I'm a Sommelier, So Trust When I Say These Are the Best Wine Subscription Clubs (2026)
If you’ve ever chatted up a sommelier to find the perfect bottle within a price point, flavor profile, or that pairs well with a specific dish on the menu, you know firsthand the value of outsourcing the decision of picking out wine. That’s the beauty of a wine subscription—only then, you get to enjoy their choices from the comfort of your own couch.
Even if you have a pretty good grasp of what you like (and don’t like) to drink, a subscription has so much to offer; as a wine writer and sommelier, I turn to these memberships when I’m feeling stir-crazy with what’s in my fridge and want to be introduced to new producers or styles. They’re also my go-to when I want to gift someone a selection of wines without having to rack my brain for what to get them.
Our favorite wine subscription services
- The best wine subscription service overall: Parcelle Wine Drop
- For wine descriptions that read like a note from your BFF: Helen’s
- For folks who love flexibility (and bang for their buck): Naked Wines
- For on-demand service: Yes Society
- For a surprise tasting party: SommSelect
- For the curious, quality-conscious wine consumer: Plonk
- Best for an easy, fuss-free wine club experience: Winc
- A wine club that promises to educate and expand your palate: MYSA
Just as the wine you get in a restaurant is only as good as how specific you are when ordering it, the best wine subscriptions are curated selections that highlight a certain region, tasting notes, or grape varieties. After all, if you hate bigger-bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignons and want to spend less than $50 but fail to mention either of those things to your somm, it’s unreasonable to get annoyed if a ball-out bottle of Napa Cab arrives uncorked and ready to pour at your table.
Whether you’re looking to start your cellar or just want to be sure you always have a few great bottles on hand for impromptu dinner parties or picnics, these are the best wine subscriptions money can buy.
- The best wine clubs
- How we tested the best wine subscription services
- What factors should I consider when choosing the best wine subscription service?
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Other wine clubs we tested
The best wine clubs
To find the best wine subscription services, we ordered over a dozen popular options and had them delivered to our door. We evaluated each one based not only on the quality, condition, and variety of wines in the box, but also on factors like flexibility (including pricing tiers, commitment levels, and personalization options), shipping or membership fees, and how each shipment is curated. Expert curation by a certified professional is what separates a truly worthwhile wine club from one that falls flat.
The best wine club overall: Parcelle's Wine Drop
Parcelle
Mixed Wine Drop
Parcelle
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Outstanding value for the quality and rarity of the bottles
- Introduces you to producers and regions you might not discover on your own
- The element of mystery makes each adventurous
- Beautiful, gift-worthy packaging with minimal waste
- Digital tasting notes are easy to save and reference later
Cons:
- Pricier than many entry-level wine subscriptions
- No customization by grape, region, or wine style
Founded by sommelier Grant Reynolds in 2019, Parcelle entered the wine world as an online retailer known for its impressive curation of hard-to-find bottles from Burgundy, Barolo, and beyond. Despite opening two wine bars in New York City in subsequent years, Parcelle’s focus remains largely on retail and making sure people have good things to drink at all times, wherever they might be.
What we love: "The Wine Drop is a monthly mailer that requires placing a fair bit of trust in Reynolds and his team. A mailer of three bottles of red, white, or a mix of both costs just $95, a price point that easily exceeds the individual value of the bottles inside; more experienced drinkers might be tempted to spring for the $150 Fine and Rare box, but I found that the core offering offers plenty of excitement and value.
In my most recent order, I tried a Grenache Blanc from Santa Barbara that played incredibly well with take-out sashimi, as well as a stand-out Syrah from Jean-Louis Chave, who has been making wine in the Northern Rhone Valley for 16 generations.
Some thoughtful touches that make this wine club a stand-out above all: While most wine clubs include a print-out with bottle names and descriptions, Parcelle emails its in PDF format, which I prefer because I have enough random bits of paper floating around my apartment. I also prefer the convenience of being able to reference something I enjoyed from a document on my phone if I’m in a restaurant or bottle shop. Plus, the club ships bottles in a beautiful, gift-ready box with minimal packaging and cardboard to break down afterwards." — Oset Babür-Winter
What we'd leave: There's no way to customize your shipment by region, grape, or style. That's part of the fun if you're looking to expand your palate, but it may frustrate drinkers with very specific preferences.
