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From flexible subscriptions to beginner-friendly wine knowledge to a wide variety of offerings, Firstleaf is a great choice for regular wine delivery.
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For anyone looking for affordable wines and lesser-known winemakers, look to this wine subscription. But the service itself can be confusing at times.
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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.
Credit:
Firstleaf
This subscription service recommends wines based on a quiz you take when signing up.
Best Overall
Firstleaf
Price: Starts at $89.94
Number of bottles: 6 or 12
Delivery frequency: Every one, two, or three months
From flexible subscriptions to beginner-friendly wine knowledge to a wide variety of offerings, Firstleaf has everything we were looking for in a reliable wine subscription.
During testing, we found the entire process to be seamless. After taking the intake quiz to find out personal flavor preferences, Firstleaf curates an introductory box with six bottles of wine for $39 ($6 per bottle). Subsequent orders are fully customizable, but Firstleaf will use feedback from the introductory box to build future orders every time. (The website claims that Firstleaf achieves a 98% satisfaction rate from consumers after taking the quiz and rating the first three wines!)
Within each box, you'll find cards that explain the general flavor profile, origin, and ideal food pairings for each wine. This is a great way to embark on a wine education journey from home (or further your existing wine knowledge). We also love that Firstleaf ships all of its bottles in recyclable packaging and is committed to carbon neutral shipments.
Our editors love discovering new wines through Winc.
Best for Beginners
Winc
Price: $59.95 per month
Number of bottles: Three bottle minimum
Delivery frequency: Monthly
Absolutely zero wine knowledge is required to begin your journey with Winc. The extremely user-friendly quiz will ask you less wine-specific questions and more questions about general flavor profiles. (How do you feel about strawberries? Skittles or M&Ms? What's your favorite food?) That makes this service especially approachable for beginners.
But it's not just for beginners. If you're already wine savvy, you can skip the quiz and dive right into the vast lineup of bottles and start curating your box. (Just remember there's a three-bottle minimum.)
Members have access to discounted prices on every bottle, but even non-members can qualify for perks like free shipping when they order at least four bottles. And Winc's website includes information about each bottle along with suggestions for foods to pair.
The only major downside to Winc that we found is the confusing structure of member vs. non-member pricing, but if you can move past that bit you'll be sipping something tasty in no time.
Like all alcohol delivery, you must be 21 or older to sign for a Mysa Natural wine box.
Best for Natural Wine
Mysa Natural Wine
Price: Starts at $84.95 per month
Number of bottles: Three, six, or 12 bottles
Delivery frequency: Every one, two, or three months
We love this wine subscription service—not because it ships in flashy, branded boxes (it doesn't)—but because they stock tons of our favorite natural wines. The Mysa approach to a subscription is all about education, especially when it comes to the winemakers.
The red and orange clubs are limited-availability, 4 bottles per month for $124.95 featuring wines featuring exclusively orange and red wines, respectively. For more variety, Mysa offers the natural club, available in 3-, 6-, or 12-bottle deliveries and starting at $84.95 per month.
If these prices seem a bit high, it's because natural wine is typically more expensive, which is due in-part to its small-scale production and limited quantities.
We were impressed by Mysa's minimal, yet effective packaging (also entirely recyclable!), and we loved every bottle in the mixed wine box we tried.
Our biggest complaints when testing this service were the lack of printed information and limited customization options. And Mysa Natural Wine Club won't be for everyone because these wines tend towards the unusual, but if funky, sustainable wines are your jam, this is a stellar pick.
Delivery frequency: Every one, two, or three months
This wasn't our favorite subscription box because it's not super user friendly and there are almost too many wines to choose from (if that's even a thing?).
However, Naked Wines is the perfect solution for anyone looking for more bang for their buck—without being too fussy about brand names or sourcing.
Upon signing up, Naked Wines makes you take an introductory "quiz" that's less about your taste preferences and more about your wine sourcing knowledge, which is mildly educational. From there, you can choose to become a member (or Angel), where you contribute $40 monthly for wine deliveries. You can also choose to sign up for the Wine Genie, which will curate a specialized box for you, and make further suggestions after receiving feedback.
