How To Choose A Wine Club For Yourself
If youre still unsure about which wine club to order from, or you want additional options beyond our picks, heres a cheat sheet on what wed recommend, based on different scenarios:
If you dont want to spend a lot, and youre not picky about the wine you drink:
- will choose for you. And youll get 12 bottles at a time, the lowest price per bottle, and a good option for entertaining. Ships every six weeks.
If youre willing to pay a bit more for interesting wines picked by real sommeliers:
- Wine Access will choose for you and ship the wines with an ice pack in warmer months. And it will provide lots of info about the wines. Ships four to six times per year.
- SommSelect will choose for you and include info about the wines. You can also build your own case of wines. Monthly shipments.
If youre willing to spend a lot on the wines you drink, you prefer getting a completely customizable selection chosen by a sommelier, and youre also willing to pay more for shipping:
- See our guide to our favorite boxed and canned wines for more options.
If you want a wine club that supports a specific cause:
Best Sparkling Wine Subscription: Vinesse’s Sparkling Wine Club
There’s something about sparkling wine that hits differently than other styles, and for those who like to celebrate everything , Vinesse is a wine club that should be on your radar. While there is a primary membership at Vinesse that offers eight exclusive wines handpicked by experts, there’s also a Sparkling Wine Club. With this wine subscription box you can select the number of bottles per order , your wine preference , and how often you want to receive your order .
Vinesse wine subscriptions also come with expert tasting notes, including pairing recommendations as well as detailed descriptions of each wine’s origins. You can rate each wine for continually better selections over time and manage your account with flexibilityskip an order or cancel at any time. Shipping and delivery information varies by region, and someone who is 21 or older must sign for the order upon delivery.
To Buy: From $50 per month vinesse.com
Best Pinot Noir: Talbott Kali Hart Pinot Noir 2017
Courtesy of Wine.com
- Region: California, Central Coast, Monterey
- ABV: 14.6%
- Tasting Notes: Bing cherry, tilled earth, espresso bean, caramel
Winemaker David Coventry makes the most of the land at Talbott Vineyards, known to specialize in both chardonnay and pinot noir. Using traditional techniques straight out of Burgundy, their pinot grapes are fermented in open-air tanks to allow more oxygen flow to achieve their more sumptuous flavors. This is a best in class example because of its balance of ripe California fruit and Old World complexity. Sweet, silken red berry fruit intermingle with polished, grippy tannins to give this wine a long, spicy finish.
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Other Wine Subscriptions To Consider
Reducing the thousands of fantastic wine subscriptions and clubs out there to a short list was nearly impossible, so we want to give a shout out to a few other honorable mentions. If small-production, organic, and biodynamic selections are your thing , check out Plonk Wine Club. Wine Awesomeness lives up to its tagline Discovery delivered to your door, with its selection of hard-to-find, hand-dug wines made from interesting varieties, up-and-coming winemakers, and offbeat regions. One of the original wine subscription services to tap into the direct-to-consumer experience, Winc curates and creates over a hundred different wines to please just about any palate. Winc also regularly offers discounts on your first box to make the deal even sweeter. Love wine but prefer it by-the-glass? Vinebox will send you a shipment of wines from all over the world in adorable apothecary-inspired single serve test tubes. If you find something you like, you earn credits toward full-sized bottles of all your favorites.
Courtesy of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards
Best For Sangria: Juan Gil Jumilla Silver Label 2016
Courtesy of Vivino
- ABV: 15%
- Tasting Notes: Blackberry, plum, black cherry, tobacco, oak
For years, Juan Gil was the standard-bearer of Jumillaa wine region little known to Americans until Gil entered their daily lexicon. But with fame and fortune, production has increased, and while this label was once a wine to cellar and enjoy over years, today, its built more for a refreshing sangria. Spanish monastrell grapes add deep, dark flavors that pair nicely with an accouterment of fruit.
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How To Get More Value Out Of A Wine Club
Look for the clubs that offer discounts for bulk orders thats one place to start. Also, virtually every club will run some kind of promotion or discount at some point. Since most of these clubs offer instant cancellations, dont get too friendly keep moving around to find those that work best for your budget.
Best Wine Club For Sparkling Wine
If you like celebrating with a bubbly drink, Mumm Napa has more than enough variety with its quarterly wine club. It uses French techniques to make its delicious wines and offers discounts, exclusive events, and free tastings for its members.
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Subscription frequency: Every 3 months
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Shipping fee: Varies based on location
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A la carte shop: Yes
Pros: Great variety and high-quality production of sparkling wine, informative booklet included, many membership perks
Cons: Total annual price is expensive, may not be suitable if you’re seeking sparkling wines made from different producers
Mumm Napa has roots that go back to the 1800s with the French Champagne house G. H. Mumm & Cie. The parent company of Mumm Napa, Mumm is one of the largest producers of Champagne globally. Its Napa Valley vineyard continues to use traditional Champagne-making techniques to make its sparkling wines, the best of which are showcased in the Club Vivant subscriptions.