The bottom line: It’s a very close call between Parcelle’s wine club and Helen’s (below). If you’re someone who wants to stock up on wines that can generally be described as more classic gems as opposed to funky and natural-leaning (which is where I land, especially if I’m hosting and want what I have on hand to appeal to a broader swath of guests), Parcelle’s box is ultimately the answer.
For wine descriptions that read like a note from your BFF: Helen’s
Helen’s Wines Subscription
Table22
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Focus on low-intervention, natural wines made without additives
- Wide range of wine-growing regions curated by a certified sommelier
- Supplemental reading materials and videos provided
- Members can pause or cancel their subscription at any time without charge
- Customers can choose how many bottles they receive at various price points
Cons:
- Shipping can cost up to $40, depending on your state
- Not a lot of preference-based flexibility. What you get is what you get!
Helen’s Wines is helmed by Helen Johannesen, a Los Angeles-based sommelier with a deep passion for natural, organic, and small-production bottles. She handpicks the contents of each box to ensure that the customer receives the highest level of curation in every shipment. In addition to sourcing solely sustainably-farmed wines, Helen’s Wines celebrates small-scale wineries that use as little intervention as possible—Johannesen describes her focus as being on “labels that bottle the mantra, ‘nothing added, nothing taken away.’”
My delivery of four (truly dope) bottles included an incredible Sicilian Grillo that paired perfectly with chicken salad, as well as a Gamay-Pinot Noir blend that made last-minute weeknight burgers feel special. Most of the wines that Helen’s carries are low- to no-intervention, making it an easy choice for the natural wine fan in your life." — Oset Babür-Winter
What we’d leave: From where we stand, there’s very little to be critical of about Helen’s Wines. That said, if you’re a wine drinker who shutters at the thought of outsourcing the curation of your boxes or you dislike (or are disinterested in) natural, low-intervention wines, Helen’s isn’t for you.
For folks who love flexibility (and bang for your buck): Naked Wines
Naked Wines Subscription
Naked Wines
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Flexible spending options
- Wine selecting is left entirely up to the customer
- Intuitive website interface
- Up to 60% markdowns on bottles from small-scale wineries
- Directly supports independent winemakers
- If you dislike a bottle, your account will get re-credited
- Members can pause or cancel their subscription at any time without charge
Cons:
- Limited options for lovers of more niche varietals, like biodynamic or orange wines
- Self-selection sacrifices sommelier-led curation
What we love: "Naked Wines’ unique subscription structure gives consumers more power over their dollar than many of the services we tested. You deposit $40 a month into your ‘Angels’ account to spend on wines up to 60% off retail. There's no automatic wine shipment; you choose what to buy and only pay extra if your order exceeds your balance. If you don’t use the deposit one month, it rolls over to the next.
We’re big fans of the fact that monthly fees go directly to winemakers—supporting the folks who craft the wines themselves means more brand focus is spent on quality, less on suppliers and sales. The result comes in the form of bang for your buck: While the exact 'what' and ‘when’ of your spending is entirely up to you, all bottles offered come from small-scale wineries that are exclusive to Naked Wines. And the options are nice—a highlight from our test was AVA Collection’s 2021 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon (marked down from its $149 retail price to $70 for Naked Wines) and the 2024 Patrice Grasset Chenin Blanc (which sells at retail for $31; Naked offers it for $16). In terms of styles of wine, the flexibility of Naked Wines is appreciated—rather than having to choose between white or red, I relished being able to order a box that included both plus sparkling wines and rosés. More to love: You can learn all about the varietal, vintage, region, and tasting notes (heck, you can even e-meet the winemaker) via the Naked Wine marketplace.
