During the holidays, wine club subscriptions tend to see a spike in sales. The reason for this is that many people choose to give their wine-drinking friends subscriptions!
These gifts are great because they last the whole year, and they give your friends a chance to try wines they wouldn’t otherwise get their hands on.
This guide goes over the best wine club gifts, to help you choose the perfect club for your friends or family members.
Plus, we’ll also go over some helpful tips on how you can choose the best wine club subscription gift for that special someone.
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Best wine club gifts
Wine club gifts offer a new way for those who already love wine to explore their favorite drink. But, some wine club gifts are better than others.
Here are five of the top wine club gifts in the US at the moment, to help you give a present your loved ones will really enjoy.
1. Winc Wine Club
Winc Wine Club is a wine subscription service with over 100 California wines and a choice selection of other worldwide blends.
They offer a wide range of whites, reds, rosés, and sparkling wines. As a result, they’re great for those who are eager to try a mix of different types of wine.
Another cool thing about Winc is that they’ve got a line of artisan wines created in the club’s exclusive vineyards. This means that with a Winc subscription, you can give your friends bottles that they might not be able to find in the supermarket.
One thing to note is that Winc uses an introductory wine quiz to determine your preferences and customize your shipment. If you’re just signing up for yourself, this is great for determining which bottles to include. But, when buying for friends it can complicate the ordering process a bit.
Still, Winc also offers curated orders for those shipping it as a gift. This way, you can skip the stress of messing up the quiz – instead you can rely on wine experts to choose the best bottles to send out to your loved one.
Each wine shipment comes with four bottles, together with food pairing tips and tasting notes. These are a nice touch if you’re giving the subscription as a gift, because they let the recipient get to know a bit more about what they’re drinking.
Another perk is that this club is pretty affordable, meaning you can give this gift without breaking the bank.
What you should note is that Winc’s wines tend to be crowd-pleasers rather than bottles with unique flavors. As a result, they’re best for beginners, rather than wine connoisseurs.
Finally, another nice thing about Winc is that you can actually give gift cards as well. If you’d prefer not to gift an entire subscription, you can just load a card that lets your friends and family members choose the bottles they’d like to order as a one-off purchase.
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- Wines are great for beginners and seasoned drinkers alike.
- You can choose unique artisan bottles you won’t find in local wine retail stores.
- Offers gift cards for one-time gift purchases.
- Gives you the option of curated bottles chosen by wine experts.
- The quiz can make it tough to choose bottles for your friends.
2. Vinebox Wine Club
Whereas Winc is great for casual drinkers or those just getting into wine, Vinebox provides flavors for people who have more experience with wine.
While with most wine clubs you receive bottles, Vinebox sends you nine vials of wine in sampling sizes. The benefit here is that you pay a fraction of what you’d pay for those bottles. And, you can try wines from around the world as well as premium blends that are hard to find.
There are no mass-produced bottles in this subscription. All selections are sourced from boutique and vintage vineyards in Europe.
Vinebox is just responsible for packaging and distribution, which they do using closed-nitrogen environments to prevent the wine from oxidizing. This preserves the wine’s flavor profile and mouth feel.
Because Vinebox focuses on international, premium, and artisan wine, it’s great for those who already have a lot of wine experience under their belt. The samplers give wine lovers a chance to try out different wines without worrying about running into something they’ve already had.
Another nice thing about Vinebox is that they offer personalization. If you’re giving the wine as a gift, you can ask them to include a custom note in the box for your loved one to read.
The only real downside to this subscription is that it’s not very flexible. You won’t be able to make changes to your shipments or purchase full-size bottles in each order. So, you’re a bit limited in your gift options.
Overall value
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- Sources wines from Europe instead of local US blends.
- An affordable gift option.
- The wine selections are premium and high-end.
- Tailor-made gift boxes that are easy to dedicate to others.
- Not flexible with shipments.
3. Plonk Wine Club
Plonk Wine Club is a good pick for adventurous wine drinkers and those who have special dietary restrictions. When you’re giving wine as a gift, making sure the club offers blends that meet different dietary requirements is extra helpful.
Plonk includes gluten-free, sugar-free, and organic wines. They also offer flexibility in the type of wines included, with a combination of reds, whites, and sparkling options. Plus, you can choose to receive anywhere from four to twelve bottles of wine each month.
The flexibility is great for those who want to give the subscription as a gift. You can select the size and frequency that makes sense for the recipient, as well as for your budget.
Just note that the larger the shipment, the higher the cost – larger subscriptions can be pretty pricey. Also, Plonk doesn’t have a money-back guarantee, although they will replace corked or damaged bottles.
Another nice thing about this club is that each package also comes with tasting notes. This is a nice touch, especially if you’re gifting the subscription to someone who isn’t particularly familiar with wine.
You can also select the “This is a Gift” option at check out, which will include a gift receipt with the recipient’s package. This way, your recipient won’t actually know the cost of the subscription.
Overall value
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- Shipments are flexible.
- Offers organic and biodynamic wine selections.
- Each bottle comes with tasting notes.
- Hassle-free to replace damaged or corked bottles.
- The subscriptions can get pricey if you choose higher quantities of wine.
- There’s no money-back guarantee.
4. Naked Wines Subscription
Naked Wines connects directly with small and boutique wineries. Instead of a monthly subscription, you pay a monthly fee, which gives wineries the funds they need to continue operating successfully.
Because of the direct connection with boutique wineries, the bottles are unique options you won’t usually find in most local retail stores. This makes Naked Wines great as a gift for wine drinkers who have already tried a lot of common blends.
