Chardonnays are the 5th most popular grape in the world. However, while Chardonnays are all made from the same type of grape, they can have some pretty unique flavor profiles.
If you’re one of the many fans of this flavor variety, a Chardonnay wine club is a great way to explore these types of wines.
In this guide, we’ll look at the best Chardonnay wine clubs. We’ll also go over a few tips on how to pick the right subscription for your specific needs.
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Best Chardonnay wine clubs
Finding a wine club subscription that offers a wide range of quality Chardonnays can be tough.
Here are five of the best Chardonnay wine clubs in the US at the moment.
1. Vinesse Chardonnay Subscription
Vinesse is a premium yet budget-friendly wine club subscription that sources its bottles from both domestic and international wine regions.
Vinesse is one of the few wine clubs that have a subscription for Chardonnay varietals only, which is aptly named the Chardonnay Wine Club. This subscription includes some quality Chardonnays from renowned wine regions, including:
- The Burgundy Region in France
- Napa Valley in California
- Russan River Valley in California
- Hunter Valley in Australia
- New Zealand
- Italy
- South Africa
- Chile
- Argentina
These locations are some of the best winemaking regions in the world, ensuring that you’re getting quality bottles.
What’s also unique about this is Vinesse doesn’t just source from domestic vineyards, but also includes a few international options as well. This makes it ideal for those who don’t just want Chardonnays from the US.
The majority of the bottles are sourced from small-batch wineries, which means that you get wines that are artisan rather than mass-produced. As a result, you get much more nuanced blends.
Another perk of the club is that you get tasting notes, food pairing recommendations, touring tips for the wine regions, and detailed bottle information. For those interested in learning more about the wine you’re drinking, this is a nice bonus.
While there are plenty of great things about this Chardonnay wine club, you should be aware that the subscription only ships four bottles once a month. There’s not a ton of flexibility, so if that’s what you’re after, this probably isn’t the best choice.
Overall value
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Includes both international and domestic wines.
- Only Chardonnay bottles in the subscription.
- The wines tend to be artisanal rather than mass-produced.
- You get food pairings, touring tips, and detailed tasting notes in each shipment.
- There’s not a lot of flexibility.
2. California Wine Club
Although Chardonnay originally hails from France, California’s Napa and Sonoma valleys are now famous for producing some of the world’s best Chardonnay varieties.
If you want premium Chardonnay wines sourced from California, check out California Wine Club – a subscription service that focuses on supporting local Californian wineries.
While it does not offer Chardonnay-only monthly subscriptions, you can easily include some of its fantastic Chardonnay bottles in your regular shipments.
Although this club is great for Chardonnay lovers, you’ll have to do some of the legwork in putting together each box yourself. This can be a bit of added effort when compared to Chardonnay-only wine clubs.
If you don’t mind the extra work, however, you can experience some pretty fantastic Californian Chardonnays with this subscription.
The California Wine Club sources hard-to-find Chardonnay wine bottles, ranging from limited editions from the Napa Valley, to high-end reserves grown by Michelin-starred restaurants.
Some of the outstanding bottles in this wine club’s Chardonnay collection include:
- 2017 Nine Hats Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Reserve
- 2018 Domaine Rutz Sonoma Cuvée Chardonnay
- 2018 Coelho Winery Chardonnay, Willamette Valley
- 2019 Miller Family Wine Company Thornhill Chardonnay from Napa Valley
If you’ve already got quite a lot of experience with Chardonnays, this can be a great way to get your hands on some more exclusive bottles at a lower price.
The club also has quite a bit of flexibility, allowing you to choose from monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly shipment schedules.
Each shipment comes with two or four bottles, depending on your preference, which is great if you frequently change the amount of wine you drink or aren’t looking for a standard monthly subscription.
The California Wine Club also has the following perks:
- Discounted wine prices on bottles not included in your subscription.
- A wine consultant to help you with choosing the best bottles.
- Free passes for tours and wine tastings at Californian wineries.
If you live in the California area or want additional assistance picking your blends, these can be some pretty helpful perks. Plus, they’re not commonly included in most other wine subscriptions, making this a bit of a standout choice.
Overall value
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Offers premium and reserve wines.
- Has quite a bit of flexibility in terms of shipments.