Angels can pause or cancel their membership at any time, and if you don’t like one of the vintages that you select for yourself, the 'hassle-free' guarantee policy promises your credit goes back into your account. Luckily, the community-driven feedback built into Naked Wines’ service means you can read hundreds of customer reviews of bottles before you buy, so you’ll (ideally) nail your selection of wines on the first go-around. The shipping fee for your first order is free, and the same goes for all orders that exceed $200." — Betty Gold Kider
Along similar lines, if you’re a wine drinker who loves to dabble in more niche categories of wine such as organic, natural, biodynamic, or skin-contact (orange) wines, your options will be limited. (Currently, there are only four organic wines and not a single orange or Pét-Nat available in the Naked Wines marketplace.) The selection of wines also leans heavily on US-based vineyards, particularly Napa Valley and Sonoma.
For on-demand service: Yes Society
It’s rare for a winemaker to make a business of getting people to drink things that they haven’t made, but that’s at the core of Maggie Harrison’s whole approach to wine, both at her Willamette Valley winery, Antica Terra, as well as her wine club, Yes Society. While Harrison is known for producing some of the most prized Oregon Pinots money can buy, she exposes Yes Society members to stand-out wines from Bordeaux, Champagne, Friuli, Croatia, and beyond.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy access to sommeliers via text, phone, or email for quick wine help
- Fun discovery-focused box with high-quality, unexpected bottles
- Access to a members-only marketplace for reordering favorites and limited wines
- Strong curation paired with a polished, easy-to-use platform
- More interactive than most wine clubs, with real human guidance behind each box
Cons:
- Sommelier access is limited to set daytime hours
- You don’t choose exactly what goes into your box
- Price point may feel high for more casual wine drinkers
What we love: "By joining Yes Society, you get text, phone, and email access to a network of sommeliers who can help you navigate a restaurant's wine list in real time (between the hours of 8:30 a.m.and 4:30 p.mp. PST), figure out which bottle to buy to pair with dinner, or answer questions about what’s in your most recent box. There’s also a member’s only wine marketplace with access to limited-allocation batches; if you try something in a box that you can’t get enough of, the team will help you source more bottles.
I tried the Small Mixed box of six bottles for $150, and was blown away by the access; my delivery included a Premier Cru Champagne, a cheerful bottle of Macabeo from Spanish producer Bodegas Frontonio, and something I couldn’t get enough of: a Swiss Pinot Noir that, true to the description in my box, “serves as perennial evidence that some of the greatest grand cru of Burgundy is in fact in Switzerland.”
The beautiful packaging and branding plus the user-friendly online portal makes Yes Society feel unlike any other wine subscription. While you ultimately can’t control what ends up in your box, it’s one of the more input-derived wine clubs I tried, with plenty of opportunities to interact with the somms who curate your package." — Oset Babür-Winter
What we'd leave: The sommelier access is a great perk, especially for restaurant decisions or learning as you go, but the set hours can make it harder to use in the moment. And since the box is fully curated, it’s better suited to people who enjoy a bit of surprise rather than those who want more control over their selections.
For a surprise tasting party: SommSelect
SommSelect
The Blind 6 Membership
SommSelect
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Fun, interactive surprise tasting experience
- Great for groups, dinners, or learning with friends
- Clear, user-friendly tasting guides included
- Well-curated, approachable wine selection
Cons
- Price reflects experience as much as wine
- Best value comes from actively doing the tastings
SommSelect offers several different wine subscriptions, but The Blind Six is easily the most exciting—each month, you’ll receive a sommelier-selected assortment of six wines that are meant to be blind tasted alone or with friends. It’s a fantastic way to organize a gathering, or just work on getting more comfortable with identifying aromas and flavors in wines without the bias of knowing exactly what’s in your glass.
What we love: "I won’t lie—opening up a box of six bottles wrapped in opaque, black tissue paper was kind of a thrill. With a handy pamphlet that includes instructions on which bottles to chill before tasting, as well as step-by-step instructions on what kind of glassware to use and what to look for during the process, my box felt very user-friendly. The booklet also included a one-pager on each wine, with information on structure, palate, nose, and visual cues to help make me a better taster.
