Since we haven't been going out much recently, our editors explored several at-home wine options to have with dinner, or while winding down. And what better way than to sample some of the top wine delivery services out there?
Receiving a box of wine every month sounds like a dream. So we did our research, and it turns out there are tons of wine services out there. But the main contenders that kept popping up were: Tasting Room by Lot18, Winc, and NakedWines.
Key Similarities
- All three save you money and make wine-buying simpler.
- All three help you try wines from around the world and expand your taste palette.
- Tasting Room and Winc both have exclusive membership options.
Key Differences
- Tasting Room and Winc have you take quizzes when you sign up while NakedWines does not.
- Tasting Room allows you to sample a 6 mini bottle tasting kit before receiving your first shipment
- NakedWines is not a true subscription, unlike Tasting Room and Winc which deliver monthly.
- Tasting Room sends you 6 or 12 bottles monthly, Wince sends 4 bottles, and NakedWines has you make individual purchases using money from your account.
- Tasting Room lets you upgrade your experience with a TREX membership while Winc's membership is focused on accruing credit to spend not expanding your wine knowledge.
When signing up for Tasting Room, you take a 30-second quiz which asks fun questions about the kind of chocolate you like, your favorite fruits, and how you prefer your coffee. Then they send their tasting kit for just $9.95! The kit contains 6 mini bottles of different wines depending on your quiz answers.
After sampling and rating the wines, Tasting Room builds your personalized wine profile. Based on your taste and schedule, they send full-size bottles, in personalized shipments that you continue to rate as you go. You choose how many bottles you want and can preview your order before shipment to replace or remove any bottles you wish.
Their service gets even better with their new Tasting Room Experience (TREX) membership. TREX gives you access to some pretty incredible perks. The first 500 members get every 4th wine club shipment complimentary, unlimited access to your very own personal wine concierge, free shipping on all monthly shipments, discounts from Tasting Rooms exclusive partners, world-class wine offers, and more. TREX has a value of over $600 for just $58.95!
Winc
Winc also starts you off with a quiz. They ask similar questions, such as how you like your coffee, and if you like salt, citrus, mushrooms, and berries. We liked that Winc got to know our tastes, but wish there had been a true tasting aspect.
Based on your answers, they'll send 4 bottles a month, costing $13 per bottle. If you wish, you can add more bottles to your monthly orders and rate your wines so Winc continues sending bottles that suit your palate.
Winc's Insider Access Membership costs $59.95 per month and is redeemable as member credits, which can be used to purchase Winc items. You can skip as many months as you need.
NakedWines
NakedWines has no personalized profile or quiz. As a member, you invest $40 every month into your Naked Wines' "piggy bank" which can be used on individual wine orders whenever you please. It's not a wine subscription - you simply buy wine directly from the site, but at a better value.
However, they do include extra wine samples in their deliveries! There are other perks like invites to wine tastings and a free $20 bottle with every case of wine ordered.
Overall Winner: Tasting Room
Overall, we found Tasting Room the best wine delivery service. Its subscription service is accessible to anyone - from wine nerds, to complete beginners. Plus, their new TREX offering will up your at-home wine game and immerse you in the world of vino.
NakedWines is definitely more suited to wine buffs who know their taste, as it's up to you to know what wines to order. Ultimately, it wasn't the full-service experience we were looking for.
Although Winc's subscription service is good, it's not as personalized as Tasting Room. We put this down to Tasting Room's tasting kit and the opportunity to continuously rate bottles as you go. Also when we broke it down, between the tasting kit and cost per bottle in each shipment, Tasting Room is the best value by far. Don't forget that you can level-up your wine knowledge with Tasting Room's TREX and call on their concierge for the answers to your most pressing wine questions.
To anyone who wants to try the convenience of a personalized wine delivery service, we recommend using Tasting Roomand taking the next step with TREX.
