Wine Insiders Review 2022

Out of the many wine clubs we’ve checked out, Wine Insiders takes top place for not only excellent wine but great deals and free gifts. Members get fine international reds and whites at amazingly low prices plus there are plenty of bonus goodies.

Wine Insiders Review
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4.8
Please Vote!
Best
White Wine Club
Money (best value)
$89.00/mo
Lucie Robson
Written by:Lucie Robson
Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET Level 3)

The first shipment from Wine Insiders works out a super low cost for each bottle and the good value deliveries continue case after case. What’s more, this club regularly throws in useful complimentary service gifts to increase the enjoyment of each bottle. With top-quality labels from classic regions, take a look at what Wine Insiders can add to your cellar!

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Wine Insiders Overview

  • Top-quality wine at pocket-friendly prices.
  • An introductory offer of 15 bottles for $89.
  • 12-bottle shipments eery quarter at $155 quarterly
  • Complimentary service gifts sent regularly.
  • Second shipment includes Connoisseur's Deluxe 7-Piece Lever Pull Corkscrew Set 
  • You can choose all red, all white, or mixed cases.
  • Perks like coupons and refer a friend for credits

They have one membership plan offering 12 wine bottles [plus 3 bottles for newcomers] for 36% off with Wine Insiders vouchers.

One of the renowned wine clubs from Los Angeles, California, Wine Insiders is known for featuring carefully selected wines from California to Bordeaux. Their vision is rooted in slashing the markups on wine by eliminating the middleman to bring you wines directly from the winemakers. For entrepreneurs, Wine Insiders also offers an affiliate program. We were impressed by their numerous perks and complementary wines.

Check Out Our Wine Insiders Video Review

What is Wine Insiders?

First launched in 1982 under the name of ‘A Taste of California’, Wine Insiders is a unique wine club that features a single membership plan. You can select from red wines or white wines, or a mix of both from this Californian-based wine club.

Registered under Drinks Insiders LLC., Wine Insiders helps you explore winemakers from around the world without breaking the bank. We especially appreciated that members can cancel their membership hassle-free, at any time. On top of that, Wine Insiders deals will help you receive upwards of 30% off on your first subscription as well.

One of the fascinating aspects of Wine Insiders is their efforts to handpick the right wine for members with the help of curators holding over 50 years of combined experience. With 200 awards won for its Wine Portfolio in 2018 alone, this wine club features an impressive record of 1000+ award-winning wines. Amongst the best attractions of this wine club are the free wines.

To speak directly with a representative of the company and learn more about its offerings directly, you can reach Wine Insiders phone number at [800] 615-7304 to get in touch with them right away.

How Wine Insiders works?

Given Wineinsider offers a singular membership plan, it’s easy to sign up and takes no more than a few minutes to get started.

  1. Click on the tab named ‘Club’ on the homepage
  2. Choose from reds, whites or mixed wines
  3. Review the wines numbered from 1 to 7 because this is what you will receive
  4. Add your Payment Information
  5. Select a FedEx Pickup Location or add your home/office address
  6. Review the order to see sales tax for your order
  7. Checkout safely

You can also buy 18, 24 or 30 bottles [GG1] if you check the Wine Insiders deals offered online. Additionally, Wine Insiders vouchers are an excellent way to save big on your wine club subscription

How much does Wine Insiders cost?

Our Rating 5/5

Wine Insiders is one of the best value clubs going with a welcome offer of $89 for 15 bottles followed by a dozen bottles for $155 + tax. I give it a 5 because the wines are very good.

Offering a single membership plan unlike most wine clubs, there are deals like Wine Insiders 6 bottles $30 that makes it worth checking twice. The membership plan is priced at a discounted introductory price of $89+ sales tax on top of free shipping. This will revert to $139.95 without shipping from your second subscription onwards. When conducting this Wine Insiders review, we discovered that members get free perks from their second subscription too.  

We feel Wine Insiders new customer offer is the most attractive deal for oenophiles. You can access a package of 12 subscribed wine bottles + 3 complementary wines on your first delivery. If you don’t want a subscription, you can buy separate wine packs too.

Pay securely with credit cards like Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express besides PayPal through Wine Insiders.