It’s important to remember that the emphasis here is less on rare or noteworthy bottles and more on making you a more confident taster. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the wines in my box—I especially enjoyed the Chenin Blanc from Rheinhessen that was dry, medium-bodied, and had beautiful quince and lemon notes—but you can expect more tried-and-true options like a Napa Cab and Sancerre. At $225 for 6 bottles when ordered monthly, you’re definitely paying for the extra guidance and effort that goes into preparing the box for blinding." — Oset Babür-Winter
What we'd leave: This subscription is at its best when you lean fully into the blind tasting format—if you’re not hosting friends or actively using the educational materials, some of the value is lost. And while the wines are reliably solid, they skew more approachable than adventurous, so seasoned drinkers looking for rare or boundary-pushing bottles may find it a bit safe.
For the curious, quality-conscious wine consumer: Plonk
Plonk Subscription
Plonk Wine Club
Pros and cons
Pros:
- All wines are free from pesticides, herbicides, and commercial additives
- Wide range of wine-growing regions
- Shipments are curated by a certified wine expert and sommelier
- Customers have the option to mix and match wines a la carte
- Monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly subscription options
- Free shipping on all orders
- Non-alcoholic options offered in Plonk’s wine shop
- Members can pause or cancel their subscription at any time without charge
Cons:
- If you’re solely in search of wine brands that you’re already familiar with, Plonk isn’t for you
- Not a lot of varietal-based flexibility
If you’ve sampled your fair share of full-bodied Bordeaux and crisp sauvignon blancs and feel ready to let your taste buds taste new terroirs, a Plonk membership is a smart starting place. This service focuses exclusively on natural wines that are grown using organic, biodynamic vineyard practices. (Meaning no pesticides, herbicides, or commercial additives such as colorants, acidifiers, artificial sugars, alcohol enhancements, or industrial chemicals get used in the bottles they source.) Every vintage is hand-selected by the brand’s founder and sole curator, Etty Klein, who holds certifications from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and the American Sommelier Association.
'The idea is to expand our customers' wine horizons, encourage them to take a leap of faith, and thus expose them to new favorites,' says Klein. ‘Customers who began thinking that they only want to drink Cabernet Sauvignon or Sancerre are ordering bottles of Austrian Blaufrankisch, Hungarian Furmint, and German Muller Thurgau in droves.’
And after tasting what Plonk had to offer, I can absolutely attest to such an experience. My box included a 2023 Greek Kir-Yianni peach-and-pear-scented assyrtiko, Castello Romitorio’s 2023 Brio Toscana (a rustic red that spins sangiovese into silk), a 2021 Pence California red blend filled with sour cherry flavor, and my absolute favorite: Union Sacré’s 2023 unfiltered orange, made from a blend of Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Sylvaner grown on the central coast of California. In complete transparency, I thought I hated orange wine until I tried this one. Finally understanding the flavor potential of skin-contact was a treat, as was finding four totally unique wines I’d never known or heard of prior. Bottom line? Rest assured that your Plonk-ified palate is going to experience something new.
Plonk has three club options—red, white, or a mix of the two—and subscriptions can recur every month, bimonthly, or quarterly. Those who prefer custom cases can mix and match wines a la carte online, which means you can re-buy bottles you loved from a prior shipment. Shipping is free on all orders, there’s no membership fee, and a $10 discount is offered to all first-time customers." — Betty Gold Kider
What we’d leave: If you’re one to order the same styles of wine on repeat (no shade), Plonk’s off-the-beaten-path selection of different wines will probably taste very new. You can either embrace the element of education (and the rare grapes and unusual aromas that come with it), or opt for a wine club that’s more suited to whatever your palate’s used to sipping.
Best for an easy, fuss-free wine club experience: Winc
Winc Wine Club Subscription
Winc
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Personalization and customization options abound
- Intuitive website interface
- Decent markdowns given to members
- Good for discovering new wines without guesswork
- Members can pause or cancel their subscription at any time without charge
- Shipments over $50 are free
- Wine portfolio is expansive and rotates regularly
- Can re-order wines you loved a la carte
Cons:
- Only available in 38 states
- Wines are sourced from a limited number of regions (most from California, France, Italy, Argentina, Spain)
- Algorithm-based quiz sacrifices sommelier-led curation
What we love: "Winc is made for wine drinkers who love a personalized experience and decent bottle markdowns without strings attached. Joining the club is free—once you’re in, you’ll take a quiz so the service can discern your wine preferences and provide recommendations available in Winc’s wide portfolio. Plus, self-selected bottles are always available, and if you uncork a bottle you really relish, you’re able to order the same vintage a la carte.
