The Best Wine Subscription Services for Every Type of Wine Drinker

The world of wine is wide and wonderful—there are over 10,000 different types of wine grapes, and winemaking techniques are constantly evolving. But large liquor stores and grocery stores tend to stock mass-produced wines catered to a wide audience, and it can be difficult to find small estate or natural wines, especially in small towns or rural areas. Ordering wine online offers an easy solution for obtaining hard-to-find bottles, but you have to know what to look for. Luckily, help is available (hi!).  

Wine subscriptions don’t just save you a trip to the store—they outsource the work of selecting bottles and help you learn about wine in the process. Signing up for an interesting wine subscription is a great way to step outside of your comfort zone and discover new bottles. (It also makes for a rather epic gift.) To find the best wine subscriptions, we tested a bunch of them over a period of a couple of months—evaluating their delivery, the tasting experience, and, of course, the bottles included.

Note: Ordering wine online is easy—in most cases, you’ll just need a valid ID to accept the delivery. The rules for shipping wine vary from state to state, but the subscription service will let you know if your area isn’t covered. 

The Tests

• Box Examination: As we received wine boxes, we noted if they arrived nicely packed (and unbroken) and what was included.
• Wine Tasting: We tried the wines from each box and used any accompanying materials to learn about them as we went.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Great Wine Club

Obviously top-notch shipping practices are key. Wine clubs should have perfected the art of secure packaging, so your shipment arrives intact. If you live in a climate with extreme temperatures, you may want to look for a club that offers temperature-controlled shipping. (Raw Wine does, for a small additional fee.) We favor wine clubs that offer flexible memberships, with the option to choose three, six, or even 12 bottles; as well as how frequently you want them delivered. The ability to pause or skip a shipment is helpful. As far as the contents of your delivery, it's up to you to choose whether you want some control over the bottles you receive (as with First Leaf's preferences quiz), or you want to leave it up to the experts (each of MYSA's picks are chosen by a sommelier).

Our Favorite Wine Subscriptions

The Best Overall Wine Subscription

Wine Access Membership

View on Wineaccess.com

With nine clubs, there’s a club for any level of wine nerd. Select from options such as “WA Unfiltered,” “WA Discovery,” “WA Connoisseurs,” and more. Each has its own perks and unique angles, making it easy to find the right wine club for you and your tastebuds and bandwidth. The Unfiltered option pairs up wine tastings with a podcast hosted by Wine Access experts, while Discovery focuses on introducing you to new and classic wines alike. The Connoissuers Club narrows in on the cream of the crop; think high-end Barolos and hard-to-find Californian bottles. Then, there’s the Michelin Guide Wine Club, which selects wines in partnership with Michelin-starred restaurants. It’s akin to having a sommelier knock on your door and present the best bottles on their list. 

We tried the Discovery Club and liked that there were YouTube videos for each wine, detailing tasting notes, as well as stories behind the bottle, winemakers, pairing ideas, grapes, and more. (We were particularly enchanted by the love story behind the Freeman Pinot Noir Russian River Valley winemakers). We also liked that the box comes with a set of sheets for you to write down tasting and olfactory notes and the like for each bottle.

Good to Know

• Frequency: Quarterly (for the Discovery Club); varies for other clubs
• Shipping info: Shipping is free on orders over $150
• Products per delivery: Between 1 and 6

The Best Subscription For Avid Learners (and People Just Looking to Have Fun!)

SommSelect Monthly Wine Club

View on Sommselect.com

Why it’s great: We tried SommSelect's blind tasting option (part of the Blind6 club), which is a guided experience where you take notes and play "guess who," so to speak. The setup is simple: Six bottles are carefully wrapped in black tissue paper and each has a number on it. Peel back the paper to open the bottle (just a little bit! no peeking), give it a taste, and jot down your thoughts. Next, confer with friends (wine tastings are always more fun with friends), and afterward check the info packets and see what you picked up on (likely more than you think!). We had a great time doing this with our friends, and we not only learned that you could describe wine as tasting like "crushed white rocks," but also that many of our friends knew more than they thought. We also discovered the joys of a California Zinfandel, adding the rich, ripe fruit-forward bottle we tasted from Limerick Lane to our "buy again" list. In addition to the Blind6, SommSelect also offers the Explore 4 option—an exploration of four wines from different regions— and the Somm6 option—a sommelier-chosen lineup. which. Regardless of which you choose, expect very detailed tasting notes and fun facts in each box (though we were missing our booklet in our first delivery). Full disclosure: We also had some issues with our delivery due to the heat impeding shipping (but this was out of Sommselect's hands), but the bottles arrived nicely packaged and intact.

