Bright Cellars is a monthly wine subscription that matches you to wine based on seven question quiz that helps to identify your wine palate.
Bright Cellars was founded by two MIT grads with a passion for wine and technology. Using your “taste palate quiz” you are given a 4-bottle recommendation to review. You can either agree with their selections and proceed to purchase, or you can switch out one or more of the bottles. Since this is my first month, I went with the recommended bottles as I was unfamiliar with the brands offered.
I love that there are options to be adventurous and that you can pick all red, all white, or a mix. I’m a white drinker – my husband a red – so I love that this one subscription can meet both of our individual needs and be flexible from month to month.
You're asked to rate each bottle using a quick survey tool to help the algorithm become smarter and more in tune with your taste profile going forward. After the first month, the system uses your ratings to improve your future matches.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Bright Cellars
The Subscription Box: Bright Cellars
The Cost: $60 + $8 shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Get $50 off your first month! No coupon needed - just use this link.
The Products: 4 bottles of wine selected based on your taste profile
Ships to: U.S. 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].
Good To Know: You can adjust your shipment frequency in your settings. An adult 21+ must be present at the time of delivery to sign for the shipment. There is an option to add a cheese pairing to your box for $48, this includes 4 kinds of cheese ranging in size from 5-8 oz. each.
Bright Cellars Wine Of The Month September 2018 Review
It’s wine delivery day! I always love when the FedEx person hand delivers 4 delicious bottles of wine, tailored to my tastes – and I could not wait to see what Bright Cellars had in store for me this month! As a reminder, my preferences are set for the red & white mixed-choice, and this month I received 2 reds, 1 white, and 1 Rosé:
There are usually a few partner coupon codes included in the box. This month I received a $30 coupon for Home Chef. (check out our Home Chef reviews to learn more and save $30 off your first box!)
There was also a 20% coupon (& free shipping) for Dermstore, an online drugstore that sells some of my favorite beauty brands and a 10% coupon for Gunas New York, an ethical fashion brand.
An educational insert is also always included. This month, the theme is “Coffee + Wine” and applies your wine preferences to coffee roasts. For instance, I’m a white wine drinker and it marries chardonnay to coffee with milk – which is how I drink mine. So, it passed the sniff test for me. Bright Cellars partnered with Bean Box to offer their customers a special offer this month – the ability to try 4 coffees for free (just pay $3.99 shipping). Check out our Bean Box reviews to learn more about this subscription service!
Mojave Rain Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (California, USA) – Retail Value $22.00
Tasting Notes: Plum, Black Cherry, Black Raspberry, Bell Pepper, Baking Spice
Mojave Rain Cabernet Sauvignon is ripe and full-bodied with raspberry, plum, and black cherry on the palate. A touch of oak gives this wine warming vanilla spice notes and smooth, velvety tannins. Mojave Rain Cabernet is the perfect pairing for a steak! We also enjoy it with hard cheeses like aged Gouda.
Cabernet is my favorite red wine, but I found this bottle to be a little too oaky for my palette. It had the right level of sweetness and a deep cherry full-bodied flavor.
OBSCURA Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (California, USA) – Retail Value $25.00
Tasting Notes: Raspberry, Blackberry, Boysenberry, Baking Spice, Oak
Raspberry, blackberry, and boysenberry flavors meld together with a hint of baking spice and earth in this new vintage of our California Cabernet Sauvignon. Firm tannins and a full body lend this wine to pair beautifully with a ribeye steak. Top with Gorgonzola cheese for added decadence.
Out of the 2 cabs that I received this month, I liked this the best. I thought that was a bit odd since I don’t typically prefer wines with oak in the tasting notes, but I found this one to be more drinkable than the Mojave Rain variety. Both cabs were made in the same region, the same year, so there were definitely some similarities. I think that the Mojave was a bit sweeter, but I liked the finish to the Obscura better.
HERZ & HEIM GRÜNER VELTLINER 2017 (Niederösterreich, Austria) – Estimated Value $15.00
Tasting Notes: Lemon, Lime, Nectarine, Peach, White Pepper
Grüner Veltliner is one of Austria’s most important and most grown grape varieties. Lively citrus and stone fruit aromas greet your nose. On the palate, a punch of citrus fruit, fresh herbs, and spicy white pepper are laced with a mouth-watering acidity. The finish is clean and pristine with lingering acidity compelling you to surrender to another sip.
If you like chardonnays, you’d really like this Austrian white. The citrus flavors were light and fresh, and the stone fruit notes added the sweetness that I crave in a wine.
It was a perfect accompaniment to my scallop and Linguine with Clam Sauce (thanks, Trader Joes!).
CELÉ ROSÉ 2017 (California, USA) - Estimated Value $15.00
Tasting Notes: Watermelon, Cherry, Raspberry, Lime, Lemon
Perfect for sipping any time of year, this light-bodied Rosé is refreshing with flavors of watermelon, lemon, and raspberry limeade. Pairs well with everything from fresh goat cheese to tahini roasted cauliflower to grilled salmon on a bed of greens.
Yum! If you read my wine reviews, you know that I’m a big fan of Rosé in the summer. This one is a beautiful bottle – and I can’t believe that Strawberry wasn’t listed as a flavor note. I would have guessed that it was strawberry wine, in a blind taste test!
Verdict: The subscription cost for this box breaks down to $17 per bottle after shipping. This month I found 2 of the 4 bottles online all priced at $22-$25 – so I feel like you do get a decent discount when using this service. The real value is in exploring new wines and identifying new favorites. You can also buy any of the bottles offered at a flat rate of 4 bottles for $60 + $8 shipping, again keeping the cost at $17 per bottle.
The Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Because of the variation, it’s unlikely that you would get the same items that I’m showing here.
Coupon - Save 50% off your first box! No code required, just use this link!
Value Breakdown: This box cost me $60 + $8 shipping, which means that each of the 4 wines in the box has an average cost of $17.
Check out all of our Bright Cellars Reviews and find more wine subscriptions in the Wine Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription box list or wishlist!
Have you tried Bright Cellars?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.