A Winc membership buys you a minimum of three bottles shipped to your doorstep monthly, plus you’ll get an additional 20% off each bottle you buy. There’s no minimum time requirement to join, there is free shipping for orders over $50, and you can pause or cancel your subscription any time. But you probably won’t want to—Winc’s tailored-to-you subscription model gives you a lot of say over what you want to sip without the overwhelm or intimidation factor.
We tasted a solid array of Winc’s offerings for our test, and were pleased with each of the varieties the service had to offer. In addition to a bright and fruity Cocomero French rosé and a spicy, herbaceous L’Atelier du Sud grenache blend from the south of France, it was fun (and rather unexpected) to find a bottle of French So This Happened 2021 skin-contact white (aka orange) wine. Sure, half of our six-bottle shipment came from France, but we were definitely not mad about it—you can’t deny that there’s quite the range among these three wines alone." — Betty Gold Kider
What we’d leave: While a wide array of options are one way to guarantee reliability, Winc’s quiz-based (i.e. algorithm-based) subscription model makes it hard to feel truly connected to the bottles you’re sampling. Winc forgoes the sommelier-based, education-forward curation and leans harder into letting customers self-select. Depending on your level of wine knowledge, this may work—but generally speaking, a professional sommelier’s palate is going to be more reliable than a quiz embedded with an algorithm. The other downside we noticed is that you won’t find any New York merlot or Austrian riesling—Winc sources almost entirely from California, France, Italy, Argentina, and Spain.
A wine club that promises to educate and expand your palate: MYSA
Mysa Natural Wine Club Subscription
Mysa Natural Wine
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Brand is devoted to educating their customers with supplemental reading materials and videos
- Focus on low-intervention, natural wines made without additives
- Wide range of wine-growing regions considered in curation
- Shipments are curated by a certified sommelier
- Members receive 10% off additional bottles
- Members can choose from a box of three, six, or 12 mixed boxes, or opt for four bottles of just reds or oranges
- Pause or cancel your subscription at any time without charge
- Female-founded
Cons:
- If you’re solely in search of wines that you’re already familiar with, MYSA isn’t for you
- Not a lot of preference-based flexibility
MYSA exclusively ships low-intervention natural wines directly to your doorstep—this means bottles are made with “spontaneous fermentation using native yeast, sustainable agricultural practices, minimal sulfur, and no additional additives,” says MYSA co-founder, Niclas Jannson. Boxes are hand-curated by Jannson’s wife, co-founder Holly Berrigan, a WSET Level III certified sommelier.
What we love: "MYSA’s wines were among the most eye-opening we tested: No sip was necessarily familiar, yet every bottle was delicious down to the last drop. For instance, take the Lectores Vini Pomagrano Blanco, a blend of Xarel-lo and Macabeo grapes grown in Catalunya, Spain: A single swirl of the deeply aromatic, straw-and-cream-colored liquid gold and you’ll want to learn everything about the lesser-known grapes and where they came from. The question ‘Where has this been all my life?’ actually came out of my mouth.
Luckily, MYSA is focused as strongly on storytelling as it is on sourcing. This was one of the only wine clubs we tested that included handouts providing origin stories, tasting notes, and food pairing recommendations. MYSA also builds a dedicated landing page for each monthly wine box complete with each bottle’s background, what to expect when trying, and a tasting video starring Berrigan that you can cue up as you uncork. Another perk: MYSA includes a copy of The SWURL Guide to Commonly Used Wine Terms with all fifth subscription orders to keep customer curiosity flowing.
Members can choose from a box of three, six, or 12 mixed (meaning white, red, rose, sparkling wine, and so on) bottles. MYSA also offers a red-only and orange-only box of four wines. Members can add any bottle from the online shop to an upcoming club order and get 10 percent off with no additional shipping costs." — Betty Gold Kider
What we’d leave: Clearly, MYSA is for more adventurous wine drinkers who are willing to forego having a hand in the curation process—all good—however, we do wish customers had more options for customizing their subscription boxes. Even the most dedicated, knowledgeable natural wine connoisseurs can prefer whites over reds or carry other personal preferences, and this is one wine club that’s not exactly well-suited to the traditional palate as-is. But there’s hope: MYSA notes that custom box options are on the way this summer.
