Wine Awesomeness is a monthly wine subscription that specializes in rare and unusual wines. They seek out "the coolest, craveworthiest wines" with plenty of crowd-pleasing appeal. I love wine, but I've never been conscientious enough about noticing the differences between different styles and brands. I'm glad this subscription will help me keep my kitchen stocked with wine, but I'm more excited to see what it can teach me about wine. My hopes are high, especially since the curatorial team includes a Food & Wine Sommelier of the Year!
Each Wine Awesomeness box comes with three wines. You choose whether you'd like the "All Red", "All White" (with a chance of rosé or bubbly), or the "Variety" (with a chance of rosé or bubbly) plan—they're all $45.00 per month. I'm usually a red gal, but really only because that's what my family drinks. Since I'm eager to explore, I chose the "Variety" plan. If you're a more frequent wine drinker, or if you just want to grow your collection a little faster, Wine Awesomeness does offer all of their monthly selections for $75.00 per shipment in a plan called "The Six Pack."
Want to change your Wine Awesomeness preferences, skip a shipment, or cancel altogether? You can do all of the above via your online account at any time.
The shipment came in a giant, nondescript cardboard box. I was curious to see how Wine Awesomeness ships their wine, since the last thing I'd want is a bottle cracking or coming open on its way to me. The wine bottles are nestled between two layers of cardboard, each of which is specially shaped to the silhouette of the bottles. In other words, the cardboard makes little car seats for the wine—there's some room for the bottles to shift or move around, but they're secure in the spots that matter.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
This review is for the Variety plan, which is $45.00 per monthly box.
The Subscription Box: Wine Awesomeness
The Cost: $45 a month for 3 bottles of all red, all white, or a variety of red and white wines. $75.00 per month to receive all 6 monthly selections (of reds and whites).
LIMITED TIME DEAL: Get a FREE bottle of bubbly with any prepaid Wine Awesomeness Membership, no coupon required, just use this link!
ACTIVE DEAL: get 20% off
CODE: MSA20
The Products: Three bottles of wine “curated for adventurous souls.”
Ships to: U.S. (Including states most other alcohol subscriptions don’t ship to, like PA and OK!)
Check out all of our Wine Awesomeness Reviews and all Wine of the Month Club reviews!
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Wine Awesomeness has its own mini magazine in lieu of a traditional information card or booklet. It's called "The Back Label"—very cute.
There's a ton of information inside, not just about the intricacies of the wines in the box, but about wine in general, food that goes great with wine, being a restauranteur, and more. This is exactly the kind of knowledge and context I was hoping for!
Got some coupons and other promotional goodies, too! I'm especially excited to try this sole serum stuff as I move into summer sandal season!
2013 La Pinot, Pinot Noir - Retail Value $19.00
According to the info booklet, this is the first-ever private label wine from Wine Awesomeness. Created in collaboration with the Carcolli family from the Santa Lucia Highlands of California, this wine advertises a "bright, refreshing acidity" and a "velvety smooth texture." Keep in mind that I don't have the most sophisticated palette (yet!), but I totally noticed the smooth, understated nature of the wine as it rolled over my tongue, followed by the satisfying, warm acidity that appears somewhat unexpectedly when it hits my throat. It had a fruitiness to it, but in an earthy way rather than a sweet one. I tend to like deeper, richer flavors (dark chocolate, black coffee, etc.), and typically I'll reach for the darkest red wine I can find, thinking that's where the flavor is. This wine, however, was flavorful while also being strangely refreshing. I really appreciate having it in time for the first week of true spring weather—it's perfect for this transitional season.
Here's how Wine Awesomeness talks about the wine in their booklet. It's so cool (dare I say, awesome?) that they include recipes to pair with the wine. I've heard of picking a wine to pair with food, but it's a neat shift in perception thinking about what food to pair with great wine!
I also think it's cute that the label of their wine reflects their unique iconography, which acts as a bulleted list of everything you should pair this wine with. "Bohemian Rhapsody"? A Netflix and chill sesh? This wine goes with everything I like!
2014 Evolúció, 100% Blaufränkisch - Retail Value $18.00
Wait a minute, Blau-what? I can honestly say I'd never heard of this type of red wine before cracking open this box. Wine Awesomeness describes it as "Pinot Noir's funky-ass little sister who wears feathers in her hair, has all the dopest dance moves, and doesn't let the little things get her down." Um, I. Am. SOLD.
I took a sip of this wine and literally said, "Oh, hello!" Where the first wine was more friendly and even-keeled (though still bright and fun), this wine had an unexpectedly complex flavor that blossomed in my mouth. It's still super smooth, but with a perky kind of umami flavor that was different and exciting. Just as exciting is the delicious picture of that pickled mushroom toast! I certainly wouldn't mind eating a few pieces of that while enjoying this tasty wine!
Also, heck yes, twist-off wines!
2015 O.P.P. Pinot Gris - Retail Value $18.00
Speaking of twist-off wines, meet this bottle of white! I love '90s hip-hop, so of course, I love the name (which in this context, stands for "Other People's Pinot"). The vibe of this wine is similarly upbeat and fun—the booklet describes it as "freshly bloomed lilies, chalk dust, and white gummy bears. Watered-down, canned pineapple, white chalky earth notes braided into crisp, fresh-flowing water." This wine feels the most party-ready of the three. It's also the one that tastes the most like fresh grape juice, but it's drier than it is sweet. It does have a bit of vanilla-like dessert-iness to it that appeared after several sips.
The booklet says to pair this wine with dark chocolate cookies, which I love. It also says that this wine can stand in for a cozy blanket during a harsh snowstorm. I don't know if I see that, but maybe that's because I still equate red wines with those kinds of warm, hygge vibes and whites with summer days and picnics. I'll just have to pour myself a glass of white the next time I'm having a snuggly night in and see about expanding my worldview!
Verdict: I'm really digging Wine Awesomeness. I really liked not just trying the three wines, but really getting to know them—knowing what kinds of notes to look out for and the kind of contexts in which these wines work best helped me notice details that I don't know that I would've caught otherwise. All of the information in the booklet is also helping me build a vocabulary around wine, so I know what to ask for (not so much the parts about "watered-down canned pineapple" but the bits about "acidity" and "body"). The wines were between $18-$19 per bottle (all of which were 750 ml), which is probably right around what I'd expect to pay at a wine store (if not a bit less) for a nicer style. Overall, there's $55.00 of value in the box (plus coupons and other goodies), which is about $10.00 more than the price of the subscription (which comes with free shipping). So far, this is a win in my book. Cheers, everyone!
Have you tried Wine Awesomeness?
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