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Wine Insiders Pros & Cons

Pros

  • No-Obligation Wine Club Membership: On Wine Insiders, you can cancel your membership at any time
  • Money-Back Guarantee: You can access easy refunds once you contact the customer service team
  • Lucrative Referrals: Receive two $25 Off coupons, one for you and the other for your friend you referred, who also spent $50 or more on Wine Insiders.  
  • Super-Affordable Shipping Rates: Receive free shipping when ordering 6 or more bottles
  • Excellent Customer Service: With 24/7 availability, you can quickly reach the customer support team  
  • Complimentary Perks: Members receive bonus wine bottles, wine cases as well as a corkscrew worth $44 on their first and second orders.

Cons

  • No Rare wines: You won’t find any vintage spirits or limited-edition wines available on Wine Insiders but you will uncover plenty of award-winning favorites from around the world
  • Duplicate Wines in Every Package: You don’t get 12 [+3] unique wines on your subscription, but two to three of each in every package of 15 or 12
  • Wine Insiders is not available in all States: Customers from states including Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah are ineligible for this wine club.

About the Wine

Our Rating 4/5

Wine Insiders is very selective about the wines in its range and covers 40 grape types in 15 major regions. You won't get tons of top-tier wines but good value labels so it deserves a 4.

As one of the oldest operating wine clubs in the country, Wine Insiders is celebrated for its economical wines which feature 40 varietals and 15 wine producing regions. You can filter wines by winemakers, 90+ ratings, award-winning history or staff picks.

With a vast expanse of wine brands exceeding 100,000, the Wine Insiders wine club hand-selects five wines from every 100 wines they taste. Once your first order is complete, the future wine club subscriptions will be customized by wines comprised of seasonal favorites and popular picks. Every case of wines you receive will have one special bottle with a tag ‘Me First’. This is a gentle reminder from the expert curators at Wine Insiders to try the tagged wine first. You will receive a well-packed case of wines, complete with tasting cards to explore both offline and online.

For Martha Stewart fans, Wine Insiders also features a collection of affordable wines curated single-handedly by Martha Stewart for all occasions. You can get individual wines selected by Martha Stewart or Wine Sets with or without your Wine Insiders 15 bottles membership plan.

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Wine Insiders Wine Brands


Featured below are five popular wine brands featured on Wine Insiders that you need to keep an eye on:

Bernard Magrez

A legendary Bordeaux wine estate offering luxury wine experiences, Bernard Magrez is the owner of 40+ vineyards in the prime terroirs of France in addition to vineyards in other countries. This winery also produces wines from Spain, Argentina, Japan, Morocco, California, Chile and Portugal if you want to sample its vast variety. Look out for Bernard Margrez 2017 La Référence Merlot.

Castellani

This is an Italian winemaker with a time-honored tradition of 117+ years of winemaking experience across 1000+ acres of vineyards in the heart of Tuscany. Their Arbos Bianco and 2018 Due Mari Pinot Grigio I.G.T are the prominent flavors to try.

Bruno Lafon

From DIVA Wine USA to Bruno Lafon Selection, this winemaker boasts 30+ years of market experience alone. The Bruno Lafon wine portfolio is eloquent and loyal to its rich terroirs ranging from Burgundy, Alsace, Rhône, Provence and Champagne. Try their Racine Chardonnay Pays d’Oc.

Abbazia

Producing over 2,000 tons of grapes per year, Abbazia has wineries in various parts of Europe, the United States and Brazil. It is a family run winery from Italy known for its Decanter Award winning wines. Try their Abbazio Muscato Vino Dolce I.G.T at Wine Insiders.

Vicente Gandia

Infamous for its Cava besides the robust Spanish wines, Vicente Gandia is popular for winning the Best European Winery Awards. This 135-year-old winery from Valencia is a family operated gem that is sought after for being ranked among the top-50 best wineries in the world.

Wine Insiders Membership Benefits


Our Rating 5/5

I give Wine Insiders a 5 for its 100% satisfaction guarantee, huge savings and discounts, plus freebie wines.

