Do you love to drink wine? For me, wine is a regular presence in our house, though a special treat to drink. I always make sure there is wine available, not only for drinking, but cooking as well. While my husband and myself do love the occasional glass of wine, we sometime have issues finding the right wine for us. With so many different wines out there, it is easy to get overwhelmed at the store. Rather than leave my comfort zone and waste money, I always purchase the same wines. Recently, however, I found a service that was perfect for people like me who might want to try something new – Club W. Even more exciting, they let me review three of their bottles of wine, letting me see if this subscription service was as perfect for wine drinkers like myself as it seemed!
Club W: What is It
So, what the big deal with Club W? They are a wine subscription service where you can have 3 or more bottles of wine sent to your home each month. Their selection of wine comes from all over the world, allowing you to try a large selection of wine that meets your own tastes. To take the guess work out of ordering wine (and avoid the wine jargon) you fill out a Palate Profile at startup. From these simple questions, they determine what type of flavors you personally like and match it with wines that their curators think you will love. Unlike other subscription services that just send the same product to everyone, you also choose from a list of wines each month, letting you choose EXACTLY what you want. This even means you can select previous wines if they are still in stock. Really, this is the simplest wine service I have found yet that really strives to make sure everyone is happy.
For my own review, Club W allowed me to go through the same experience as everyone else. I took the very quick and easy Palate Profile (which you can take too) and then was given a selection of different wines. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting there to be so many different wines that I could possibly like. While it was a tad bit overwhelming at first, my husband and I very quickly found three wines that we thought sounded amazing. About ten days later, our wine arrived in a very nice, well-protected box. Now, it was time for the fun part, tasting!
Club W: 2010 Lorenz Symphony German Riesling
I'll be the first person to admit that I am a big fan of Rieslings. While I adore fruit wines, Rieslings are my first choice when I go to restaurants if I want a good drinking wine. What really made me want to try the 2010 Lorenz Symphony German Riesling, however, was the fact that it was an all-organic Riesling – something I had never seen previously. Like most Rieslings, it had a slightly sweet flavor, making it the perfect wine to be paired with chicken, fish, cheese, and different fruits.
Club W: 2012 Banyan Creek Gewurztraminer
This was one of those wines that had a lot of mixed feeling in my own home. My husband and I both like the 2012 Banyan Creek Gewurztraminer – we thought it had a pleasing, light taste – but our visiting parents thought it had little to no flavor. I was expecting the wine to have a bit more sweetness. The wine, however, does have a wonderfully sweet scent, making it a perfect dessert wine for pairing with very sweet desserts!
Club W: 2011 Smashberry Red
Out of all the wines selected we selected, I was the only person in my family who enjoyed the Smashberry. I thought it had a very nice tart and slightly sweet flavor, but would not consider it an amazing drinking wine. I am, however, looking forward to using this wine as a cooking wine since I think it will give an amazing flavor to French onion soup. For drinking, I paired this wine with beef or very sweet dessert.
Club W: Overall
Really, the only thing that disappointed me about Club W is the fact I didn't know about it sooner. Getting quality wine sent right to my door sounds great. Best of all, the curators give me a list of wines to choose from, so I am involved in the wine selecting process. Once you factor in shipping, $15 per bottle of wine is a really great deal (it's $39 a month for 3 bottles of wine + $6 shipping a month). Based on my own experience with Club W, I will happily give this wine service an A+ rating!
Club W: Ordering
Unlike some other ordering services, Club W is a very easy, headache free subscription service. For $39 a month + shipping you get three bottles of wine each month that you choose yourself from the curator list. It is also guaranteed that you will like the wine chosen for you. If for some reason you aren't happy with the wine selected, you can get a replacement or refund for that bottle. If you loved a wine from the previous month, you can even reorder that wine if it's still in stock. As well, you can always cancel or suspend your account at any time without any hassle. To learn more, make sure to check out Club Website.
Want to know something even cooler? Club W is currently offering a special deal for Budget Earth readers. If you sign up for their service today, you will get a free $13 credit (aka a free bottle of wine!) To get your free bottle of wine at signup, make sure to put in our special promo code:
Promo Code: 411earth (this is case sensitive)
Disclosure: Budget Earth did not receive monetary compensation for this review, but did receive 3 bottle of wine for review purposes from Club W. All of the opinions on this blog are the opinions of said author and these opinions may differ from your own.
Rachel N says
This would make a wonderful gift for someone too. It would be a really neat wedding gift.
Mary Bearden says
We used to drink a good bit of wine but I haven't drank much in the last 6 or so years because of all the medications I am on. I sure don't want an accidental overdose like alot of the stars seem to have! But I sure can remember that it really helped me to relax some nights when you need it. That is what I miss!
DANIELLE WILLIAMS says
Great gift for the person who has everything or who is hard to shop for!
Maria Iemma says
I am not a big drinker but I like to have wine in the house for those unexpected visitors or dinner guests…
Myrna says
What fun it would be to have wine delivered to your door, and tasting all the different varieties.
Vivian says
I love Rieslings and Gewurtztraminers btw! We are wine lovers and I always have a dozen different wines at my house and I love trying new ones too. Before we had kids we always went wine tasting at the vineyards and we loved the wine clubs. I am still breastfeeding so all the yummy wine is waiting for me LOL
Pamela says
Give wine to the aged and those failing in health….even the Bible tells us to be kind!
Mer says
That does look like a nice selection. What a great way to try something different.
Susan Smith says
This sounds like a great idea because I never know what wine to buy with what meals.
denise smith says
THIS IS A GREAT GIFT IDEA FOR EVERYONE WHO APPRIECIATES WINE
anastasia k says
i don't drink at all but this is nice for a gift..nice review!
lisa says
That would make a great gift for a wine lover. I rarely drink wine. I do cook with it. It really enhances the flavor of sauces. When I do drink wine it has to be chocolate wine.
Jen Rodrigues says
Cool review. I heard about this from other bloggers. This would be a perfect gift for any wine lover and in time for the holidays. Love it. Thanks for sharing.
md kennedy says
What an awesome service – an a great gift for Christmas. The gift that keeps on giving and my Dad will get one!
Tim says
PLEASE do yourself a favor and steer clear of this wine club. Of the 9 or so bottles I've received, only about three were marginally drinkable. I mean they were terrible, souless bottles that we litterally poured down the drain. And believe me, it takes a BAD bottle of wine for us to do that!
Find yourself a good local wine store with someone there in sync with your taste and be guided by them.
Susan Bewley says
Yikes! That is scary! I know the ones they sent us weren’t bad, but I guess they changed 🙁
nan says
terrible service! never receive my box of wine, impossible to reach the custom service!
Anthony DiSanti says
A friend recommended this service, so I gave it a try. The wines were low quality with very simple flavor profiles and extremely short finishes. If you’re looking for something cheap that doesn’t taste bad, this is a good choice, but if you like wine, don’t bother.
More annoying was that cancellation was difficult. They don’t have any way to cancel on the site, nor via email, nor by calling them unless you call during business hours in their time zone. I was also charged a cancellation fee, which I always consider to be the sign of a less reputable vendor.
Susan Bewley says
Yikes – very scary!
Shauna says
I have tried to cancel this service by emailing them. They literally refuse to cancel the service. I am having to change my credit card numbers so they stop charging me. HORRIBLE customer service. Their “100% satisfaction guarantee” is a lie! Horrible wine that I received the first time. I tried to return the second they sent me but they make you pay to send it back, which would cost a TON because they are in CA and I am in SC. Please take this warning and do not sign up for this service! You will regret it.
Susan Bewley says
Yikes!!! That is frightening, Shauna!!