At its core, this no-frills subscription service is all about connecting consumers to winemakers and providing affordable wines. Naked Wines could be good for you if you prefer a back-to-basics approach over fun, Instagrammable branding.
Rather than shipping you bottles from a variety of brands each cycle, this wine delivery service curates a selection of Cameron Hughes’ wines and sends it monthly or quarterly.
The company actually sources wine from other vineyards through a selection process that allows it to brand the wines as its own, with the intent of offering excellent wine at a more affordable cost. So you're still gaining plenty of variety in every box—but with a more digestible price tag.
We really enjoyed sampling an array of wine varieties, and we appreciated how easy the site was to navigate as a subscriber. But there were some downsides. This service doesn't allow you to skip shipments, so if you're taking a break from wine or going away on vacation, you'll still have to pay for the scheduled shipment. We were also disappointed by certain flavor profiles; the Chardonnay was offputtingly sweet, and the Cabernet Sauvignon was almost watery.
Delivery frequency: Every one, two, or three months
This organic, celebrity-owned wine brand was launched by Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power after they noticed a gap in the market for wine bottles with completely transparent ingredients. Every Avaline wine promises organic ingredients with no additives and minimal sulfites.
The subscription program offers a 15% discount and free shipping on every case of wine, which can reduce bottles to as little as $20 each. Subscribers can then choose to have bottles delivered every one, two, or three months, and can easily skip or delay shipments along the way if plans change.
The subscription also includes perks, like first-access to new wines, invites to tastings and events, and surprise gifts.
While we enjoyed most of the wines we tried during testing, certain varieties—like the sparkling option—fell short of our expectations. And not all Avaline wines are eligible for subscription, so subscribers have minimal options for regular deliveries.
Some might scoff at the idea of "leftover wine," but for those who really do just prefer one glass at a time—or like to mix up varieties throughout the week—Usual Wines is a great option.
This brand offers by-the-glass bottles in a range of different varieties—including red, white, rosé, and sparkling—along with the option to order a mix of different kinds. You can choose to order a one-time Usual Wines box with 6, 12, 18, or 24 bottles per box, or you can save money by subscribing so you'll get a monthly delivery of the box size and wine type of your choosing. We enjoyed the easy user experience during testing, as well as the mindfully eco-friendly packaging.
Just be aware that Usual Wines is definitely on the pricey side, plus the variety of wines is limited compared to competitors.
Number of bottles: Six bottles (With two size options)
Delivery frequency: Monthly
If you like the idea of streamlining your meal kit and wine delivery services, Blue Apron is an easy choice. Subscribers can sign up for a monthly Blue Apron wine subscription through a new or existing meal kit account. Once you sign up, you’re automatically directed to the contents of your first box of six bottles.
We like that Blue Apron provides an informational booklet about the wines included in each delivery, however, this service has some major drawbacks.
Blue Apron sends 500 milliliter bottles that are two-thirds the size of a standard 750 milliliter bottles, making its monthly 6-bottle box for $69.99 ($10 per bottle, plus shipping) less of a bargain than it seems because you're getting less wine. Blue Apron is also lacking variety in its offerings, however, it's certainly nice to have someone else take care of selecting wines that'll pair nicely with your meal kit recipes.
This natural wine brand offers some seriously unique bottles with fun branding that would be eye-catching at dinner parties and get-togethers.
We love that each Tinto Amorio bottle is made with organic, biodynamic grapes and undergoes spontaneous fermentation for a true, natural wine experience. But the subscription-like wine club offer is fairly limited; there are only two options and both lack any personalization options.
The Glou Glou All Day club offers six, 12, or 24 standard bottles in every bi-annual shipment, which includes a focus of Tinto's famous red wine and a rotating selection of others. The Winemaker Select's Club is an upgraded choice, with 12 or 24 bottles every six months, including a guaranteed selection of orange wines, plus a rotating selection of other bottles.
Since Tinto Amorio's wine come from a small brand with limited selections, we recommend trying the wines subscription-free before plunging for either wine club.
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.
How Do Wine Subscriptions Work?
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.
Can You Gift a Wine Subscription?
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.
How Much Does a Monthly Wine Subscription Cost?
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.
Are Wine Subscriptions Worth It?
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.
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Meet the testers
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.