However, you should note that the Naked Wines business model makes it a bit different when giving it as a gift. With this wine club, you’ll be limited to giving gift cards which can go toward the monthly membership fees.
Alternatively, you can gift a curated wine box with a customized message and card. However, this will be a one-time purchase as opposed to a monthly subscription.
Although there is a bit of limitation in terms of the gift options, there is a lot of flexibility with the variety of wine. Naked Wines allows you to choose red, white, and sparkling blends from both local and international wine-making regions. This is great for helping you create a well-rounded gift with lots of options for the recipient.
Overall value
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- Has direct connections with wineries so you get premium bottles.
- Includes numerous wine varietals.
- Allows you to add a personalized message with your shipment.
- Can’t order ongoing subscriptions as gifts.
5. Firstleaf Subscription
Firstleaf is an award-winning wine subscription, which means that they’re great for wine lovers who have already tried the usual bottles you’ll find in grocery stores – Firstleaf offers unique bottles from world-class wineries.
What’s particularly great about giving Firstleaf as a gift, however, is the gift card that they offer.
With this option, instead of gifting an entire subscription, you can gift a set amount of cash that your friend or family member can then use to purchase bottles of their choosing. Alternatively, they can use the gift card toward a subscription themselves.
What’s nice about this is that it gives you a few more options in terms of gifts. For those with a set budget, this is a nice touch.
What you should be aware of, however, is that Firstleaf has some shipping restrictions. Make sure to check which state your loved one lives in before choosing to give them Firstleaf as a gift. Currently, Firstleaf ships to 47 states as well as Washington DC.
Despite the shipping restrictions, they do offer flexible shipment schedules. You can choose from monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly shipments. This is another nice perk for those who want to give the shipment as a gift.
Overall value
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- Wines from award-winning wineries.
- Offers both gift cards and gift subscriptions.
- Flexible with shipment schedules.
- Has shipping limitations, depending on the state you live in.
How to choose a wine club gift
Choosing the best wine club gift can be challenging, especially since each subscription is a little bit different.
To help you choose a great gift that your friend will love, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here’s what to consider when selecting a wine club as a gift.
Look at the quality of the wine
The quality of the wine is one of the most important factors when choosing a wine club, whether it’s for yourself or for a friend.
When looking for a wine club gift, the easiest way to tell the quality of the club is to look at the region the grapes are sourced from and the winemakers they work with. You can get this information by checking out the about page on the wine club’s website.
Checking out the region where the grapes are sourced from can give you details on how well the varietals grow in that area. Some areas are better suited to certain types of grape, so checking out the region’s specialty can give you some clues as to how the wine will taste.
Additionally, looking at the winemakers’ details can tell you how much experience they have as well as their winemaking process. This is important for determining whether additives or preservatives were used in the winemaking process, as well as their reputation for good-quality wine.
Check the subscription renewal
Depending on the wine club, most will offer a wide variety of different subscriptions. When it comes to gifting a club, you want one that gives you flexibility in renewing your subscription. This way, you can avoid the subscription renewing and billing you beyond what you wanted to give to your loved one.
Another thing to look for is whether it’s possible to cancel anytime. If you choose a club with this option, you can cancel the subscription once you hit a certain date. Alternatively, you can go with an auto-renew order.
Think about how you want to go about giving your gift, and what you want the cancellation options to be like. You might want to avoid having to remember to cancel the gift in the future.
See what goodies are included
Although they’re not essential, looking for wine club gifts that offer additional perks as part of your subscription can really help take your gift to the next level.
Many clubs such as Winc accompany each gift shipment with food pairing tips and tasting notes.
Tasting notes help enhance an individual’s wine-drinking experience, while food pairing tips elevate how you enjoy your wine. These are particularly great if you’re giving a subscription to someone who has slightly less experience with wine.
Other subscriptions offer free wine bottle openers, winemaker histories, and other unique perks. Check out what your chosen wine club gift offers before settling for one to give as a present.
Look for the right variety of wine
Some wine clubs focus exclusively on local varietals, while others, like Vinebox, only provide international wines. Then, there are clubs that focus on a mix of the two.
Think about your recipient’s wine preferences and familiarity when choosing a subscription. If they drink a lot of local wine, it might be nice to mix things up and give them an international subscription so they can try something new. On the other hand, if they only like local wine, you can look for clubs that will cater to this.
Likewise, look at the variety of reds, whites, rosés, and sparklings each gift subscription includes. If you already know your recipient’s preferences, choose a subscription that offers their preferred type of wine.
Check for seasonal options
If you’re gifting a wine club subscription during the holidays, you can often find seasonal subscriptions that are tailored towards gift giving.
Often, these subscriptions will only send out shipments during the holiday season and won’t auto-renew, which makes them perfect for gift-giving.
Alternatively, clubs sometimes offer seasonal discounts. This can make it more affordable for you to give a wine club subscription as a gift.
Finally, clubs sometimes offer seasonal wines. This can be a great way to give specialty wines that your loved ones might not otherwise get to try. Be sure to check out what each subscription is offering during the different seasons to make sure you get a great gift.
Final thoughts
Wine clubs make excellent gifts for loved ones, whether they’re wine afficionados or just enjoy casual drinking.
When looking for a wine club gift, checking the subscription options, wine variety, and extra goodies can help you find a subscription that your friend or family member will love.
Do you still have questions about wine club gifts? 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.