The Collector’s Edition club ships quarterly and costs $200-$275 per shipment, depending on the bottle variety. It contains six full-sized bottles per shipment, including the winery’s signature DVX annual release wine and limited production wines. You’ll also get a detailed pamphlet of notes for each wine.
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Are There Any Really Good Affordable Wine Subscriptions
Yes! Im always surprised by a few affordable wine clubs that are too often overlooked by readers of this page. Specifically the Case Club from The Califiornia Wine Club and the 90+ Wine Club from Wired For Wine offer exceptional value at very low prices. Neither offers an introductory discount, but thats not a primary reason to pick a wine club. Picked by Wine.com also deserves a nod to excellence in the affordable category as its completely customizable and the wines are chosen just for you by a certified sommelier. Their cheapest option is averages $20 per bottle.
What Is Bulk Wine
Bulk wine isnt quite what it sounds like Instead, bulk wine is an industry term that refers to something akin to “private label.” The brand on the bottle of the wine is not the same the winemaker or winery who produced it or the vineyard that grew the grapes. Sometimes this leads to inferior quality, but often it doesnt.In France, there is a concept of a négociant who gathers grapes and wines from local producers and gets them to market under their own name . In the US, we dont have a formal role like this, but you probably know of some brands that employ this business model: Cameron Hughes Wines, Kirkland Wines , and 90+ Cellars are the most well-known.Among wine clubs, TastingRoom.com, Bright Cellars, and Vinesse all use the négociant model to bring wine to market more affordably than they might otherwise be able to. Some people think that Winc, Firstleaf, and Nakedwines.com sell bulk wine, but they do not these are wineries in their own right and produce wine under their own labels .
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How To Give A Wine Club Gift
Wine country gift baskets make excellent presents for family, friends and clients.
Most wine clubs have a section on their website that features wine gift baskets and gift subscriptions. Simply click on the gift youd like to give, enter the recipients details, make a payment, and youre all set.
Best International Wine Subscription: Firstleaf
If you’re itching to travel but are still homebound for now, consider globetrotting through your taste buds instead. From international wine regions in South Africa, Chile, New Zealand, Italy, and France , Firstleaf has sourced an incredible collection of wine for those who like a little geographic variety. In fact, they take wine sourcing so seriously, the staff samples more than 10,000 wines annually to get the very best for this wine club.
Firstleaf’s motto is: “The wine club that gets better with every box.” The brand uses ratings and feedback to continually improve your wine selections for a highly personalized wine subscription. To join the membership, you’ll take a short quiz to determine what kinds of wine you’d prefer in your order. For example: dry or sweet, how adventurous you want to be with flavor, your level of knowledge about wine, types of food and wine flavors you enjoy and dislike, and how many bottles you typically drink per month. You’ll receive a customized selection of six bottles which you can modify, depending on your preferences.
Firstleaf provides a wine concierge to answer any questions and discuss tasting notes, as well as a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not happy with your wine, the company will give you a credit to choose something else from its inventory. Want to become an at-home sommelier? Firstleaf has an online wine school with articles answering any burning questions you may have.
To buy: From $90 per shipment firstleaf.club
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Nocking Point Wine Club
We had some reservations when we first heard about the Nocking Point Wine Club. Sometimes celebrity run passion projects are more about ego than delivering great wine. Our minds were quickly changed with the first wine subscription box we received from this wine club. It was clear they had a great formula. The fun aspect of the club doesn’t get in the way of delivering high-quality wines from the Pacific Northwest. And the celebrity merch you receive in your wine shipments is actually nice, not just an afterthought. Consider us fans!
Price: The monthly wine club includes 2 bottles for $49. The shipping is free. The quarterly wine club is $99 for three bottles but also includes cool gear and coffee.
How it Works: Decide if you want two bottles per month of three bottles four times a year . Guest celebrity winemakers will curate the boxes with their favorite wines. You’ll receive expertly crafted wines from Washington state .
Advantages: This is the perfect wine subscription if you want to have a little fun with your wine. The celebrity angle adds a unique twist to the typical wine of the month club. The “merch” you receive makes opening every box a little more like a special present just for you.
Gold Medal Wine Club $39 A Month
Gold Medal Wine Club quite possibly has the most extensive offering of wines that can be delivered straight to your door each month.
Whether if youre looking for 93+ rated, luxury, premium, collectable wines, exclusive imported international wines, or even handcrafted, small lot wines from independent artisan wine makers, theres a wine of the month club for you.
But the one club I truly recommend you try this month is the Gold Wine Club, which also happens to be their most affordable and most popular.
With the Gold Wine Club, youll get 2 bottles of superb, medal-winning wines from some of Californias best boutique wineries.
The coolest part is that sometimes you can receive some highly rated wines .
To get started, just choose between receive reds, whites, or mixed, you desired amount of bottles, and how frequent you want wine to be delivered.
If theres one thing that I didnt like about Gold Medal its the fact that the wines I received werent necessarily tailored to my tastes and preferences.