How we tested the best wine subscription services
Accessibility
We limited our roundup of the best wine clubs to those that are widely available across the United States. While no wine subscription service is able to ship to all 50 states due to state-specific alcohol shipping laws, we made sure that the wine clubs we tested were available in at least 38. FYI, the states most clubs can’t ship to include Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Mississippi, Rhode Island, and Utah.
Ease of ordering
An intuitive website with an easy-to-navigate interface is an imperative part of a top-notch wine subscription service. A shopper’s experience online should be simple, straightforward, and not leave them scratching their head about what they just signed up for. There should also be customer service at the ready to help.
Customization
To what degree can customers tweak the size and inclusions in the shipments based on personal preference? While we hope that all wines have been vetted by a wine expert or sommelier, many consumers still want the flexibility to choose how many bottles they’ll receive and how often; the same goes for the ability to select between red and white wines (or have a mix).
Cost
We didn’t rate wine subscription services based on how much they cost, but we do think it’s important that there is some financial incentive to becoming a member of a wine club that you pay into on a recurring basis, especially if you’re not choosing the bottles yourself. In other words, buying from a wine club should give customers access to bottles that have been marked down rather than up. We also looked into how shipping fees are calculated and whether each service charges an upfront membership (or cancellation) fee.
How wine selections are curated
Let’s all hold hands and agree that there are a lot of people we’d rather not be in charge of ordering our next glass of wine for us. Hence why the curation process is one of the most important differentiators between a wine club you’ll want to commit to long-term and one that leaves you underwhelmed. Ideally, a sommelier is involved in stocking your wine box. This is especially key if wines are sourced from off-the-beaten-path wineries new to the average consumer. Additionally, we preferred wine clubs that are transparent about their curation process.
Quality of the wines
Of course, any good wine club should be shipping you high-quality wines. While wine drinkers’ palates are hugely diverse, we tasted bottles from each shipment to ensure there were no “off” aromas, that the wine was as described (light vs. full-bodied, acidic vs. tannic…) and, ideally, delicious. Finally, we looked into the range of wine-growing regions that each service sources from—and appreciated those that go beyond the classic France, Italy, and California wine combo.
What factors should I consider when choosing the best wine subscription service?
How wine boxes are curated
It’s important to recognize that beauty—particularly when it comes to wine preferences—is in the eye of the beholder. Some solely sip tannic reds; others tend towards buttery Chardonnays or effervescent, funky-flavored Pét-Nats. This is why we recommend wine clubs that enlist wine experts (such as a certified sommelier) to make the selections that you’re ultimately paying for upfront. This may mean an expert has vetted every bottle available in a subscription service’s marketplace that you ultimately choose from, or that each specific bottle is hand-picked for you by a sommelier.
The “surprise and delight” factor
Ideally, a membership to a wine club is a means to expanding your palate—while it’s absolutely important to know you can trust your subscription service to ship you wines you’ll enjoy, we think it’s equally imperative that you get to try (and learn) something new in the process. Much of a wine’s beauty is linked to its terroir, a French term loosely meaning “taste of place,” or the unique characteristics of a specific vintage that can often be traced back to the vineyard’s soil and other environmental factors. The best subscription services leverage the educational element of wine tasting and aim to tell you a story about each vintage. We encourage the wine club curious to seek out services that provide supplemental materials (such as origin stories, pairing suggestions, and tasting notes) on their website; better yet if they’re included with your shipment.
What kind of wine drinker are you?
This is probably the most important question to ask yourself before committing to a wine club. Are you someone who likes to have a strong say in what they’re sipping, or do you prefer the fuss-free “dealer’s choice” route? Are you looking to exclusively sip new-to-you grapes on the regular, or would you prefer to stay in your lane but like the reliability of a recurring box of your favorite wine brands showing up on your doorstep? Do you stick to natural wines or avoid them entirely? Considering what you value most about the experience of drinking wine at home and what types of wine you like best before joining a wine club will go a long way.
