Firstleaf Wine Club Review & Wine Tasting | Is It Any Good?

Are you trying to figure out which types of wine you prefer? Firstleaf might be a good place to start.

Firstleaf Wine Club is a personalized wine subscription that sends you bottles according to your preferences. It also offers a wide selection of wines, ranging from budget-friendly options to high-end ones, so you can find something even if you don’t like to spend a lot of money on wine.

As a wine connoisseur myself, I wanted to see whether Firstleaf was any good, and I wasn’t disappointed.

In this review, we’ll explain what to expect when subscribing to Firstleaf, how its delivery and shipment process works, and what the membership and ordering process is like. Plus, we’ll also take a look at some of the wine selections Firstleaf offers.

Firstleaf Wine Overview

Contents

• How Firstleaf works
• Delivery and shipment
• Firstleaf wine reviews
• Firstleaf vs other wine clubs
• The verdict: is Firstleaf right for you?

How Firstleaf works

First, let’s start by going over how Firstleaf works and what to expect when you sign up for your first order.

Introductory quiz

At Firstleaf, your wine subscription begins with an introductory wine preference quiz. Basically, this questionnaire helps Firstlead’s algorithm suggest bottle selections that match your wine tastes.

This quiz is great for beginners who aren’t quite sure what sorts of wine they’d want to order. But even if you’re a seasoned wine drinker, the quiz is also nice because it helps save you time picking through hundreds of bottles to determine what you want to include in your subscription.

Firstleaf’s wine preference quiz has thirteen questions, which ask about things like:

• Your sweetness preference
• Your impression of a few common wine bottles
• How adventurous or safe you are with choosing wine flavors
• Whether you’re a beginner or an expert on wines
• Various food suggestions that could go with the wine you drink
• Your choice of various flavor profiles
• How often do you drink wine

At the end of the quiz, Firstleaf calculates your results. The wine club will, of course, base your first six bottles on your answers.

The one thing to note is that although the quiz is a nice perk, it’s definitely not foolproof. Sometimes the quiz suggests wines that really miss the mark.

The good news is that you are free to change out these bottles according to your preferences at any point in time. And once you receive your first batch of wine, you can log back into your account and let the site know which ones you liked and which you didn’t. This helps Firstleaf’s algorithm determine the best wine bottles for your next delivery.

Membership options

When you first sign up to Firstleaf, you’ll get an introductory price for the first six bottles. You can also select a 12-bottle delivery, but this will increase the cost by quite a lot.

After the first shipment, you’ll have to pay twice the introductory price plus shipping for your next delivery. The good news is that Firstleaf wines are all quite reasonably priced, because the club has direct connections with vintage vineyards and boutique wineries.

You can also adjust the frequency of the shipment as well as the number of bottles in each one, which can also help keep the cost down a bit.

If you’re ever struggling to choose which bottles to order, you can take advantage of Firstleaf’s on-call concierge. The concierge is WSET-certified and can provide wine suggestions, food pairings, and assistance with things like skipping a month or making changes to your membership.

The concierge is available via phone and live chat – all you have to do is log into your account and connect with them. From there, the concierge will have a quick conversation with you to help pull up suggested bottles and recommend food pairings to go with them, if that’s what you’re looking for.

Once you’ve signed up for a Firstleaf membership, you’ll get a few extra benefits, such as discounted pricing on individual bottle orders. All wine bottles are typically priced at about 60% off once you’ve joined Firstleaf.

If you ever decide you don’t want to use the club anymore, Firstleaf offers free cancellations or the option to skip a month’s delivery.

Plus, before your next delivery goes out, Firstleaf sends you an email confirming your upcoming shipment, including details about your delivery. This way, you have a bit of time to decide what bottles you’d like to order.

Ordering process

As mentioned, each shipment can come with either six or twelve bottles.

If you’re the only one at home, this might be a bit too much wine to drink all in one go. But, you can always choose to get less frequent deliveries so you have more time to get through the wine.

After taking the quiz and having your first shipment delivered, Firstleaf’s site only shows bottles that they think you’re likely to enjoy.

In general, I’d say they do a decent job at choosing good bottles. However, keep an eye on what they put in your shipment. Sometimes they make last-minute changes, switching out bottles you would have liked for ones that don’t quite fit your preferences as much.

You’re also encouraged to rate the bottles you’ve tried, so that Firstleaf can better suggest wines for your next shipment.

Wine sourcing

Firstleaf has partnerships with boutique wineries and vineyards, meaning that most of the bottles you’ll find on the site are artisanal. This wine club sources its bottles from wine-making regions worldwide, such as Sonoma County in California and the Cape South Coast in South Africa.

Some of the best wines Firstleaf offers include Tailored Republic, Audette Nuit, Iron Arrow, and Isolde’s Rapture.

Delivery and shipment

Firstleaf allows you to track your order on its website. There’s no specific delivery time, but the wine club guarantees that the wines will arrive between 8am to 9pm.

The day your shipment arrives, you’ll receive an email notification from Firstleaf. Since the delivery contains alcohol, someone will need to be at home to sign for the package and present a valid ID. Otherwise, Firstleaf will not release your delivery.

Firstleaf delivers bottles through FedEx, so if you won’t be able to get to the door, you can add FedEx holding locations under your shipping addresses in your Firstleaf account. These holding locations can hold your package for a week. With this setup, you can pick up your package at a time that works for you.

Every shipment comes with wine-tasting notes, information about the region where bottles are sourced, and suggested food pairings.

One thing to note is that Firstleaf doesn’t ship to Utah, Rhode Island, or Mississippi due to liquor laws. If you live in one of those states, you won’t be able to join Firstleaf.

