10 Best Wine Subscriptions in 2022 (Wine Sommelier-Reviewed)

Red wine is made from dark-skinned or black grapes. Contact with the grape skins provide color as well as tannins, a compound that cause the astringent, dry, or bitter taste sometimes found in red wine. It is the structure of red wine that directly affects its aging.

You can get red wine in a wide variety of flavors, depending on the grapes. Cabernet sauvignon, for example, tastes like licorice, while pinot noir gives you a cherry flavor. You can pair red wine with pork, beef, cheese, and chocolate.

White wine is usually made with white grapes, although some manufacturers use sweeter black grapes without their skin. Even though white wine also has a wide range of flavors, its main difference from red wine is its light and fruity undertone.

White wine typically still has tannins, but you don’t get that astringent, bitter taste associated with red wine. Instead, they have a higher sugar and carbohydrate content. This means they pair well with poultry, pork, fish, and fruits. Some of the most common white wine varietals include chardonnay, riesling, pinot grigio, and sauvignon blanc.

While they don’t contain heart-healthy antioxidants like red wine, white wine has been said to cause fewer side effects like headaches, migraines, or allergic reactions since they have fewer tannins. On the other hand, white wines contain more sulfites, which can also cause the same issues in some people!

In between red and white wine, you have pink or rosé wine. The light pink color is due to the quick contact between the grape and its skin. Rosé wine usually has fruity and floral flavors with a hint of celery, rhubarb, or greens at the end.

Rosé is not as acidic or heavy as red wine and not as sweet as white wine. It can be paired with light salads, pasta, or rice dishes.

By double fermenting or injecting gas into red, white, or rosé wine, you can get bubbles! The extra carbon dioxide that's trapped in the bottle gives you that soda-like fizz, called effervescence.

From French Champagne to Italian prosecco, sparkling wine varies from dry to very sweet. You can also get sparkling wine that is zesty, nutty, creamy, or citrusy. The notes depend on the winemaker's process and grapes used.

There are five main types of dessert wines: slightly sweet, very sweet, sweet reds, sparkling and fortified. These wines can have an alcohol content of about 17 to 20 percent and some taste extra sweet, much like a dessert!

Sommelier Lisa Lee explains, "The sweetness in these wines is created in various ways. Late harvest wines are made from grapes picked late in the season when they have concentrated sweetness. Noble Rot adds flavors of ginger and honey to sweet wines, such as super sweet reislings, Sauternes and Tokaji Aszu. Grapes can be harvested and left to raisinate, or dry out, concentrating sweetness prior to winemaking."

Lisa continues, "Ice wine is made from grapes harvested and pressed while frozen, ensuring that only the most concentrated juice is used in the final wine. In others, prematurely stopping fermentation prevents yeast from converting all the grape’s sugars into alcohol. In sparkling wines, dosage, also known as liquer d’expedition, is added to adjust sugar levels in the final wine.

Liqeur de Tirage is a solution comprised of wine, sugar and yeast. This, when added to the base still wine, sparks the second fermentation in the traditional method of producing sparkling wines or Champagnes."

Finally, Lisa says, there's fortification. "Wine is blended with a clear grape spirit with high alcohol levels that stops fermentation and fortifies the wine. The final wine can be sweet or dry, but has alcohol content typically between 17and 20 percent alcohol by volume," she explains.

Whether you are new to wine or already a wine enthusiast, the club’s selection process is an important aspect that ensures the quality of the beverages they offer. 

Wine club websites are often transparent about their selection process, listing their panels of sommeliers and experts who test and rate the wines. Some even offer a numerical rating to each wine to make it easier for you to choose.

If you’re looking at trying a new wine, we recommend taking the extra step of checking in with Robert Parker, arguably the world’s most trusted authority in wine. An approval from the club’s sommeliers and Robert Parker gives you double assurance on what you’re getting.

Also, check to see if the website has an archive where past selections are on display. From there, you can gauge the quality and standard of the wine club.

