This month, I reviewed wine boxes from Club W, Bright Cellars, Firstleaf, and Wine Awesomeness. To see how the subscriptions compare, I’ve outlined what I received from each subscription below.
Read on to see the wines I received and to find out which box came out on top for me this month!
Club W is a wine subscription box that re-imagines the traditional wine club. They offer a regularly changing selection of unique, small production wines that are sourced directly from vineyards and winemakers. Club W suggests bottles for you based on a “palate profile quiz” you take when you join. You can decide to receive the bottles they suggest for you, or you can pick your own wines from their ever-changing collection. Club W wines start at $13 each, and shipping is free on orders of 4 or more bottles. You can skip a shipment at any time.
(Note that Club W is in the process of re-branding as Winc. As of now, the packaging has been changed, but orders can still be placed and managed through Club W.)
COUPON: $20 off your first order, no coupon required, just use this link!
Ships to: All US states EXCEPT AK, AL, AR, DE, HI, KY, MS, OK, PA, RI, DS, and UT
Check out the full Club W July review here!
Keep track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription box list or wishlist!
2015 Ace in the Hole Red Blend– $13
2014 Capuchon “Fifille” Grenache Blanc– $13
2015 Pacificana Sauvignon Blanc– $13
2015 Wordsmith Red Blend– $13
I picked my wines this month, so none of the bottles were a surprise. Standout bottles for me from this box were the Capuchon Grenache Blanc and the Pacificana Sauvignon Blanc. I love when a wine subscription introduces me to new grapes, and thanks to Club W I’m going to keep an eye out for Grenache Blanc. This one was outstanding. I also have to give Club W a shout-out for putting an actual crossword puzzle on a wine label. How amazing is that?!
Club W is one of the few subscriptions that allows you to hand pick your wines, so it’s great for wine drinkers who know what they like (or don’t like). If you don’t want to receive a box of mystery wine, Club W is a great choice. They send informative and well-designed cards to accompany every bottle, and each wine comes with a suggested recipe pairing. Best of all, if you ever receive a bottle you don’t like, Club W will provide you with a credit for a replacement bottle of your choosing.
Bright Cellars was founded by a couple of MIT grads with a passion for wine and technology, and the subscription is designed with both of those interests in mind. When you sign up for a subscription, you take a “taste palate quiz” that helps pinpoint your taste in wine. Your monthly wines are then selected using a proprietary algorithm that “scores each wine by comparing 18 attributes to your preferences, matching you with your monthly experience.” You can choose the ratio of red to white you receive in each box by adjusting your preferences online. Also, interestingly, Bright Cellars doesn’t hire sommeliers to help influence wine buying. Instead, they crowd source their wine selections by relying on the tastes of their team. (Office wine tastings? Wouldn’t that be a fun perk of working at Bright Cellars!) Shipments contain 4 bottles and cost $60 + $8 shipping.
COUPON: Receive a $30 credit towards your first box!, no coupon required, just use this link!
Ships to: US states where it is legal to receive wine by mail. If you’re uncertain whether you can receive wine shipments, contact the Bright Cellars Wine Concierge at [email protected].
Check out the full Bright Cellars July review here!
Keep track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription box list or wishlist!
Blue Towers Chardonnay
Corona de Aragon White Blend 2015
Chancelles Rosé 2015
Burrasca Aglianico 2015
I’ve had pretty good luck with the wines Bright Cellars has sent me so far. Since Chardonnay is one of my least favorite kinds of wine, I was a little concerned to see both a Chilean Chardonnay and a Spanish Chardonnay blend, but I ended up liking both of them well enough.
The Bright Cellars subscription cost breaks down to $17 per bottle, which I think is fair. That’s maybe a bit more than I’d pay for an “everyday wine” in the store, but I feel okay about the price since Bright Cellars guarantees that subscribers will like their wines. If you ever receive a bottle you don’t like, Bright Cellars will include a complementary replacement bottle in your next shipment.
Wine Awesomeness specializes in rare and unusual wines, and their curatorial team is led by a Food & Wine Sommelier of the Year! They seek out “the coolest, craveworthiest wines” and send “vino you don’t see everyday, but will want to drink everyday.” There’s no quiz with Wine Awesomeness, and the bottles you receive are not tailored to your taste; however, you can pick whether you want to receive all reds, all whites (with a chance of rosé or bubbly), or a mix (with a chance of rosé or bubbly). Wine Awesomeness costs $45 per month for 3 bottles.
COUPON: Get your first box free - just pay $22.50 shipping, no coupon required, just use this link!
Ships to: US (Including states where most other alcohol subscriptions don’t ship, like PA and OK!)
Check out the full Wine Awesomeness July review here!
Keep track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription box list or wish list!
2015 Secret Identity Rosé– $18
2014 Bottoms Up White Table Wine– $17.99
2013 House of Independent Producers Chardonnay– $14.99
I enjoyed all of the bottles that were included in my Wine Awesomeness box this month, but I LOVED the rosé. It tasted just like tart strawberries!
I really like that Wine Awesomeness seeks out rare and unusual wines, and I think this subscription is perfect for adventurous drinkers and wine nerds. There’s a lot of information about each wine in the provided booklet, and I like that Wine Awesomeness sends out a recipe pairing for each of their bottles. The cost breaks down to $15 per bottle.
Firstleaf is a new monthly wine subscription from the parent company that owns magazines like Food & Wine, Cooking Light, Sunset, and Travel + Leisure. By rating the wines you receive, Firstleaf learns your tastes and can start to personalize the wines you receive. You can preview your wines every month and swap out up to 3 bottles. Every box includes 6 bottles and costs $79 + shipping. (For reference, the total cost with shipping to DC is $88.95.)
COUPON: Get your first 3 bottles for only $19.95 (including shipping). No code required, just use this link.
Ships to: US
Check out the full Firstleaf July review here!
Keep track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription box list or wish list!
Argiano NC Non Confunditor 2013– $14.45
Napa Valley Turnkey Bold Red Wine– $45?
Ballard Lane 2013 Sauvignon Blanc– $11.99
This was my first box from Firstleaf, and I took advantage of their introductory offer. (To receive your first 3 bottles for only $19.95 use this link.) This meant that I received 3 bottles of wine instead of the usual 6. The wines I received were okay, but they didn’t quite match up with my tastes. I made sure to rate the wines after I received them, so hopefully next month’s box will better reflect my preferences.
The Verdict: It’s so much fun to compare the different wine subscriptions and look back at the bottles I received this month. I received some solid bottles in each of the 4 boxes, but I think my favorite box this month has to be Wine Awesomeness. They sent some interesting and delicious wines, and I think I’d buy every single one of them again. Club W has to get the award, though, for the most fun wine. I love that the label for the 2015 Wordsmith Red Blend features a wine-themed crossword puzzle by New York Times crossword contributor, David Kwong!
Favorite box: Wine Awesomeness
Top bottle: 2015 Secret Identity Rosé (from Wine Awesomeness)
Best label: 2015 Wordsmith Red Blend (from Club W)
Do you subscribe to Club W, Bright Cellars, Firstleaf, or Wine Awesomeness? Did you discover any great wines this month?
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