I usually prefer wines on the sweeter side but the two bottles I received were dry.
Who its perfect for: The person that wants highly accoladed wines.
How many bottles do you get? 2 bottles.
Join: Join the wine club HERE.
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Watch Our Video Review For Naked Wines
- Pros: Individual orders possible
- Cons: No limited edition wines
Looking for the inside information on which new wines are right to turn your attentions to? Maybe you want to sample one of the over 1000 award-winning wines that are available with a membership here. Either way, this club offers precisely everything you could need when it comes to taking your wine-drinking hobby to the next level. What sets Wine Insiders apart is that there are no commitments – your orders are on a rolling monthly basis, so you can cancel at any time up your order at any time, its all in your hands.
Whats more, any order you place over six bottles comes with free delivery, and should you decide to refer a friend, youll get access to exclusive discounts that cant be achieved any other way. This club really is your gateway to enjoying top-end wine at less-than-retail prices.
Are you a wine insider? Only time will tell. But before you take the plunge, read what we have to say about this club in our in-depth review.
Best Cabernet Sauvignon: Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Courtesy of Drizly
- ABV: 14.8%
- Tasting Notes: Blueberry, blackberry, creme de cassis, espresso bean, chocolate
The Smith & Hook vineyards that lie in the Salinas Valley in Californias central coast were specifically sought out for the purpose of making delicious cabernet sauvignon. Previous vintages for this bottle have consistently scored high marks from reputable wine critics and since the land is ideal for the varietal, future vintages ought to continue the tradition.
Loaded with ripe sweet blueberry and blackberry jam, matched by decadent creme de cassis, espresso bean and chocolate, this wine goes down like silk on the tongue with a long wild herb finish.
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Cellars Wine Of The Month Club With Shipping Included
The Cellars Wine Club, operating for over 20 years, is a monthly subscription wine service.
The idea behind this wine club is to provide you with excellent hand-selected wines that fit your unique tastes at a relatively affordable price.
You can choose from each one of twelve different subscriptions from single-bottle to 12 bottles case-size, reds to whites, to natural wines, 90+ points, and more.
One thing is common to all their plans standard shipping is always free!
Best Sweet: Turley Old Vines Zinfandel 2018
Courtesy of Wine.com
- ABV: 15.5%
- Tasting Notes: Blackberry, plum, peach, orange zest
Turley is a world-class staple producer. Their 2018 Old Vines Zinfandel is a mixed breed of California vineyards ranging from the central coast to Napa. With a higher-than-usual alcohol content and using the juice of exceptionally ripe grapes, this bottle gives off the perception of being a sweet wine while actually being more dry than sweet. To coin a phrase, this wine features a phantom sweetness.
Upfront, there’s blackberry and plum, with a peachy kick before the orange zest on the back end delivers a light, medium-bodied, and lasting finish.
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In My 10 Years Of Drinking Alcohol I’ve Never Quite Understood How To Choose A Wine
I’ve been to fancy restaurants. I’ve watched as the wine is poured. I’ve swished it around, smelled it, nodded my approval. But what makes a truly good wine?
Or, more specifically, what makes a good cheap wine?
Let’s be real: I’m not buying $30 bottles of wine to take over to Mariska’s theme party on Saturday. I’m buying cheap-ass wine. Still, I don’t want to buy undrinkable wine that tastes like red vinegar and smells like a musty basement. So I decided to find it the only way I knew how: a good old-fashioned taste test.
How did I pick the wines? Mostly based on terroir, which is a fancy French word for land. I shopped only within the terroir around my office, where I’d most likely shop for wine to bring to a hypothetical friend’s party. From the Walgreens across the street I picked up Chateau Diana and Vineyard Creek, and then went two blocks over to Trader Joe’s for the rest. My criteria for the wines were as follows:
1. Is it under $9?
2. Is it red?
3. Have you purchased fewer than nine wines?
If the answer to all three was yes, I bought it. I bought it good.
Once I had my subjects, I sat down to try all nine wines in one sitting. I assume this is the method used by master sommeliers. Also like them, I assume, I vowed to spit it out only if it tasted real disgusting.
Wine Gifts Are Included In My Membership
Each wine club offers some great wine gifts, and as a new subscriber you may be eligible to receive a wine gift box with your first shipment.
Giving a wine club gift to friends and relatives is easy once youre a subscriber. You can add multiple shipments per month to your order, and customize your wine subscription gift according to your budget.
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Plonk Best Organic Wine Club With Free Shipping
The plonk wine club is all about bringing natural boutique wines from worldwide wineries. The Plonk portfolios wines are all guaranteed to have been created with naturally grown ingredients, using organic and biodynamic methods.
Moreover, The Plonk wine team is deeply committed to selecting adventurous wines from exciting yet less-known grape types. Those wines are usually made in boutique vineyards in tiny batches.
With Plonk, you can choose from three different monthly plans red, white, or a mix. With each program, you can select the number of bottles per shipment and the shipment frequency.
Free shipping is included on all club orders.