Wine Insiders is one of the oldest wine clubs in Los Angeles, with a range of benefits that serve wine lovers of all shapes and sizes. Added with a Wine Insiders promo code, you can obtain a reliable wine club subscription for an affordable price. If you’re still wondering about your membership, we found five advantages of signing up on Wine Insiders that you will assuredly appreciate.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Scoring 4.9 out of 5 stars on google ratings, Wine Insiders is serious about keeping their subscribers satisfied. If you disliked the bottle, Wine Insiders will offer you a full or partial refund depending on whether you return it.

You can get your money back within 6 months or 180 days of your wine purchase. They might also offer you store credits based on the nature of your return. For wine cases lost during delivery, contact the customer service within 60 days for full refunds.  

Wine

On Wine Insiders, you will be shown details of all the wines that will be sent to you, including the awards won, origin, varietal and terroir before you order.

Huge Savings and Discounts

Wine Insiders new customer offer boils down to $5.93 per bottle each when you subscribe. Moreover, you get wines worth $145 for $89 if you’re signing up for the first time. Members also receive 20% off cases of 12+ wines.

Bonus Wines and Free Subscriptions

New members receive three complementary wine bottles with a purchase of 12 or more wines. On top of that, you will obtain two cases free of cost with seasonal picks during winter and summer months too.

Affordable Wine Club with Award Winning Wines

We really loved how cost-effective it is to sign up for Wine Insiders. The markup is low because they sell affordable wines directly from the winemaker. Even without Wine Insiders Groupon, you can find wines rated 90+ for under $20.

Wine Insiders Membership Programs

Our Wine Insiders review revealed that this club offers one membership program where you can choose from reds, whites or a mix of both wines.

Another unique perk about Wine Insiders is that when you choose white wine club options for your subscription, you will also receive 3 red wines carefully selected for your white-wine palate. If you choose red wine club options, you will not take delivery of any whites, while mixed wines comprise of nine reds and six whites.  

Wine Insiders Membership Length

While the membership program on Wine Insiders is quarterly, you will be sent a case every 2 months, totaling to 6 packages per year. This is one of the best Wine Insiders deals where you get a case of summer and winter wines for free.

Can I give via Wine Insiders as a gift?

Our Rating 5/5

You can give a wine membership as a gift or pick and choose from a great selection of wine gifts so it's a big 5.

If the Holiday wine gifting catalog that came with your subscription was not enough to convince you Wine Insiders had the best gifts, we will simplify their offers. As one of the best bi-monthly gift clubs, gifts are priced the same as regular subscriptions through this wine club.

All you need to gift membership or a case of wine to your loved one is simply to click on the option ‘This is a gift’ before adding shipping and payment information.

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Wine Insiders Wine club coupon code

Our Rating 5/5

It's another 5 from me because Wine Insiders is easy to find coupon codes for across the web and it offers excellent discounts.

It is easy to find a Wine Insiders promo code or coupons with discounts up to 38% off on the web. You can even receive up to $25 to $50 off on your first purchase of above $75 with Wine Insiders coupon offers. Once you have coupons or the Wine Insiders Groupon, click ‘Redeem Voucher’ at the bottom of the website.

Price and Shipping


Our Rating 4/5

Shipping is fast compared to some clubs but Wine Insiders doesn’t' deliver everywhere so it gets a 4.

Offering award-winning wines at economical rates, shipping fees on Wine Insiders is calculated based on the total number of wines you order.

FedEx is the official shipping service provider for Wine Insiders. The best thing about Wine Insiders wine club is that you can pick up your case of wines at any one of 11,000 FedEx pickup locations. If you choose 1-5 wine bottles, the shipping fee will be $14.95 while the same is free for orders 6 or more wine bottles. You can expect the delivery in 3 to 4 days.

Service and contact availability

Our Rating 5/5

Wine Insiders boasts phone, live chat, and email for contact plus an extensive FAQ section covering a range of wine club topics. 

Wine Insiders has all bases covered when it comes to getting in touch with questions and quibbles. First, you can check an FAQ on topics like delivery, coupons, payment queries, and the club’s satisfaction guarantee to see if your query is covered there. If you’d like to contact an actual person, there’s live chat and phone with staff available during office hours on weekdays except for holidays. There’s also the option of query via email plus this club even offers good old snail mail at its LA address if this suits you.