Good to Know

• Frequency: Monthly
• Shipping info: $20 flat rate shipping
• Products per delivery: Choose between 4 or 6 bottles per case

The Best Value Wine Subscription

Firstleaf Wine Subscription

View on Firstleaf.com

Why it’s great: Do you have the guilty pleasure of taking online quizzes to find out your true love's favorite color or what kind of dog you would be? If you do (no judgment!), then Firstleaf is for you. First, you take a quiz, which Firstleaf will use to customize your monthly wine delivery to your tastes. After delivery, you can use the app to leave feedback on each wine you got—Firstleaf will continue to tweak each order based on what you like and what you weren't so hot on. Shipments also include pairing advice (presented in a beautiful, almost frameable chart) and pamphlets for each bottle, making this a great choice for beginners. We really loved the wines they sent us, too, especially the Dita Akello Shiraz rosé from Australia. And the tasting notes hit it on the nose when they described it as having notes of "strawberry, watermelon, and candied fruit"—it was fruity, fun, and perfect for our summer's eve tasting.

Good to Know

• Frequency: Every 1, 2, or 3 months
• Shipping info: Free shipping on your first order, $14.95/order after that 
• Products per delivery: 6 bottles

The Best Wine Subscription for Organic Wine

Plonk Wine Club

View on Plonkwineclub.com

Why it’s great: Understanding labels can be tricky (what does pet nat really mean?), even for those with a solid understanding of wine. Plonk does the research for you, delivering organic and biodynamic wines from sustainable vineyards. Their wine clubs offer plenty of flexibility—allowing users to select the number of bottles per order and the delivery frequency. The Mixed Wine Club, in particular, provides a nice array of reds, whites, and everything in between (all organic! All minimal intervention!), allowing you to hone in on what you like and learn more about it in the process. We liked the succinct pamphlet that dove into the intricacies of the wine without overwhelming you and we discovered some new favorites, namely, the bottle Soave Vulcano Zambon from Italy. This white blew our minds with its honey notes and slight cider-like funk, and it paired perfectly with the cheese plate and melon we happened to serve alongside it.

Good to Know

• Frequency: Monthly for the four-bottle subscription; you can choose from monthly or every two months for the six-bottle subscription; and from monthly, every two months, or every three months for the 12-bottle subscription.
• Shipping info: Free shipping; ships to the contiguous U.S.
• Products per delivery: Options include 4, 6, or 12-bottle cases 

The Best Gift Subscription for Budding Wine Aficionados

Sampl. Wine Subscription

View on Drinksampl.com

Why it’s great: While we wouldn't regularly get this subscription for ourselves (it's rather expensive for the amount of wine you get), it's truly a wonderful gift for wine lovers. Each well-designed cylindrical container has seven 100-milliliter vials of wine catered to a specific place (the current Summer ‘23 offering focuses on wines from Paso Robles, California), allowing you to try wines without committing to an entire bottle. Plus, the online-guided tasting is easy to follow and the videos are engaging and, honestly, spectacularly shot. The online guide also features notes detailing each winemaker, recipes each wine pairs well with, and links to where you can buy the full bottle.

Good to Know

• Frequency: Quarterly 
• Shipping info: Free shipping 
• Products per delivery: 7 samples

The Best Champagne Subscription

Henri’s Reserve Champagne Subscription

View on Henrisreserve.com

Why it’s great: Do you need more Champagne in your life? Yes, yes you do. Henri’s Reserve wine club features a selection of hard-to-find estate Champagnes. Big box liquor stores tend to stock mass-produced Champagne from well-known labels. While those bottles will still work to get the party started, Champagne lovers tend to prefer small-batch, artisanal bottles that reflect the terroir of the Champagne region. This subscription features wines from producers that rarely export to the U.S., including Benoit Dehu and Pierre Paillard, and can be purchased on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis. 