Other wine clubs we tested and liked
Wine Insiders Subscription
Wine Insiders
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Brand touts a Perfect Pour Promise: If you’re not completely satisfied with any wine, for any reason, you’ll receive a refund
- Excellent wine markdowns given to members
- Vast selection of wines, including 40 varietals sourced from over 15 wine regions
- Shipments are curated by a team of wine experts
- Fast delivery (two to three days); free shipping
- Memberships can be paused or canceled at any time
Cons:
- Customization is limited. Individual bottle selection isn't available; customers can’t opt for a shipment containing less than 12 bottles
- No natural wines available; very small selection of organic and sweet wines
- Doesn’t cater to those seeking specific brands
New members receive 15 bottles of wine for $89 (that nets out to under $6 a pop) on their first shipment, which includes three “bonus” bottles of higher-end red wines. Following, you can expect a case of a dozen bottles that have been curated by the sommelier team every 12 weeks for $155. While you can’t select specific vintages, you can choose between all reds, all whites, or a mix. While we enjoyed Wine Insiders’ wide selection of wines, markdowns, and money-back guarantee, this service ultimately didn’t make the best-of list because of the lack of flexibility—a dozen bottles of wine is too many to not have a say in what you’re sipping; the likelihood of not liking at least one varietal is high. And what’s worse than wasted wine?
Juliet Wine Subscription
Juliet Wine
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Eco-friendly paperboard packaging reduces carbon footprint by over 50% compared to glass bottles
- After opening, wine stays fresh for up to four weeks, further boosting the waste-free factor
- Wines are additive-free and low-intervention
- Flexible: Members can choose between monthly or quarterly shipments; you pick which two Juliet varietals they’ll receive in each box
- Intuitive, easy-to-navigate website
- Pause or cancel your membership any time
Cons:
- All wines are sourced from California’s central coast, so little variety offered in terms of region
- Only six varietals to choose from
- Traditionalists who prefer the ritual of opening a bottle may miss that experience
Boxed wine is back and better than ever before, thanks to the sustainability-centric wine subscription service Juliet. The Certified California Sustainable Santa Barbara-based wine company uses proprietary eco-friendly packaging, which reduces the carbon footprint by over 50% when compared to its equivalent in glass bottles. Juliet’s outer package is made from paperboard, which reduces energy and weight during transport and is easily recycled. What’s more, the brand’s low-intervention, additive-free wines stay fresh up to four weeks after opening (which is, generally speaking, about four times the lifespan of a glass bottle).
True to boxed wine form, Juliet’s varietals—Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rosé, Orange, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon—come in the form of 1.5-liter magnums, which contain the same amount as two bottles of wine or roughly ten glasses. Wine subscriptions can be shipped every month or quarterly; each box contains two varietals, and members get to choose which of the six they’d like to receive. And before you judge a box by its cover, know that Juliet’s wines are indeed tasty—think beautifully-structured Santa Ynez Sauvignon Blanc that’s rich in grapefruit notes and delicate, fresh strawberry-scented rosé you’ll want to sip poolside all summer.
We recommend Juliet to all sustainability-minded folks who want to stock up for an event or holiday, but due to the limited number of wine options available, we don’t think it’s ideal for wine drinkers that want to invest in a wine subscription service long-term—especially if your palate delights in variety, education, and expansion.
Roscioli
Italian Wine Club
Roscioli
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Deep, expert-led dive into Italian wine with standout regional curation
- Strong discovery factor, from iconic Barolo/Barbaresco to lesser-known grapes like Refosco
- Excellent value for 24 bottles a year given quality and access
- Great for entertaining, gifting, or building a serious home wine stash
Cons:
- Italian-only focus limits variety
- Biannual drops require storage space and commitment
- Better suited to enthusiasts than beginners
If you love Italian wine or simply want to spend a year geeking out about the nuances between Barolo and Barbaresco, Roscioli’s wine club is the best subscription money can buy. Brought to you by the team behind Rome’s iconic salumeria which also has a buzzy, hard-to-book outpost in New York City), this subscription sends 12 bottles of Italian wine twice a year. That’s two bottles a month, in case you need to set up a drinking schedule, and at $920 a year for 24 bottles (billed biannually), it’s a significantly better value than flying to Rome—especially with where gas prices are heading.
