Last updated October 11, 2024
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Wine of the Month Club has been sending wines to customers via memberships for decades, and includes a 25th Anniversary medallion on its site. This wine club started with a printed mail order catalog and still offers its Cellar Notes newsletter every month, making it a legacy entry into the digital wine landscape. In addition to wine, the platform also offers membership clubs for cheese, chocolate, cigars, flowers, and "design your own club." The "design your own club" option allows members to combine any of the products and send them on a monthly basis.
Members get a choice of four monthly options for different wine tasting interests and budgets. Plans start at $39.95 a month for the Premier Series. The memberships top out at $72.95 a month. Wine of the Month Club has an old-school feel about it that extends beyond its platform. The Club also offers access to hot wines praised by industry experts.
Members report that at least 90% of the subscription choices are winners and the company advertises a 98% customer satisfaction rate. Wine of the Month Club has a long tradition of choosing good-to-great bottles and offering them at competitive prices. Unlike some other digital wine clubs, Wine of the Month Club has a web presence only, but no mobile app.
Price Range | $39.95 for the first six bottles, then $90 a case or $15 a bottle |
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Ideal For | Wine enthusiasts and value-seekers looking for affordable good wine |
Delivery Frequency | Every one to three months. The first shipment arrives one month after you select your wines. |
Bottles Per Shipment | 6 |
Customer reviews of Firstleaf vary. The company has an overall TrustPilot rating of 2.3, with just 27% of customers rating the wine tasting club Excellent or Good. On Consumer Advocate, a popular rating site, the company received 4.9 out of 5 stars due to its solid wine selection and satisfaction rating among long-term users. However, newcomers seem to drop off due to bottle breakage, misunderstandings over membership terms, and other reasons.
Wine of the Month Club fits in the mid-price range of wine clubs. Its four membership levels are:
Premier Series: $39.95 a month for two estate-bottled, limited production wines - choice of two red, two white, or one of each.
The Bold Reds: $54.95 a month for two estate-bottled red wines from two different international wineries.
The Masters Series: $54.95 a month for one bottle from the Premier Series and one from the Collectors Series - choice of two red, two white, or one of each.
The Collectors Series: $72.95 a month for rare, limited production, aged wines - choice of two red, two white, or one of each.
Wine of the Month Club offers promotions for multiple orders, including $10 to $30 off prepaid orders of four to 12 shipments.
The club's website looks a little old school, but Wine of the Month Club has an excellent reputation for quality and service. The brand's director of product development Don Lahey says "we drink a lot of bad wine ... so you don't have to." The club is dedicated to delivering quality, variety, and value through its wine selection process. The club\s owners are wine industry insiders who've built a successful business model over time. Wine quality is excellent, based on the expertise of its tasting panels and selection process. Wine of the Month Club is a family-owned business that prioritizes customer service and relationship-building.
Wine of the Month Club charges shipping and handling per monthly order. You can also order wines from their online wine store. Shipping and handling is $13 per monthly wine club shipment. Individual wine purchases outside the subscription plans have shipping prices that range from $13 for 1-2 bottles all the way up to $36 for a full 12 bottle case. Shipping charges are the same to any U.S. location.
This wine club prides itself on customer service. The Wine of the Month Club says that 98% of customers surveyed are satisfied customers and would recommend the club to others. They also promote an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau since 2005, and over 1 million satisfied customers.
Wine of the Month Club is a good choice for wine club members who want to get two good-to-excellent wines per order. You don't have to buy the wines every month, and the club offers a lot of options for types of wines and price ranges. You will be getting wines selected by a two-tiered tasting panel. The wines start out at a moderate price range. The top tier of club membership offers higher prices, but not high-end prices, for truly excellent aged estate wines.
Different wine clubs appeal to different customers and Wine of the Month Club is a good fit for experienced wine drinkers and collectors. You can also get chocolates, cigars, cheese, and flowers through the service. Wine of the Month Club could also be a good fit for people who are just learning about wine, but who want good wine experiences with little chance of a bad bottle in their club box. This wine club isn't the lowest-priced option: you can find clubs that send four bottles or more per shipment for $29.95. Chances are not every one of those bottles will be good quality, and quality is one thing that Wine of the Month Club promises and seems to deliver reliably.