Credit:
Reviewed / Winc / Celler Les Foes / Usual Wines
Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
Credit:
Reviewed / Winc / Celler Les Foes / Usual Wines
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
Learn more about our product testing
From flexible subscriptions to beginner-friendly wine knowledge to a wide variety of offerings, Firstleaf is a great choice for regular wine delivery. Read More
Winc is a great wine subscription for beginners and experienced wine drinkers alike, with plenty of options for every palate. Read More
This is our favorite natural wine subscription, thanks to the extremely vast selection and approachable wine education. Read More
For anyone looking for affordable wines and lesser-known winemakers, look to this wine subscription. But the service itself can be confusing at times. Read More
The Cameron Hughes Wine Club offers a large variety of quality wines at a major discount, which extends to a la carte purchases as well. Read More
Whether you're a wine newbie or a self-proclaimed vino connoisseur, getting bottles shipped right to your door feels like pure luxury. That's why we love receiving wine subscription boxes, which put convenience at the center of the sipping experience.
But with so many wine subscription services on the market, it can be tough to know which is the best fit for your lifestyle (and palate). Luckily, we've done the very hard work of testing out some of the most popular brands to see which topped our list with the tastiest wines and best overall experiences.
After plenty of cork popping and glass pouring, we found Firstleaf (available at Firstleaf) to be the best overall pick, thanks to its flexible subscription offers, user-friendly site, and ultra-personalized wine recommendations. But total wine newbies might prefer the user-friendliness that Winc has to offer, while natural wine loyalists may prefer Mysa.
Check out how everything we tested compares, then read down for all the juicy details.
This subscription service recommends wines based on a quiz you take when signing up.
Our editors love discovering new wines through Winc.
Like all alcohol delivery, you must be 21 or older to sign for a Mysa Natural wine box.
Promotes small wine makers
Affordable
Subscriptions can be confusing
No recognizable brands
Large variety of wines available
Well-curated shipments
Quality packaging
Can't skip shipments
Some wines may not represent their typical flavor profile
Clean, transparent ingredients
Easy to find in stores
Money-saving subscription option
Sparkling wine lacks depth
Not all wines available for subscription
Conveniently-sized bottles
Eco-friendly packaging
Expensive
Minimal selection
Easy streamlining with meal kit delivery
Food pairing education
Limited customization options
Small selection
Tasty natural wines
Sustainably produced bottles
Expensive
No personalization options
Limited variety
Testing wine subscriptions wasn't just about sipping on several glasses of wine (although we did plenty of that, too.)
We've been testing a variety of wine subscription boxes for several years, and each process is the same. We set up an account, take any beginner's quiz that's offered, and evaluate the bottles sent based on whether the service provided what was promised. Do the bottles match the tasting notes we filled out in the quiz? Are the wines tasty enough to bring to a dinner party? Is the sparkling wine effervescent and the Cabernet full bodied?
During the ordering process, we took into account the user-friendliness of the website, the variety of wines offered, how customizable each subscription box was, and whether there was any wine education (tasting notes, pairing suggestions, etc.) included.
We also took into account things like price and packaging, comparing them to the competitors as we went.
Wine subscriptions vary greatly depending on the brand you're looking at. The traditional model, from brands like Firstleaf and Winc, consists of a quiz to match consumers with the best wines for their palate, and then ships ultra-curated brands right to their door. There's typically some component of wine education—like information about the grape harvest, winemaker, tasting notes, and/or pairing suggestions—included as part of the experience.
But recently, more wine brands have been shipping their bottles directly to consumers through their own subscription models. Companies like Avaline and Tinto Amorio offer discounted bottles and special gifts to consumers who are committed to the brand and interested in regular deliveries.
So whether you're committed to a certain brand or open to exploring a more vast vino experience, there's likely a subscription model out there to suit your needs.
Just be aware: Some states and towns have stringent laws about alcohol delivery, including some "dry" regions that prohibit it altogether. If you're unsure about the rules in your town, it's best to reach out to the supplier directly with any questions before subscribing.
Yes! Many brands offer gift-specific subscription models, which allow you to pay up-front for boxes, and you can choose the length of monthly (or bi-monthly) shipments. Brands like Firstleaf and Mysa make it easy to customize a subscription for a loved one or share a gift card to let them craft their own experience.
Wine subscriptions vary pretty widely in costs from website to website. Anything with a "natural" or "organic" label will likely cost you a bit more, while lesser known brands (from websites like Naked Wines) will save you money. But overall, the idea is to save money in the long run—especially if you're an avid wine drinker—by streamlining shipments and deliveries in bulk rather than buying one bottle at a time from the liquor store down the street.
It all depends on your relationship with wine. If you're someone who goes through several bottles a month—and is always looking to learn and try more—a wine subscription is certainly worth the investment. It's an easy, hands-off way to get wine to your door without having to do much research or shopping on your end. And most of the time, you'll end up saving money in the long run.
But if you're not a dedicated wine drinker, you may prefer to order a bottle (or box of bottles) at a time. Luckily, a lot of the services on this list—like Firstleaf and Avaline—also offer individual sales. So you can try before you commit, or just keep coming back on your own timeline.
Madison Trapkin
Contributor
Madison covered all things cooking as the kitchen editor for Reviewed in 2021. Formerly the editor-in-chief of Culture Magazine, Madison is the founder of GRLSQUASH, a women's food, art, and culture journal. Her work has also appeared in The Boston Globe, Cherrybombe, Gather Journal, and more. She is passionate about pizza, aesthetic countertop appliances, and regularly watering her houseplants.
She holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia and a Master's of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy from Boston University.
Monica is Reviewed's Kitchen & Cooking editor and an avid home cook; she's been testing a wide range of kitchen products at Reviewed for over a year. Previously the Digital Editor at Culture Cheese Magazine (and a former barista), she's also had her work published in The Boston Globe, Modern Luxury, Boston Magazine, and more.
Managing Editor, Kitchen & Appliances. Danielle has a B.S. from Syracuse University and a AAS in Culinary Arts from Newbury College. Previously, Danielle was a Test Cook and Associate Editor at America's Test Kitchen, as well as a freelance recipe developer and food writer. She’s the mom of two boys and loves making pizza on Friday nights.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
Shoot us an email