Good to Know

• Frequency: Monthly, every two months, or quarterly 
• Shipping info: Free shipping; ships to the contiguous U.S., not available in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, or Utah.
• Products per delivery: 2

The Best Subscription for Adventurous Wine Lovers

The Ancient Wines Club Subscription

View on Ancientwineguys.com

Why it’s great: Started by Ph.D. archeologists and trained historians who met while working at a wine shop, each delivery from The Ancient WinesClub includes three bottles of wine, pairing advice, and a few other fun perks like a binder for storing tasting notes. It even comes with writeups encased in binder sleeves for, well, putting into said aforementioned binder. Each box is curated based on a historic theme and we tried two: "Roots of Rome: Wines of the Etruscans" and "In Vino Ventus: Wine of the Ancient Winds" Our printouts detailed Etruscan wine (Etruria overlapped what is now Tuscany, Umbria, and even areas of Emilia Romagna) and wine, wind, and the ancient world (including a brief discussion of the Odyssey). The printouts also detail the winery, tasting, and pairing notes for each of the bottles. We're already dreaming of an entire case of the 2017 Tenuta Di Castellaro Sicilia "Ypsilon" Red Lipari (from In Vinto Ventus), which was so wonderfully fruity and vibrant.

Good to Know

• Frequency: Every two months
• Shipping info: Varies based on location
• Products per delivery: 3

The Best Non-Alcoholic Subscription

Proxies Non-Alcoholic Mix and Match Subscription

View on Drinkproxies.com

Why it’s great: While we do love a nice, juicy glass of wine, sometimes it's a Tuesday night and we don't want to feel the ill effects the next day. Or sometimes we just want something fun and refreshing to drink that isn't alcoholic, ya know? Enter Proxies, brightly colored wine alternatives that draw their complex flavors from teas, juice, and verjus (unripe grape juice, which is tangy, tart, and entirely underrated). The reds (which we particularly enjoyed) almost give off a vermouth vibe (without the ABV) and pair quite well with tonic, a wedge of orange, and a skewer full of olives. Due to the heat and jostling during shipping, we did have some issues with bottles exploding, but Proxies was super nice about sending replacements.

Good to Know

• Frequency: Every three months
• Shipping info: Free shipping 
• Products per delivery: 6 

The Best Italian Wine Subscription

The Roscioli Wine Club Subscription

View on Roscioliwineclub.com

Why it’s great: Roscioli’s portfolio includes wines from more than 600 winemakers and artisan wines—like organic Barolo and sustainably-grown Sicilian Nero D’avola—that can be difficult to find outside of Italy. It's curated by sommeliers and masters of wine, and each bottle is guaranteed to be a delicious expression of Italian terroir. Choose from three clubs—Italian Wine Club 1 (“for everyday wine lovers”), Italian Wine Club 2 (“for wine enthusiasts”), or the Collector Club (“for collectors")—each tailored to your tastebuds and overall wine goals. 

Good to Know

• Frequency: Twice a year
• Shipping info: Ships to all 50 states, price varies based on locations 
• Products per delivery: Two shipments of 12 bottles

The Best Natural Wine Subscription

Mysa Wine Natural Wine Club Subscription

View on Mysa.wine

Why it’s great: Mysa offers several natural wine clubs, including options for mixed styles, reds only, and orange wine. This service focuses on wines from small producers, so you’re bound to discover new varietals and styles. It also offers opportunities to learn about natural wine as you drink, since each shipment includes a card with a QR code (this cuts down on any unnecessary paper) that sends you to a webpage packed with information about the producers, bottles, pairing ideas, and links to video tastings where you can sample your bottles alongside the company’s founder, Holly Berrigan (a certified sommelier). Holly hand-picks all of the bottles that go into each subscription and tries to include a mix of classic and funky natural wines (there's even a classic-to-funky meter for each wine on the website). We were also delighted to see a couple of canned wines in our subscription—wonderfully portable and utterly delicious.

Good to Know

• Frequency: Monthly, every other month, or every three months
• Shipping info: Wine club orders ship free
• Products per delivery: Options include 3, 6, and 12-bottle cases

The Best Californian Wine Subscription

California Wine Club Premier Series

View on Cawineclub.com

Why it’s great: Fans of big, robust flavors will love exploring the best wines of California. The Premier Club offers the opportunity to try small, handcrafted wines that are often only sold directly from the vineyard. Subscribers will get the chance to try bottles from producers like Castoro Ridge, CRU Winery, and Shannon Ridge. Other clubs include the Signature Club, which highlights wines ranked 90% or higher by various wine bodies, and a VIP tour and tasting at a featured vineyard—how cool is that? 