Cancellation terms

Our Rating 5/5

You can cancel your Wine Insiders anytime via your personal account. It's simple and efficient so gets a 5.

Wine Insiders facilitates cancelation in a straightforward manner. If you want to do it yourself, there’s an option in the “My Account Page”.  You can also call the club’s customer service.

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Disadvantages

On the value-for-money and perks for members fronts, Wine Insiders can’t be faulted. However, there are a few areas where it’s limited. For example, because of alcohol delivery restrictions, it can’t ship to Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah. Unfortunately, if you live in one of these states, you’ll have to miss out! It also only has one delivery frequency choice with your shipments arriving every quarter (although some of its subscriptions offer two bonus shipments in summer and winter when you might need a few extra bottles). Also, Wine Insiders doesn’t offer speedy shipping if you need your wine yesterday. Finally, you can personalize your shipment but only to the extent of choosing all reds, whites, or a mixed case. However, this is pretty much the norm across the wine club scene.

The difference from the competitors


Wine Insiders has positioned itself as a no-nonsense club that offers the lion’s share of what a member could want: an interesting range of good quality reds and whites from international regions at jaw-dropping prices. This is more incredible when you see its range has clocked up 1,250 awards. It’s also very generous with free wine accessories which makes serving more professional and enjoyable. It also appears to offer more than its fair share of member perks and offers to make your dollar go even further. Its balance of premier quality, hands-on customer service, and wide range of labels sees it glowing in
wine club reviews. Finally, you can reach customer service by phone. Sometimes you just want to talk to a person and this way of communicating isn’t necessarily the norm with wine clubs today.

Conclusion

Wine Insiders has an ethos of bringing amazing quality to its members at truly unbelievable prices plus its inclusion of regular free goodies is a nice gesture. It manages to keep its cost so low because it cuts out the middleman and passes on the savings to you.

It started out in the early ‘80s in a restaurant in Chicago where customers admired the California wine list. This led to a small club built on the philosophy that getting hold of good wine should be easy and affordable. Over the next decade, the club expanded into wine events for members which had been growing at a rate of knots along with the club’s wine list. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, as far as vinology experience goes, its team of three wine experts has more than 50 years of combined experience among them (and counting). This team reviews a huge number of wines and only passes 3%. A good source of favorites like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Red Blends make Wine Insiders an excellent red wine club. It also has plenty of favorite whites such as Chardonnay, Moscato, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc which each varietal reflecting its regions and winemaking method. Old World regions include spots like France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal with a special section of Bordeaux! Argentina, Australia, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, and of course, California feature from the New World. All in all, members can expect very good coverage of grapes, areas, and styles.

This club is a super-customer-oriented without any bells and whistles. It knows members want good variety or good prices so offers that and it also knows that a few delivery options tick boxes so has 14,000 convenient pickup locations if you won’t be at home. In each shipment, you get in-depth tasting notes and food pairing suggestions to make the experience of each bottle as enjoyable as possible. You can also access digital tasting notes on its website by entering a special code that comes with your wines.

Its customer service potions are some of the best around as well, ensuring that you’ll get hold of help in a way that suits you. There’ll be no waiting around for replies to emails or texts if you need an answer pronto owing to its office-hour phone lines and chat. 

If you’re looking for an outfit that says what it does on the tin, Wine Insiders is the best wine club for you.

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Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

How long is the delivery time?

Shipping normally takes up to a week of ordering/ membership renewal but can arrive within three to five business days.

How do I sign up?

You enter all of your particulars for Wine Insiders introductory deal shipment and carry on, cancel, and make any other changes via your account as you wish.

How can I send my wine back?

There are strict regulations governing alcohol shipping so you might not be able to return your bottles. However, if you’re not satisfied with your labels or there’s damage, customer service will give you a refund or account credit.

How much does it cost?

Membership with Wine Insiders costs $155 every quarter. You can enjoy a $25 credit by referring a friend and keep an eye out for other perks and discounts.

How do I cancel?

To cancel, you can call customer service or do the deed yourself via your personal account.

Can you give membership as a gift?

No, you can’t give membership as a gift. That being said, Wine Insiders is also a wine store and it offers a range of wine club gift ideas like labels themed around regions or grape varieties.