10 Of The Best Wine Clubs For Every Type Of Drinker
Like your wines a little more sweet? Would you rather sip on some bubbly? There's a subscription box for you.
It's easy to become a creature of habit. When you find a wine you like, why would you want to try anything else? You're happy with what you're sipping and won't be spending unnecessary money in the process of finding something else. May I present for your consideration: the wine club.
Wine club subscriptions are a great way to step outside of your vino comfort zone and discover something new, usually at a discounted price. You're able to drink beyond what's available on your grocery store shelves, and the companies ship it straight to your door. There are so many clubs to choose from that the perfect one for you is definitely out there. We'll walk you through some of the best ones.
Best wine club for beginners: Winc
If you're new to exploring wine, Winc is a great place to start. There's nothing too funky on the menu—the styles are all very accessible and affordable. If you're rating the wines as you go, the site itself offers very plain language about why you like what you like so you know what to ask for in the future. New styles aren't swapped in often, so you may eventually graduate from this to another box if you're looking to explore more.
Best wine club for seasoned tastes: Wine Insiders
As the name suggests, the folks at Wine Insiders really know the wine business inside and out and are always rotating in the newest, most exciting wines. You can get wine in sets of three, six, and 12, and can choose from a variety of prearranged selections (including ones curated by Martha Stewart, Ludo Lefebvre, and Geoffrey Zakarian) or create your own custom box. Discount-wise, you're getting almost every bottle at more than half off its regular price.
Best wine club for budding sommeliers: Firstleaf
If you're interested in learning as much as possible about each wine you're drinking, then Firstleaf is for you. Each shipment includes not just the wines themselves, but cards detailing the wine's origin, tasting notes, and levels of body, acidity, sweetness, and tannins. Firstleaf also offers more info on the "Wine School" section of the website. It's a great option for anyone who aspires to talk like a sommelier at every dinner party and help others find their perfect glass of wine.
Best wine club for small sippers: Vinebox
Vinebox wants you to try a wine before you buy a whole bottle. While that's easy enough to do in a bar or restaurant, it's less straightforward in a delivery system. But Vinebox has figured it out, offering packages of two to nine tubes of wine (each equaling about a glass) for you to test out. There's even a holiday promotion with 12 wine tasters for Christmas. Whether you want to taste before purchasing a bigger bottle or simply only want one glass of wine at a time, this is the way to go.
Best wine club for aspiring winemakers: Naked Wines
Naked Wines cuts out the middle man. Instead of going through a retailer or distributor, they bring you the wine straight from the winemaker, which means you're getting the bottle without a high markup and the person who made the wine gets a fair cut for their product. The site includes bios on every winemaker they work with, so you can really see where the wine is coming from and follow your favorites to stay updated on what wines they're releasing next—it's like Facebook for wine people.
Best wine club for organic and biodynamic wine: Plonk
If a wine is organic or created using biodynamic methods, it simply means that no pesticides were used when growing the grapes and the end result that you're drinking has no additives. Plonk (which gets special recognition for having the best name on this list) puts together cases of four, six, or 12 wines that fall into those categories. You can also get even more specific based on your preferences, choosing either an all-red box, an all-white box, or a mix that would also include rosés and sparkling wines.
Best wine club for fans of fruity flavor: Sweet Wine Club
Sweet Wine Club features, you guessed it, all sweet wines. Boxes are curated and sent seasonally, with either three or six bottles per box. Most of the offerings are fruit wines, with flavors like strawberry guava and blackberry, but you can also expect to see some classic sweet varietals like rosso and asti pop up here and there. None of that "earthy" stuff for you.
Best wine club for bubble lovers: The Sip Society
If you're all-in on sparkling wine, then head for The Sip Society. Every other month you'll get three splits (187 mL each) of different champagnes and sparkling wines to try, collecting credits to put toward a full bottle of your favorite. And the club takes the "society" part literally, hosting Thirsty Thursday virtual tastings to learn and ask questions about that month's wines while getting to know other bubble-loving members.
Best wine club for people who want more than wine: Vine Oh!
Maybe you're not satisfied with just a couple of bottles of wine every month and need a little something extra. Vine Oh! has got you covered. Each box includes two bottles of California wine along with five to six other surprise goodies, ranging from eyeshadow palettes to candy to bath bombs. While those boxes are only sent four times per year, they also have a monthly wine-only club to hold you over between shipments.
The best all-purpose wine club: Bright Cellars
If you've ever seen the social media ads for the wine club started by the MIT students, then you've heard of Bright Cellars. The club touts its scientific approach to find the best wine for you, and in doing so they have a wide variety of wines to choose from. The company has been around for nearly a decade and it's one of the largest wine subscription services out there, so there's a good chance it'll send the ideal bottle your way, no matter your palate.