- Includes special benefits for in-state customers.
- Offers wine consultants to help you find new bottles for your order.
- Requires you to build your own subscription box.
3. Winc Wine Club
Winc Wine Club focuses on creating curated subscriptions at affordable prices. The club sources wine largely from California, but they do have a few international Chardonnay bottles available as well.
Winc specializes in catering to what you want with its wine preference quiz, which helps them determine what bottles you enjoy most. After taking the quiz, Winc will hand-pick the bottles for you, giving you guidance to help build a curated four-bottle shipment of wine each month.
Just remember that you’ll have to state in the quiz that you only want Chardonnay, or you could get a mix of different wine types.
Winc offers a number of different types of Chardonnay, largely sourced from California but with a few international bottles as well. All their wines are artisan and small-batch, meaning they support small businesses and are generally of higher quality than mass-produced wines. A few of the bottles you can get from Winc include:
- 2019 #TBT Chardonnay, California
- 2019 Kin & Country Chardonnay, Lodi, California
- 2020 Emu in the Sky Chardonnay, Barossa Valley, Australia
- 2019 Folly of the Beast Chardonnay, Central Coast, California
While these are certainly solid wines, they’re more easy drinking bottles, rather than unique bottles with complex flavor notes. If you’re looking for more nuanced flavors, Winc probably isn’t the best choice.
On top of that, there’s not a huge selection with this club. You can get through all the Chardonnays in their collection within a few months if you consistently order. So, if you don’t want to repeat bottles, this might not be the right pick.
Still, Winc is an affordable club that helps hand-pick your bottles, making it a great choice for beginners. Plus, they offer specialty wines such as organic or low-calories wines that also make it a good pick for those with dietary restrictions.
Overall value
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Offers both foreign and domestic wines.
- An affordable club.
- Helps you pick out the bottles through a customized quiz.
- Offers low-calorie and organic wines as well.
- Not premium bottles.
4. Naked Wines Wine Club
Naked Wines is a unique wine subscription that focuses on helping small, boutique wineries grow. The club works on the basis of a monthly fee you have to pay, which you can then distribute among bottles you want to receive.
This wine club gives you quite a bit of flexibility, too. You can choose how many bottles you want to receive each month as well as how frequently you want to get your shipment.
You can also skip a month if you decide you don’t want your order, which is great for those whose wine needs change on a regular basis.
Naked Wines has tons of different types of wine varieties for you to choose from, including some pretty unique Chardonnay blends. A few of the bottles you can get with these subscriptions include:
- 2020 Scott Kelley Chardonnay, Oregon
- 2020 Jac Cole Unoaked Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
- 2020 Brothers Miller Unoaked Chardonnay, Santa Barbara
- 2020 Irene Paiva Qu Reserva Chardonnay, Curico Valley
What’s nice about these bottles is that there’s a mix of domestic and international wines, and the domestic bottles aren’t just sourced from California. As a result, you can try blends from a number of different regions.
In terms of downsides, Naked Wines is a bit on the pricier side. Although you do get retail discounts of 40-60% off, the cost of a subscription can still add up quickly. As a result, it’s not best for those who want an affordable wine club.
Overall value
⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Has domestic wines from a number of different states.
- Includes boutique wines.
- Offers a lot of flexibility.
- Tends to be on the pricier side.
5. SomMailier Wine Club
SomMailier Wine Club is a French wine subscription that works exclusively with small-batch wineries in France. This club is a family project of the Bordeaux region, with great connections in wine-tasting events and communities.
Because of the club’s connections, each shipment includes the wine’s history and information, tasting notes, and food pairing ideas. They also have a wine region map on their website that you can use to learn more about each bottle in your subscription.
One of the famous wine selections offered by this wine club is their Chardonnay collection. You get at least three bottles per shipment, and you can personalize the delivery according to your taste preferences.
Some of the Chardonnay you can enjoy include:
- 2020 La Croix Belle, Cotes de Thongue
- 2019 Cháteau Pech de Jammes white
- Via Cariratis Chardonnay
- 2019 Domaine Bulliat, Cuvée Caracteré
All the bottles offered at SomMailier are French, so if you want domestic wines, you’re out of luck. However, considering that the first Chardonnay wine was made in France, these wines tend to be very good if you like this type of wine.