Other subscription plans, instead of relying on sommeliers or experts, use an algorithm to decide what is sent to you. Similar to the way Netflix recommends shows and movies to watch, the more you rate, the more accurate your wine matches get.

These plans start out by having you take a quiz about your basic preferences. If you aren't sure what kind of wines you like, don't worry; they usually ask you about food flavors and tastes. This makes them a good place to start if you're a beginner to wine.

After that, you'll rate the wines they send you, and over time their algorithm will learn what you liked and didn't, so they can customize your future orders. Although these plans are easy to use and can give you reliable results, you'll also miss out on experimentation and may start to get bored with having similar wines each time.

You can also choose a wine club based on where their selection is sourced from. Some clubs specialize in European wines, while others focus on the Central American region. This is particularly important if you have an existing preference regarding the location of your wine.

High-end wine clubs offer the world's best, so you get access to some of the rarest selections from wineries that aren't commercialized. Reading about the source of your wine is a great way to discover more about each bottle's history. The history is an equally crucial aspect of wine drinking that accompanies its taste.

The five top wine regions are Italy, France, the USA, Spain, and Australia. France produces household staples like merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and chardonnay. They are masters of reds and whites and, of course, Champagne. 

Italy produces sweet dessert wine, sparkling wine, or prosecco on top of the classic reds and whites. Meanwhile, Napa Valley in California is considered the wine capital of the USA. Here you can get a variety of grapes such as pinot noir, zinfandel, and chardonnay. Oregon and Washington state have some amazing vineyards, too.

Chile, having weather that's a mix of France and the Pacific coast, produces excellent cabernet sauvignon and merlot. In Australia, the Margaret River region produces premium quality cabernet sauvignon grapes. 

"Private label" may sound like an exclusive wine, but it's actually one that's been contracted by the company that will eventually put its name on it. The wine may be produced and bottled at a vineyard and then labeled, or a wine club may make the wine themselves after buying grapes or juice in bulk from many vineyards.

Many times these wines are blended, so you don't know exactly where the grapes were grown or how the wine was made. This doesn't necessarily mean these are lesser quality, but if you care about trying wine from a certain appellation, they won't be a good choice for you. They can also vary in taste year to year as different sources are used.

In general, the less detail a wine label has, the more likely it is that it's a private label bottle. As long as you enjoy the taste, it's fine; provided you don't pay too much for it. Keep in mind that the reason wine clubs use this method is to save money, so make sure you're getting the quality you're paying for.

Wine clubs usually offer subscriptions on a monthly basis, with shipments being sent every month, two months, or three months. 

The decision is solely based on your requirements, whether you need 12 bottles sent every three months or a smaller quantity every month. A typical monthly subscription usually has three bottles for less than 100 dollars.

Being able to choose what goes in the shipment is another important consideration. Some wine clubs have a pre-set selection for their subscriptions, like a three-bottle set of all whites or all reds. Meanwhile, others will give you more leeway to customize what goes in your order.

The quantity of wine delivered is also important to consider. If you will be hosting a house party, then, by all means, a bottle or two is advised. 

However, if you're unlikely to finish a whole bottle, alternative quantities would be better. Some wine clubs offer their selections by the pint, glass, or even test tubes! These options also allow you to pick out favorites without investing in a whole bottle. 

Wine clubs offer a wide variety of membership perks to keep their clients satisfied. Benefits include free delivery, invitations to members-only events, virtual tastings, free taste packages, or shipments bundled with accessories and glasses.

Most wine clubs also have newsletters that are sent to members. These contain information on each bottle, the winery history, recipes, and wine pairings. You can also choose wine clubs that offer loyalty rewards, such as discounts on future shipments or a point-based rewards system.

Free cancellation or wine replacements are also worth looking at since there may be times when you disliked their selection or receive a wine that's flawed. Some clubs will even replace bottles you're unhappy with for free.

Once you pick out your favorites, reordering specific bottles is usually tricky due to the season, changing liquor laws, or distribution issues. Check to see if a wine club offers the same wines on future orders; some even offer discounts if you reorder a bottle.