine club members can explore and savor award-winning wines from every region without leaving their homes. You can shop by region, color, and varietal.
You also get access to many perks with a wine subscription. For example, offers a seven-piece corkscrew set with members second orders. With the Naked Wine program, you can get up close and personal with the winemakers themselves. And with Firstleaf, wine club members get access to incredible deals on award-winning, highly exclusive wines at excellent prices.
The Best Wine Clubs Of 2022
- Get in-depth knowledge about the best wine club services on the market
- Find wines perfect for your taste profile and enjoy every bottle of wine you receive each month
- Get Exclusive offers and deals
- New Year’s Special! Get 6 Wines for $39.95 plus free shipping for a year with promo code NEWYEAR2022!
- Save 60% on wine compared to retail price
- America’s #1 awarded wine club – over 150K satisfied members
- Curated selection – wines sourced from across the globe
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- Special Sale! Get 4 bottles for $24.95 + free shipping!
- Organic & vegan wines available
- Every bottle has a 100% satisfaction guarantee
- Find the right wine with a short quiz
- $100 off – Holiday 15 Pack for $79.99 use code HOLIDAY15
- Discover wines with 2 million+ reviews
- 150 wines awarded gold medals
- No commitments, No membership fees
- 12 Bottles for $89.88 + Free Shipping!
- Wines curated by Martha Stewart
- Free gifts with select shipments
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- 15 Expertly-Selected Wines for just $89!
- Just $5.93/Bottle + free shipping
- Bottles of wine starting at $15
- Popular wines from all over the world
- Personalized quiz to help select bottles
- Curated box includes 4 wines per month
- New Year’s Special! Get 6 Wines for $39.95 plus free shipping for a year with promo code NEWYEAR2022!
- Save 60% on wine compared to retail price
- America’s #1 awarded wine club – over 150K satisfied members
- Curated selection – wines sourced from across the globe
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
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Are Wine Clubs Worth It
From well-established wineries with developed vineyards that only focus on the classic styles. All the way to newly made, independent winemakers who use medium-sized wine cellars to store the latest variety of specialty wine. There is a wine club for everyone and everything.
There are many reasons why wine clubs are a great deal. Some say that wine clubs are a good choice if you want to expand your already existing wine palate with new lesser-known additions. On the other hand, others soundly recommend them for the benefits that come with a wine club membership.
Whatever the reason is, its a fact that wine clubs boost your wine experience to an entirely new level. They add a bit of passion to your daily glass of wine and diversify your palate. They make you more knowledgeable. And, most of all, they give you the wine you want in a timely manner.
This article will cover a few additional reasons why you should join a wine club. Once you made the decision, go to bestwineclub.com to find your pick.
Choosing The Best Wine Club: Your Guide To Wine And Spirits
How do you choose the best wine club? Wine subscriptions offer access to new and exciting wine experiences, and bring the world of wine to your doorstep, often for much less money than youd spend shopping retail. But not all wine subscription services are designed equally, so how do you choose the best wine club for your personal taste?
First, lets explore the benefits of wine clubs in general.
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Why Should You Try A Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Club Subscription
Theres a reason that Cabernet is one of the most popular grape varieties in the world. And these wine clubs deliver some of the best wines directly to your doorstep without having to leave your home.
A wine subscription club is a fun and delicious investment in your wine education and palate, from member benefits like personalized recommendations and VIP touring to steep discounts on your favorite bottles.
Another great benefit of joining a wine club is pricing! This may come as a surprise, but many wine clubs offer an excellent and affordable wine experience. Wine Clubs offer members prices of 20% to 60% below the average of the regular wine store prices. Moreover, wine clubs usually offer beginners coupons or which makes the prices even lower.
Wine club gifts can also make a great way of showing love in the upcoming holiday season! All the wine club services above offer the option to send an online gift card.
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How Much Does An Average Wine Club Cost
The cost of wine clubsspecifically in the formats weve outlined abovecan range greatly. Many cost nothing to join, only charging for products ordered, while others come with an annual fee . Wine clubs with regular shipments generally outline the price per shipment upfront, and typically have various options at different price points to choose from.
Every product is independently selected and vetted by editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.
MORE TO READ
The Custom Club: Scheduled Shipments Or Releases Some Or All Customer’s Choice
Members of Corner 103’s Wine Society receive quarterly shipments of award winning wines that you cannot find anywhere else. Prior to each release, members are give the opportunity to add on to your shipment or make a substitution. Plus, members gain exclusive access to events and special savings including complimentary wine tastings for four people and discounted wine and food pairings.
Harvest Moon Estate & Winery also sends out club shipments on a schedule, two or four times a year, with an additional feature: club members can customize.
“I only join wine clubs after the second positive experience with the winery, and certainly only join wine clubs where one can customize the allotment,” explains Harvest Moon owner and winemaker Randy Pitts of the philosophy behind his wine club. “This ensures the winery isn’t using the club as dumping grounds for wines that are not moving in the tasting room or not picked up by distributors.”
Discounts vary according to commitment, as with other clubs, from 20 percent to 35 percent. Members get an email listing a suggested selection of wines, but they may choose from a list of alternatives before the wines leave the small Russian River Valley winery.
