Whether your go-to wine store selection is the "pretty label" method or you just don't have time to really explore beyond your usual bottles, with so many amazing vintages on the market, it's easy for even the most dedicated oenophile to wind up overwhelmed or in a rut.
Wine subscription boxes are designed to make your life easier by picking out the best bottles to suit your interests and delivering them directly to your door for easy consumption. But which box is right for you? Below we've rounded up everything you need to know to choose between the subscription boxes that are really worth raising a glass to.
Winc
Winc's claim to fame is it's user-friendly service that lets you customize your orders and learns you tastes over time. You start by answering a handful of straightforward (read: no wine expertise required) questions like how do you take your coffee, and how adventurous an eater you are and choosing how many reds and whites you'd prefer. After you've tasted all of your bottles, you can rate it, giving the system a better idea of your tastes with each box. You can also individually add bottles to your order from Winc's selection.
Martha Stewart Wine Co.
For the Martha devotee, this subscription box offers wines hand picked by the queen of entertaining herself, as well as pairing tips and serving suggestions. You can choose between reds, whites, or a mix, and there's even a bigger option with a full case of wine every eight weeks.
Wine of the Month Club
Back in 1972, long before subscription boxes took over the world, the Wine of the Month Club started delighting oenophiles everywhere with their curated wine shipments. The service includes a veritable cornucopia of options for every taste, with 2-, 6-, and 12-bottle formats, including specially chosen wine boxes highlighting particular vintners or grape varietals. Each shipment also comes with an informative literature on cellaring, wine history, recipes, and more—perfect for the experienced wine buff.
Usual
If you prefer your wine by-the-glass, a subscription box of these single-serve bottles is perfectly sized. The California wines inside come in three styles; a juicy red blend, a bright sparkling brut, and a glou-glou rosé you'll want to carry with you everywhere—or get a mixed box for a taste of them all.
Wine Awesomeness
Want to feel like you're traveling the world's great wine countries every month? That's exactly the experience Wine Awesomeness sets out to provide with unexpected bottles from unique winemakers and regions all over the world. Available in an all white, all red, and variety pack, the bottles also come with thebacklabel magazine that includes all sorts of information on everything from tasting notes and recipes to all the info you need to explain the difference between Beaujolais and Burgundy like a pro.
Firstleaf
For those already comfortable in the wine world but looking to branch out, these personalized selections—you can choose between red, white, or a mix—use a quiz as a guide (with questions on everything from the level of sweetness you prefer in your wine to styles you like, such as Argentinian Malbec, or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to how adventurous you'd like your box to get) to help pick out prime selections from bottles from all around the world to help you find your new favorite.
Bright Cellars
Think of this subscription service like on online dating site for wines. Founded by a couple of MIT grads, the system takes your answers to some general tasting questions like your favorite chocolate candy and your go-to cocktail and matches them up using a special algorithm with wines that will tempt your tastebuds.
Winc's Summer Water Societé
Prepare for rosé season with this special summer subscription box featuring Winc's much-beloved pink bottles. The service comes with four shipments, including four bottles of Summer Water, 24 mini-bottles, two more Summer Water bottles along with two bubbling versions, and a final box with two Summer Waters and two bottles of their juicy Keep It Chill chilled red, all delivered from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Cellars Wine Club
For those who are keen on customization, this wine club offers over a dozen different box styles including everything from single bottle shipments and international tastings to all-sparkling options and even by-the-case offerings. Their selections process also lets you control how often you receive shipments (monthly, every other month, or quarterly) as well as pre-determine an end date for you boxes (they can be set for an ongoing subscription or individually for up to 12 shipments) and when you'd like for the shipments to start (perfect for advance-planning those birthday gifts.)
Vinebox Quarterly Wine Club
Think of this subscription box as a sampler platter of hidden wine gems from all over the world. Each box comes filled with vials that contain one glass worth of wine so you get taste lots of exciting new vintages without sacrificing space in your wine rack. And the box comes complete with credits toward bottle purchases, so you can get full-sized versions of the wines you enjoy the most.
Blue Apron Wine
For those looking to cut down their consumption without surrendering their wine exploration, the slightly smaller bottles—about two-thirds the size of the average wine bottle—offered in Blue Apron's wine club are ideal. You can choose from all reds, all whites, or a mix, and each box comes with behind the scenes information about the wines and pairing tips to go with Blue Apron's meal subscriptions.
For those looking to cut down their consumption without surrendering their wine exploration, the slightly smaller bottles—about two-thirds the size of the average wine bottle—offered in Blue Apron's wine club are ideal. You can choose from all reds, all whites, or a mix, and each box comes with behind the scenes information about the wines and pairing tips to go with Blue Apron's meal subscriptions.