Firstleaf wine reviews

I just received my first package of six bottles from Firstleaf, and I was pretty impressed, to say the least.

After taking the quiz, the ordering process was a breeze. It was easy to pay, giving me the choice between PayPal and a debit or credit card, and my package arrived in less than five days. Since not all clubs accept PayPal, I found this to be a nice perk.

On top of that, the shipment really did get to me in just four business days. Whereas many other clubs will take at least a week to get things sent out, Firstleaf did an excellent job on turnaround time.

My shipment was a combination of red and white wines, but most were red.

Ĝenerala Paixão, NV Vinho Branco

The Generala Paixão was my favorite wine from the shipment, thanks to its full body and fruit flavors. It has bold fruity intensity and floral aromas that really satisfy your sweet tooth.

The wine comes from Portugal, which I’ll admit is a wine-growing region I wasn’t previously familiar with.

I enjoyed this white wine’s perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. It had a robust acidity, and notes of cardamom, nutmeg, apple, and citrus.

In terms of pairings, this wine goes well with salty cheese, roasted chicken, or fruit.

Monjitas Blancas, Torrontés Mendoza

While the majority of the other selections in my subscription were sweet, Castillo Quebrado is more on the tangy side. I took a sip of this and immediately tasted lime and lemon. The wine comes from Mendoza, Argentina, an area that’s famous for producing premium wine.

The tasting notes cite orange peel, potpourri, and citrus blossom as flavors to look out for. Personally, I felt that it had more of a lemongrass flavor.

The wine has low acidity levels and is very fruity. It’s said to pair well with spinach frittata, seafood salad, or goat cheese.

Old Quarter, Malbec

Old Quarter’s Malbec has a kick of dark spice. This selection is a unique variation of a black-blue grape combination, but the flavors unexpectedly blended perfectly.

This bottle combines black cherry, graphite, and blackberry. Its dark and fruity flavors have a unique balance of acidity and sweetness.

Old Quarter tastes great with empanadas or pasta. It’s also a great choice to pair with a cheeseboard.

Winter Fox, Syrah

Winter Fox’s Syrah comes from California, and is a 2018 bottle which means it’s been aged for a few years. It’s a full-bodied, textural wine with a strong aroma.

This Syrah has a nice kick at the end. It combines white pepper, cedar, and maple flavors with tart cranberry and fig.

This wine pairs well with wild game or grilled meats and vegetables. As a result, it’s a great pick for the holidays.

Izak’s 177, Grenache

Izak’s 177 Grenache comes from Swartland, South Africa. A newer wine, this bottle is only from 2020. I’ve long been a fan of South African wine, so I was particularly excited to try this blend.

The Grenache’s most prominent notes are cinnamon and oak. It’s a rich, dry wine with a spicy finish. You can taste the tannins in this wine, along with notes of cloves at the back of the tongue.

This wine pairs well with chicken and roast veggies, making it another good choice for a holiday meal.

Wisdom Point, Cabernet Sauvignon

Wisdom Point’s Cabernet Sauvignon is another wine from South Africa, this time from the Western Cape. This is a very herby wine with notes of redcurrant and black cherry.

Unlike your typical cabernet, this wine has a light body. Its acidity is quite bright, and the tannins are fairly mild.

If you want to pair this wine with a meal, it goes well with smoky cheese and braised pork.

Firstleaf vs. other wine clubs

Firstleaf offers an introductory quiz, which is common among most wine clubs. But what makes this wine club great is its knack for figuring out the best bottles for your taste.

When I signed up for Firstleaf, my quiz helped them send out bottles that I actually enjoyed. Not only was the experience more personalized, but there wasn’t a single wine I would have sent back. Although I did have to change out a few choices that weren’t perfect for me, this was easy to do.

Compared to other wine clubs like Winc, NakedWines, and TastingRoom, Firstleaf also has a better selection of wine bottles sourced from a greater variety of regions. Plus, it’s a subscription that’s quite a bit cheaper than Plonk, WSJ, and other big-name wine clubs.

FirstLeaf is an excellent option when you’re a beginner who’s still exploring what types of wine you like best. But, other wine clubs might be better if you’re a more experienced wine drinker willing to pay a higher per-bottle cost, and you know exactly what types of wine you want to try

The verdict: is Firstleaf right for you?

Firstleaf is a budget-friendly wine club where you can get signature bottle selections from great wine-making regions at very reasonable prices.

The Firstleaf ordering process is straightforward, easy to navigate, and user-friendly. You’ve got flexible shipment and ordering options, as well as a useful quiz to help you figure out which bottles to order. Plus, the delivery arrives quickly and securely through FedEx.

So, is Firstleaf right for you? This wine club is ideal if you’re unsure of what flavors you enjoy. If you don’t have a particular wine in mind, Firstleaf does a great job handpicking the best wine bottles catered to your preferences.

With this club’s broad range of choices, it’s also a good subscription for adventurous drinkers. If you enjoy trying out new bottles for experimenting, try Firstleaf.

Just note that this club doesn’t ship to every state. And, since you’re locked into buying six or more bottles at a time, it can be a lot of wine if you’re a solo drinker.

Overall, I would rate this wine club a 4.5 out of 5. Its broad wine choices, affordable rates, and personalized shipments made it a convenient subscription to get started with. Also, its easy cancellation policy didn’t make me feel like I was locked in for too long.

The only things I would change with Firstleaf would be for them to ship to all 50 states, and for them to give you the option to order two to four bottles as opposed to six.

About the author

Jessica Fleming-Montoya

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.