90+ Cellars operates with an amazingly innovative concept that brings wine lovers top brands at reasonable prices. Read on to find out how!
| Written by Lucie Robson Updated on September 1, 2021 |
Plans start at three bottles for $50 per quarter and go up to 6 or 12 bottles in each shipment with a choice of three clubs including one devised for beginners.
Ninety Plus Cellars was started in 2009 by wine lover, Kevin Mehra, whose sole aim was to make top-class wines accessible to a wide range of wine lovers. He managed to do this by working with leading names who needed a market for surplus wines (remember the economy was in bad shape back then) and didn’t want to devalue their brand by selling off their product cheaply. Operating like a modern-day négociant. Ninety Plus Cellars bottled all of these amazing reds and whites under their own label and – ta da – “extraordinary wines meet wine lovers”!
As outlined above, Ninety Plus Cellars is based on the very smart concept of securing amazing quality reds and white and labelling it under the club’s own name. Back in 2009, many leading names were willing to participate in this approach as, because of a major economic downturn, they had incredible surplus wine going to waste. When Kevin Mehra came along, he offered a win-win situation; the producers could profit from selling their excess wine while consumers enjoyed the best without breaking the bank. Times have changed, but the club still sources the finest and passes it on to members at affordable prices. Cheers to that!
Follow the steps outlined below to sign up for a Ninety Plus Cellars subscription plan.
This club offers a simple tier system for pricing. The Starter Club provides three bottles every quarter for $50. If you go for the Red or Mixed Club, you pay $95 for 6 bottles or $180 for 12 delivered every three months. Shipping is free for all clubs.
Also, customers can pay for wine club membership with standard credit card options.
Wine Director Brett Vankoski and his team taste thousands of top-scoring wines every year and only pass a handful for the Ninety Plus Cellars’ portfolio. All of its labels have been rated at 90 points or more. The club has formed insider relationships with a huge range of world-class producers, thus enabling it to fill its range with the finest minus the overheads that raise prices. The selection is continuously refreshed so there’s always something new to enjoy. The direct liaison with wineries means that Ninety Plus Cellars proves to be the best wine club for unique, top-quality reds and whites in every single shipment. Let’s take a look at a few of these beauties.
Color: Rose, Red, White, Sparkling.
Region: United States, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Italy, Argentina.
Grape: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Nebbiolo, Pinot Gris, Zinfandel, Shiraz.
You can search for your favorite wines with filters like ‘Range’, ‘Type’, ‘Variety’, ‘Region’, and ‘Brand.’ In the latter filter, there are four names you can check out: 90+ Cellars, Iron Side, Magic Door, Life is Good, and Mija. Under the New Wines tab, you’ll find the latest in the range of selections, and the Special Releases takes you to unique, one-off bottles. Every wine is assigned a lot number, so you know you’re getting the same great quality wine every time.
This club built its reputation on delivering iconic wines at wallet-friendly prices, and it continues to so by regularly updating its range and keeping an eye on the latest wine trends across a range of brands and styles including:
For wine lovers who want to sample excellent-quality wine from the get-go and leave the sourcing to a reliable club, Ninety Plus Cellars offers a great service. The diversity of the range is top-notch as well with classic Old and New World wine regions covered.
Here are some of the prime benefits you can enjoy when signing up for Ninety Plus Cellars wine club.
Whether you go for the ‘Red’, ‘Mixed’, or ‘Starter’ membership options and regardless of bottle count, delivery is free of charge for each quarterly shipment.
You can reach Ninety Plus Cellars by phone, social media, or email. In the case of the latter, the customer service team aims to reply within 24 hours. It’s pretty hard to find any criticism of this club in any wine club reviews relating to communication anywhere online. So we’re guessing they’re doing a good job.
It’s always useful to receive information about each bottle you drink so you can learn as you sip. Ninety Plus Cellars sends an informative pamphlet with each shipment, and while there’s a degree of secrecy due to being a négociant, you’ll find out all you need to know about the region, grape, tasting notes, and food pairing tips.
This club also operates a good-value wine store with a super-impressive range of still and sparkling wines from top regions. For example, we spotted a Barolo for under $45! You can also order an extra bottle of wine that you enjoy from your wine club finds or make new discoveries. As a club member, you get 15% off any store purchase. If you buy a case of 12 or more, shipping is free. Anything under this incurs a flat rate of a $15 ground shipping fee.
If you enjoy the quality Ninety Plus Cellars offers, you may be able to get a hold of the label at a retailer near your home or even in a restaurant. The club distributes some of its wines to such venues, so if you find you want a one-off red or white and don’t want to wait for a delivery, you might get lucky. You can search for local retailers on the Ninety Plus Cellars website.
There’s just one delivery frequency option with cases arriving every quarter.
You can easily give someone a membership for this club through your own account where you can also send your recipient a personal message with their membership directly to their email address. There’s the option of a one or two-year subscription.
You can skip at any time but must contact customer service in order to do so.
Ninety Plus Cellars has several ways of getting in touch.
You have the freedom to cancel at any time but must contact customer service in order to do so.
Ninety Plus Cellars’ stand-out feature compared to other popular wine clubs is its bottling of top-grade wines under its own name which makes them affordable for members. Clubs like Firstleaf, Winc, Bright Cellars, and Plonk have each built up relationships with producers from whom they source wines at good prices for consumers. On the other hand, Ninety Plus Cellars has established a rapport with top wineries from where they source the finest. Thereafter, they simply bottle under their own label and offer to consumers at unbelievably low prices.
Also, while some clubs like Plonk focus on organic wines, Ninety Plus Cellars stocks labels produced the traditional way or, at least, they don’t advertise the fact that some may be organic or biodynamic.
Finally, shipping is free for all of its clubs which isn’t necessarily the norm elsewhere.
When it comes to returning wines, there isn’t a blanket Satisfaction Guarantee as Ninety Plus Cellars assesses each case on an individual basis. This may work for or against members.
When Ninety Plus Cellars receives your order, it processes it within three days with the goal of delivering within seven. Shipments to Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas may take longer. If bad weather is going to delay delivery, members are notified. You also receive a tracking number.
Click the Wine Club tab on the Ninety Plus Cellars website and check the offer for each of the three clubs to see which one suits your preferences. Fill in the bottle count and shipping address details, payment method, and then wait for notifications on delivery.
Ninety Plus Cellars is quite reasonable about bottle returns. If a shipment is damaged or they send the wrong wine, you can return it. However, you can’t return wine because you’ve ordered too much or simply don’t like it. If you do have a valid reason for returning a bottle, the club will issue a printable postage label for you, so return shipping is free.
There are 3 club options. The ‘Starter Club’ ships 3 bottles every quarter for $50. The ‘Mixed Club’ ships 6 or 12 bottles every three months at $95/ $180 respectively, and the ‘Red Club’ has the same model. Shipping is free of charge for each club.
You can cancel at any time, but you must do so by calling or emailing customer service as there isn’t an option to do so through your account.
Yes, you can give a Ninety Cellars Plus membership as a gift. You simply follow the process for joining the club of your choice and choose the ‘Gift Membership’ option which is on the same page.
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