Plonk vs Firstleaf Comparison 2022

About Plonk

Plonk focuses 100% on small-production, organic and biodynamic labels. Founded by Etty Klein, who’s been recognized across the drinks press for her innovative club, it partners with family vintners across the Old and New Worlds.Its portfolio is fresh, interesting, and filled with well-known and undiscovered varietals.

About Firstleaf

Firstleaf was launched by wine lover Philip James with the goal of making the most customer-centric wine club going.Its patent-pending tasting technology leaves you to choose your preferences then sit back and wait for personalized shipments to arrive like clockwork on your doorstep. Firstleaf has over 100,000 members.

Plonk Main Benefits Overall 

The signature selling point of Plonk is its range of wines made with respect to nature. Each label hails from a producer that practices organic or biodynamic farming in the vineyard and methods in the winery.

Plonk offers three solid membership choices plus several shipping frequencies and bottle counts that cover a range of needs. There’s conscientious customer support, you can cancel your subscription whenever it suits you, and there’s a satisfaction guarantee if you get a wonky wine. What’s more, the club has a few handy gift options if you want to make a wine lover’s day.

Firstleaf Main Benefits Overall 

Firstleaf is dedicated to customization which revolves around its own cutting edge tasting technology that matches your tastes in wine to its vast inventory of different varietals and styles. Its portfolio is top-notch as its tasting team only approves 2% out of 10,000 plus bottles it tries annually.

You can pick and choose from a selection of membership with different delivery frequencies enabling you to stock up on wines at a rate that’s right for you. There’s also a satisfaction guarantee if you’re not smitten with a bottle. Last but not least, you’re free to cancel your membership whenever you want.

Overall Winner

Plonk and Firstleaf each have plenty to offer so it’s a draw.

Plonk Wine Selection

Plonk is an excellent white wine club because it sources its organic labels from classic regions where there’s plenty of fine Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Riesling to be had. It has an equally superb selection of reds and rosés plus sparkling labels all produced to the highest environmentally-friendly standards.

While it stocks a good variety of much-loved grapes, Plonk also digs around less tapped regions like Hungary, Greece, and other countries where unmissable wines are being produced so your palate gets a welcome education!

Firstleaf Wine Selection 

With its fingers in many pies across the Old and New Worlds, needless to say Firstleaf is a splendid red wine club, and you can tailor your cases accordingly if this is your thing. That being said, its reds are matched by an excellent range of whites, rosés, and bubbles from the same regions, so you’ll never be short of your favorite grape varieties and styles.

As touched on above, an impressive number of Firstleaf’s labels have won awards in global competitions and received good ratings from critics. Its network of partners runs the gamut of grass-roots vignerons and winemakers so there’s nothing mass-made.

Wine Selection Winner:

Plonk and Firstleaf both hit the bullseye with their wine selections.

Plonk Subscription Plans

Plonk’s pricing is straightforward with no hidden costs. Whether you go for the red, white, or a mixed selection, each case is a flat rate based on the bottle count. Four wines cost $110 per shipment, six bottles are $160, and a dozen are charged at $285.

Another feature that makes membership costs simple is shipping is free across all bottle quantities and delivery frequencies. If weather conditions are extreme, Plonk may suspend delivery for a few days until it's easier and safer for your wines to hit the road. Your cases are shipped on the first week of every month arriving between five and ten days later. 

Firstleaf Subscription Plans 

Firstleaf offers an equally up-front range of membership plans. You can opt for six bottles for $90 which includes shipping (working out at a good-value $13 each) or you can double your order for $159.95 which also includes complimentary shipping.

There’s a healthy leeway for delivery with Firstleaf happy to send your shipment to a holding address for up to a week. This is handy if you’re not going to be at home and don’t want an office delivery. Additionally, you have the option of postponing shipments.

Subscription Plans Winner:

Plonk

Plonk Pricing and Shipping

Plonk has a convenient selection of subscription choices, bottle quantities, and shipping frequencies covering all tastes and needs. You can opt for a case of all reds, whites, or mixed with the last choice featuring the odd rosé and sparkling wine as well. Whatever plan you go for, your case will include  both domestic and international labels for more interest and variety.