Good to Know

• Frequency: Choose between monthly, every two months, and quarterly 
• Shipping info: $16 ground shipping, $5 handling   
• Products per delivery: 2, 3, or 4 bottle shipments available; 12 bottle subscriptions also available

The Best Subscription for Orange Wine Fanatics

Orange Glou Subscription

View on Orangeglou.com

Why it’s great: Though orange wine is increasingly popular, it can still be difficult to find these skin contact bottles at grocery stores or big box wine shops. If you live in a smaller town, a subscription service is a great way to access these party-friendly bottles. The Orange Glou Wine Club focuses on natural and minimal intervention wines from all over the world, offering wine lovers a chance to explore the variety of flavors within this category, from funky and earthy to light and tart. Each delivery includes one sparkling wine and an assortment of still wines, as well as tasting notes and pairing tips. You can choose from three-, six-, or 12-bottle subscriptions.

• Frequency: Monthly or every other month
• Shipping info: Shipping price varies based on number of bottles; shipping is not available in Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, South Dakota, or Utah.
• Products per delivery: Options include 3, 6, and 12-bottle cases. 

The Best Direct-from-Producer Wine Subscription

Martha Stoumen Wine Club

View on Marthastoumen.com

Why it’s great: Martha Stoumen’s Wine Club takes its cues from community-supported agriculture (CSA), where people buy seasonal shares to fund direct produce delivery. With a Martha Stoumen subscription, you get access to unique wines only available to subscribers, as well as discounts on purchasing her year-round Post Flirtation series in bulk. Choose from six- or 12-bottle shipments, each featuring one bottle of new wine and a newsletter with all the deets (including a harvest report, write-ups, and word search). We loved the peachy and floral Post Flirtation White, but it was the briny and plum-forward Syrah 2019—now sold out!—that made us fall in love. Them’s the breaks when it comes to community-supported seasonal wines, but that’s also what makes this subscription unique. 

Good to Know

• Frequency: Twice a year
• Shipping info: $25 flat rate
• Products per delivery: 6 or 12 bottles

The Best Information-Rich Natural Wine Subscription

Raw Wine Club

View on Rawwine.com

Why it’s great: If you’ve ever wanted extensive interviews with the producer of every wine you’re about to drink, RAW WINE has you covered with their Tasting Notes for each shipment. When we were sipping on Yetti and the kokonut’s Salsa Verde, it was delightful matching the tropical pineapple notes and silky body with information about the Verdello grape variety and the fact that the farm it comes from gets hefty sea air from the South Australia ocean. RAW WINE Club offers a simple, curated shipment each month with six or 12 bottles (with a slightly more discounted rate if you opt for 12), but you can pause, skip, and manage your frequency in your customer profile if you need to schedule shipments around a vacation (or want more time to settle in with your most recent arrivals). In the summer, they also offer temperature-controlled shipping for an extra $10 to make sure your bottles don’t overheat in the delivery truck. Otherwise, wine club subscriptions ship for free. They also have a variety of gift subscriptions if you’re looking to get on someone’s good side. RAW WINE is also a natural wine community of producers and growers that hosts informative fairs and events, so if you’ve caught the bug from their monthly shipments, you can check their schedule online for an in-person experience near you. 

Good to Know

• Frequency: Monthly
• Shipping info: Free, but there is a $10 temperature-controlled option for summer
• Products per delivery: 6 or 12 bottles

The Best Stress-Free Wine Subscription

Bright Cellars Wine Subscription

View on Brightcellars.com

Why it’s great: Bright Cellars’ subscription starts out with taking a personal flavor quiz, asking what your favorite cocktails are, your preferred fruit juice, and where you like to sip your wine, while also giving you a chance to request red, white, or a mix of the two. From there you can swap out their recommendations, select four, six, or 12 bottles, and then you’re off to the races (or, more realistically, waiting to sign for the package when it arrives). But customizations don’t stop there—each wine has an info card with tasting notes, pairing suggestions, and a QR code that lets you rate that wine. The rating refines your preferences within the algorithm, so your next shipment is better curated to your tastes. And if you’d rather just pick a pre-fab bundle, don’t worry—Bright has you covered with dozens of ready-to-order options. We liked how crisp and citrusy the Sprig & Rose Pinot Grigio was, but it wasn’t our favorite in the bundle. It was easy enough to score it lower while rating the Pleasure Principle Carignan higher (think: jammy, with light hints of tobacco), and next time our shipment will be better suited to our picks. And with plenty of discounts and perks for members, Bright Cellars can easily become a one-stop shop for all your wine needs.