Similarly, Sonoma’s Gundlach-Bundschu offers “some customizing,” says Jessica Curotto, director of consumer sales, “Since we know everyone has unique preferences, needs and let’s admit it, quirks.”
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Percentage Of Alcohol In Wine
A wines body is one of the primary ways to analyze how a wine feels inside your mouth, particularly when it comes to its texture and flavor. A number of factors contribute to a wines body, including alcohol percentage, acidity, and tannins . Alcohol, however, is the main element that contributes to the body of wine. Wine is classified as light-bodied, medium-bodied, or full-bodied. The higher the alcohol content, the longer the flavor lingers which is to say, the more body it has.
Wines under 12.5% alcohol are considered light-bodied. These are generally refreshing white wines. There are also light-bodied red wines, such as pinot noir, that are produced in cool climates. A good example of a light-bodied white wine is Italian prosecco. A light-bodied wine will typically have lower amounts of tannin and higher acidity.
Wines between 12.5% and 13.5% alcohol are considered medium-bodied. These have a medium level of acidity and tannin. Great examples of these wines are rosé, Burgundy, and zinfandel.
Wines with an alcohol percentage of over 13.5% are considered full-bodied. Some wines that are commonly full-bodied are cabernet and malbec. The majority of wines over 13.5% are usually red and are opaque in hue. These have a lower level of acidity and high levels of tannin. Chardonnay is a great example of a white that can often be considered full-bodied.
Ducted Wine Cellar Cooling System
This kind of system makes use of ventilation ducts to protect your wine collection. As your ducts can be installed outside, you wont need to install any sizeable pieces of equipment inside your cellar. They can either be self contained or split .
Pros:
- Ideal environment for long-term wine storage
- Installed outside of your cellar
- Less noise
- Ideal for larger wine cellars
Cons:
- HVAC licensed professional required for installation
- Installation expensive
Access to walls and ceilings needed
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Best For Date Night: Winc
Winc
Your wine journey at Winc starts with a six-question quiz to get to know your tastes and preferences. Based on your responses, theyll send four wine choices each month.
Then, youll review the bottles, and your preferences will be fine-tuned even more. The goal is to cater the experience to your tastes, so that you can spend less time choosing the best wine, and more time enjoying it.
Founders Xander Oxman and Geoff McFarlane joined forces with winemaker and sommelier, Brian Smith to create a personalized wine club that offers online membership.
The subscriptions are flexible, allowing members to skip a month or cancel at any time. Satisfaction is guaranteed, so if youre unhappy with a bottle you can receive a refund. Subscriptions start at around $60 per month, plus shipping for three bottles. Or, receive free shipping with four or more bottles.
Wincs recommendation for the best wine for date night: Try the 2018 Porter & Plot Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendocino, California. Harvested from the CCOF-certified Cox Vineyard, this bottle is bursting with dark fruits and spice.
What About Natural Wine Clubs
If youre unfamiliar with natural wines, the term may sound a little funny. Natural, after all, would imply that other wines are somehow unnatural, but thats not the case. Theres not an official definition of natural wine . But at its most basic level, natural wine is wine made from native yeasts , rather than from cultured yeasts . Its sort of like bread thats made from sourdough starter, versus bread thats made from a packet of store-bought yeast. Also, the grapes arent sprayed with pesticides or herbicides, and the wines are often unfiltered and contain fewer additives.
We plan to test clubs featuring natural wines in an upcoming update of this guide. In the meantime, we did hours of research and spoke with a few experts, and we found that clubs like Primal Wine Club, Plonk Wine Club, MYSA Natural Wine, Helens Wine Club, and Dry Farm Wines all offer a good value and selection of natural wines. Because the natural wine pool is usually smaller, theres often overlap with the bottles these clubs sell. Our best advice is to find a club that meets your specific needs, whether thats based on the shipping price, number of bottles, or the frequency of shipments. If you need help getting started, see our section on how to choose a wine club, which includes suggestions for clubs that feature natural wines.
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Great Wines Great Customer Service: Wine Access
Get this if: You want sommelier-selected wines shipped monthly, or you want the flexibility to build your own case.
Why we like it:SommSelect has many of the things we look for in a good subscription service. Aside from having the best-tasting wines of those from all the clubs we tested, SommSelect is transparent about who chooses its wines, and it gives you the option of shipping wines with an ice pack in warmer months. Apart from its various club options, SommSelect also allows you to build your own case of wine. This gives you autonomy over your orderits a great option if you already know what wines you like to drink. SommSelect has a good selection of wines that can be bought à la carte through its online store, including port, dessert wines, and organic/biodynamic wines. For a separate fee, SommSelect has options for private tastings and virtual events, as well as sommelier consultations.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The biggest flaw with SommSelect is its customer service. We had to leave a message each time we called because there was no one available. Someone always returned our calls, but because the company is based in California, it was sometimes as late as 8 p.m. on the East Coast. That said, the representatives we spoke with were very helpful and eager to answer our questions. The company said all of its customer service agents have some level of wine training. As with Wine Access, you can if you want to cancel your subscription.