Stand-outs from my hefty Essential box included a pet-nat from the Roscioli team’s private vineyard in Marche, as well as a slightly herbaceous Sicilian vermouth that made for an incredible spritz, and a wine made with Refosco, a new-to-me grape that made for a juicy, peppery red wine that played well with pizza. I’d say that if you’re more of a casual wine drinker, the volume here might be a little overwhelming. But, if you’re someone who likes to entertain, gift bottles, or are prone to opening a bottle (or more) a week, then you’re unlikely to find a better curated selection of rare and rave-worthy Italian wines delivered to your door.
Vinebox Subscription
Vinebox
Pros and cons
Pros:
Cons:
- Not ideal for hosting or bringing to a dinner party
- Traditionalists who prefer the ritual of opening a bottle may miss that experience
- Pricey (given that you’re only receiving six four-ounce glasses of wine per shipment)
- Very limited customization and flexibility options—members don’t have a say in what they’re shipped or how often (and all memberships are monthly; no more, no less)
- Little transparency about what wines are offered; unclear if natural or organic options are available
Vinebox is a unique and highly experiential subscription service, but ultimately, it probably won’t fit the bill if you’re a wine drinker in search of a wine club that’s going to expand your palate or introduce you to new regions. The value is also not great—despite the pretty packaging, each sample of wine is teensy (think half a glass), so it’s challenging to split one portion between two people and still feel like you had a full tasting experience. No judgement, but we’re partial to wine clubs that aren’t geared towards drinking alone.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is a wine club?
How much does the average wine club cost?
Cost varies significantly among wine clubs, largely because some send two bottles and others send a dozen-plus. Expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $150 (or more) per shipment, depending on the quantity and quality of the wines you want to sample. Some subscription services promise heavily marked-down bottles; others focus more on introducing their members to unique, high-quality, off-the-beaten-path varietals.
Are wine subscriptions worth it?
Yes—but only if you find a wine club that fits your lifestyle, personal habits, and flavor preferences. If you’re someone who genuinely enjoys sampling new-to-you styles of wine and tends to serve and/or sip it frequently at home, you will likely benefit from a subscription service. The same can be said for folks who buy wine on the regular (who needs one more errand to run?) and, perhaps most importantly, those who value wine education. If you rarely drink wine at home and you tend to stick to the same brands when you do uncork a bottle, a wine club is probably not for you.
What is natural wine, anyway?
If this topical category of wine is new to you, don’t sweat it—the definition of natural wine is relatively ambiguous. Generally speaking, the term refers to wines that are made without additives. While vague, this tends to mean that no preservatives, sulfites, herbicides, colorants, acidifiers, enhancements, or chemicals have been used in the winemaking (and grape growing) process. While many—if not most—natural wines are also organic and biodynamic, these classifications don’t officially apply to natural wine, often because certification is costly and, depending on the winemaker’s goal, unnecessary.
In terms of flavor, you’ll see a lot of natural wines described as funky, earthy, or acidic. Some offer a light effervescence and/or sour or fermented flavor, not totally dissimilar from that of a kombucha. Natural wines tend to be lower in alcohol than their conventional counterparts, as their grapes are often harvested earlier in the season before growing temperatures hit their peak. When gazing through a bottle of natural wine, you’ll notice that the liquid may look cloudier (especially with whites, rosés, and oranges) than you’re used to due to the lack of filtration; there may also be more sediment at the bottom of the bottle.
Signing up for a wine subscription service focused on natural wines is a smart way to start your at-home education, as natural wines are harder to track down than your standard bottle. To that end, we recommend Plonk, MYSA, or Helen’s Wines—whether you’ve never tasted a native yeast-fermented Syrah or unfiltered, barnyardy Beaujolais or know already that natural is what your palate prefers, having an in-house sommelier stock your boxes will be a blessing.
With testing and reporting by Betty Gold Kider
Source: This story originated with Bon Appétit.
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