Good to Know

• Frequency: Default is monthly, but fully customizable after signing up
• Shipping info: $10 for 4 bottles, free shipping for 6 or 12 bottles
• Products per delivery: 4, 6, or 12 bottles

The Best Low-Alcohol Wine Subscription

Dry Farm Wines Extra Low Alcohol Membership

View on Dryfarmwines.com

Why it's great: A "dry farm" is one that does not irrigate. That means all of the wines produced by Dry Farms wine are sourced from vineyards and winemakers that work with the environment to create a low-intervention wine. Dry Farms offers a traditional wine subscription, but their low ABV collection is especially good. "I prefer wines in the 11-12% alcohol range, so this subscription ensures I'll never be stuck with a beefy 15 percenter," says commerce editor Rochelle Bilow.

Good to Know:

• Frequency: Every three months
• Shipping info: Shipping is free
• Products per delivery: Choose from red, white, or mixed; six of 12 bottles

FAQs

How do you decide what wine club is right for you?

The best way to choose a wine club is to first figure out what type of wine you usually gravitate towards. If your heart belongs to bottles of bubbly, why bother with a club that only offers the occasional sparkling wine? You'll also need to decide if you want some agency over the choices sent each month, or if you'd rather leave it up to the pros. It's a smart choice for all wine drinks to pick a club that offers some flexibility, like the ability to choose the size of your bundle or skip a delivery once in a while.

How much does a monthly wine subscription service cost?

Wine subscription prices vary greatly depending on the number of bottles, the type of wine, and the shipping frequency. Our choice for best value is priced at approximately $15 per bottle. The most expensive option on this list charges $185 per bottle for delivery of rare, high-end Italian wines. 

How do wine subscriptions work?

Wine subscriptions charge a fee to deliver a selection of wine to your door. Each subscription takes a slightly different approach to its service—some allow you to modify your delivery or select your own bottles, while others send a curated assortment of bottles selected by a wine expert. Many subscriptions are monthly, but some also offer bi-monthly, quarterly, or other delivery options. 

What types of wine are offered in wine subscriptions?

Wine subscriptions can be as broad or as focused as you like. Those new to the world of wine may enjoy a general delivery service that includes red, white, and sparkling wines from all over the world. If you know what you like, you can seek out a club that delivers specialty bottles in a specific style, like all red wine, or from a certain region, like a Bordeaux-focused club.  

What is natural wine?

Although natural wine is not an industry-regulated term, it's generally thought of as "low intervention" wine, or wine free from dyes, additives, and commercial yeasts (most conventional wines are made with them). Many of the wine subscription clubs on this list, like MYSA and Raw Wine, offer natural wines. Some, like Plonk, feature organic wines—wines made with organically-grown grapes.

Can you cancel a wine subscription? 

Most wine subscriptions allow you to cancel at any point. Be sure to check the provider's website to verify if your subscription auto-renews and confirm their cancellation policies.

Why We're the Experts

• Madeline Muzzi is a certifiied sommelier. She has written numerous articles for Serious Eats on wine, including decanters, wine storage, and wine refrigerators.
• Grace Kelly is a commerce editor at Serious Eats. Prior to this, she tested equipment and ingredients for America’s Test Kitchen. She's worked as a journalist and has done stints as a cook and bartender. She has written dozens of reviews for Serious Eats, including stemless wine glasses, tinned fish, fish spatulas, and tortilla presses, among others. 
• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the commerce associate editorial director for Serious Eats. She has written hundreds of stories on the best gadgets, gear, and cookware for home kitchens. Some standouts for Serious Eats include How to Taste Whisky, universal knife blocks, and air fryers.
• Rochelle Bilow is a commerce editor at Serious Eats. She freelanced extensively for the brand prior to joining the team and has written a myriad of pieces, including a deep-dive on natural wine.
• Jesse Raub was the commerce writer for Serious Eats. He has more than 15 years of experience in the coffee industry and has written dozens of reviews for Serious Eats, including espresso grinders, soda makers, Moka pots, and instant coffees.
• We ordered almost all of the wine subscriptions on this list, noting how they shipped, how the wines tasted, and if the information included was useful and engaging.