Another thing to know about SomMailier is the shipping costs and the per bottle cost tend to be on the higher end. Still, since you get premium bottles, you tend to receive higher-quality blends than you do with other subscriptions.
Overall value
⭐⭐⭐
- A family-owned project that supports local businesses.
- High quality wines.
- Flexible shipment options.
- Only offers French wines.
- Shipping prices are quite high.
How to choose a Chardonnay wine club
Choosing an ideal Chardonnay wine club requires you to do your research and really look into each subscription service. If you do your homework, you should end up joining a club that offers high-quality wines at a reasonable price point.
Here are a few essential factors you shouldn’t neglect when choosing a Chardonnay wine club.
Look at the region they’re sourcing from
Chardonnays are sensitive grapes that are greatly affected by the climate and weather of the region in which they’re grown.
For instance, if wine clubs source grapes from climates with cooler temperatures, you get bottles with higher acidity and citrusy flavors. In contrast, warmer climates will yield Chardonnays with tropical fruit flavors like pineapple.
On top of that, some areas are simply too hot or too cold to produce wine with a rich, balanced flavor. When looking for a club that’s focused on Chardonnays, make sure to check out what regions the clubs source from.
Some of the top Chardonnay regions to look out for include:
- Champagne, France
- Franschhoek, South Africa
- Franciacorta, Italy
- Margaret River, Australia
- Napa Valley, California
Although there are other areas where you can find good Chardonnays, it’s important to do your research. Verifying where the grapes are grown can help you find tasty blends with a robust flavor profile.
Check for small batch vs. large batch wineries
Both small-batch and large-batch wineries can produce great wines, but the flavor profiles often come out quite different.
Small-batch wineries allow wine-makers to pay more attention to every detail in the process. They’re more likely to ensure that the fruit is grown in ideal weather conditions for the perfect maturation of the grapes.
Additionally, small-batch wineries offer more transparency into their winemaking process. It’s often easier to see how the wine is made, fermented, and aged, which can tell you a lot about the quality of the final product.
While large-batch wineries can also produce unique tasting bottles, they often take less care in their products, producing wines that are more easy-drinking as opposed to having nuanced flavors.
Think about what type of Chardonnay you’re looking for. If it’s easy drinking you’re after, clubs that source from large-batch wineries are probably fine. On the other hand, if you’re looking for unique flavors and subtle tasting notes, you’re probably better off sticking with clubs that source from artisan wineries.
Find clubs that offer tasting notes
While tasting notes aren’t essential, if you’re joining a club that only sells a certain type of wine, they can be helpful. Otherwise, the flavors of the different wines can start to run together after a while.
This is especially true if you’re a beginner and haven’t been drinking wine for a very long time. With the tasting notes, you have a guide to help you identify and differentiate the different Chardonnay bottles you try.
Research the winemakers
Every winemaker has their own process for growing, fermenting, and bottling wines. The technique a winemaker uses can greatly affect the taste and flavor profile of the final product.
Chardonnays are a type of wine that is very easy to make too bitter or too dry. When an inexperienced winemaker attempts to make these blends, they can end up quite low-quality.
Before committing to a Chardonnay wine club, look into what winemakers a club partners with. This should give you some clues as to the quality and taste of the Chardonnay, and can help you select a club that fits your preferences.
Final thoughts
Chardonnay is one of the most commonly sought-out wine varietals, but finding a good wine club can be tough.
Keeping an eye on the type and number of different Chardonnays a club has, as well as the region they source from, is the key to helping you discover your new favorite Chardonnay blend with a wine club you join.
Do you still have questions about Chardonnay wine clubs? Leave us a comment, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
About the author
My name’s Jessica, and I’m a full-time writer and part-time wine lover. I love being able to share expertise through the power of words.
I’m a self-proclaimed wine expert who’s been a patron and member of multiple vineyards. As someone who’s lived in the California Napa Valley and studied wine formally at the university level, I’ve gained a good chunk of knowledge on wine, its origins, and the current market.
I particularly like a good burgundy, but failing that, dry white wine is my go-to. Today you’ll find me sharing my wine expertise with the world. I may or may not have a glass of wine by my desk as I do it.