In terms of timings, there’s a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly subscriptions and you have the choice of paying month to month or in advance. There’s also a choice of four, six, or 12 bottles per case. All in all, the variety of bottles counts, and frequencies suits all pockets and lifestyles.

Firstleaf Pricing and Shipping 

With a regular Firstleaf subscription, you receive six bottles every month plus you’re also free to add one or two from the club store if anything takes your fancy for a little more. Quantities go up to 12 bottles a case if you really want to stock up.

Deliveries arrive at a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly frequency so there’s plenty of flexibility depending on how much wine you like to have at hand. What’s more, Firstleaf gives you the chance to switch over to a different frequency in between shipments– around holiday times when you need more wine for instance. 

Pricing and Shipping Winner:

It’s another draw.

Plonk Customer Service and Guarantee

You have two ways of getting in touch with Plonk: phone during office hours or email. This club is very prompt about replying in a timely manner, so you don’t have to worry about getting annoyed with tardy customer service. As far as a satisfaction guarantee goes, it would be surprising if any bottles weren’t up to par just because of how stringent the Plonk tasting team is in its tasting process.

It gets through countless organic and biodynamic names and only lets a small number through. In any case, if you do receive a bottle you don’t like or that’s arrived in a compromised condition, get in touch within 72 hours and the club will compensate you. 

Firstleaf Customer Service and Guarantee

You can contact Firstleaf via chat and phone in office hours plus email if you’d rather put things in writing. This club is committed to your satisfaction so if you’re not entirely happy with any of the labels in your case for whatever reason, get in touch, and it’ll find a way of making you whole.

The way it does this is by crediting you the full value of the questionable bottle/s  you can put toward another label that’s more up your street. If you need to discuss ideas for the perfect red or white, its concierge team is available.

Customer Service and Guarantee Winner:

Firstleaf

Plonk Cancellation Terms  

If you want to cancel your Plonk subscription, it depends on which plan you have. Unfortunately, prepaid subscriptions with a duration of three, six, or 12 months are not refundable because they’re classed as “final sales”.

If you pay for your subscription on a rolling monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly basis, you’re free to cancel whenever it suits you. In order for Plonk to process this, you need to inform them of the termination no fewer than seven working days before your next scheduled billing date. Alternatively, you can cancel yourself in your account.

Firstleaf Cancellation Terms  

To cancel your subscription with Firstleaf, there’s a designated number you call where the customer service team will take you through the options. There’s no restriction on when you can do this and there’s no charge.

It may turn out that you don’t want to terminate your membership but simply tweak a few points like your preferences, bottle counts, or how you use the club’s rating system. If, all being said and done, you’re still sure you want to terminate your membership, Firstleaf will make it easy for you. 

Cancellation Terms Winner:

Firstleaf

Plonk Gifts 

If you enjoy the selection of healthy, fine, and interesting reds, whites, rosés and bubbles Plonk sends you, you’re able to spread the love with gift options for loved ones. You buy a gift subscription for your friend or family member and they wait for cases filled with extraordinary wines to arrive on their doorstep.

You purchase gift membership via your account, choose the “gift” option using your recipient’s address for the delivery, and Plonk sends all the gift details by email. If you want to be more personal, the club will send a printable gift announcement to your email address that you can give your recipient yourself.

Firstleaf Gifts 

If you’re enjoying your Firstleaf membership, you can share the joy with a gift subscription for loved  ones who also enjoy a good glass. Firstleaf offers gift memberships where you can even input the taste preferences of your recipient into its famous algorithm, so they get to enjoy the surprise of a case filled with their favorites.

If you want to leave the selection to them, the club also has the choice of buying a certificate for your lucky vino buddy. If you’re not sure about full membership but know a bottle of wine would be welcome, there are also handy electronic gift cards available.

Buy as a Gift Winner:

They’re neck-on-neck here.