This family business combines the personal touch with a portfolio of the best wines from across the globe to bring members a choice of plans for all tastes and budgets. Great customer service, a gift-giving option, and a satisfaction guarantee make this the perfect choice for all levels of wine lovers.
This is a wine club that has been built over several decades on hands-on customer service, first-rate wine knowledge and experience, and adapting to what members want.
What is Wine of the Month Club?
Wine of the Month Club is a long-standing club that was launched in 1972 and is a family business that acts as your personal sommelier. There’s a superb range of membership plans for all wallets featuring high-quality wines from all of the major world wine regions plus organic, biodynamic, and keto-friendly reds and whites. Each label is hand-picked after a personal tasting by owner Paul Kalemkiarian. The club backs its selection with a 100% satisfaction guarantee so you can be confident of getting wines you enjoy.
How Does Wine of the Month Club work?
You know you can expect a fine range of top-quality world wines in each shipment but how does it all work? Signing on as a member is very straightforward! You simply choose the club you like the look of out of a choice of 12 diverse options. Click on it and you’ll be taken to a page where you’ll find more details about the club plus customer reviews and a video presentation on its features. If you’re still smitten, click ‘add to cart’, pay, and you’re good to go. It’s worth keeping in mind that delivery options range across monthly, bi-monthly, and quarterly shipping and bottle count is 2, 6, or 12 depending on the package you choose. The club also has a wine shop if you’d like to stock up on wines you like in between subscriber shipments so you’re covered all round.
How Much Does Wine of the Month Club Cost?
Our Rating 4/5
I'm giving Wine of the Month Club a 4 for price because some plans are more costly than those of other clubs but I am talking about exclusive wines here.
Packages range in price from about $38 for a two-bottle shipment to around $185 for a 12-bottle case depending on the plan you choose. The final price includes shipping and taxes. It’s worth noting that some clubs, such as the Pinot Noir plan, have a range of possible prices.
About the Wine
Our Rating 5/5
I can give Wine of the Month Club a score of 5 for its wines with no hesitation. It's very picky about what it stocks and knows what makes a quality wine and membership plan.
The Wine of the Month Club sources labels from key Old and New World wine countries and regions. With each wine tried and tested, you can be sure the quality is high and it’s a good example of each style and grape variety.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux
One of the most exclusive wine brands in the world, this “first growth” from Bordeaux’s left bank Pauillac appellation displays typical cassis and gravelly notes from its premier terroir.
Foley Johnson
This winery is one of America’s fastest-climbing names. With holdings all over California, it covers prestigious Carneros, Napa Valley, and Santa Barbara appellations and provides the club with a fine Chardonnay.
Taittinger
This is one of the finest names in luxury Champagne. It provides the club with brut non-vintage white and pink bubbly.
Kopke
This is one of the leading names in fortified sweet wines from Portugal creating a range of port styles for international enjoyment. The club boasts both vintage and non-vintage tawny and ruby ports.
Mirabeau
This name is synonymous with some of the most classical rosé wines from Provence in the south of France. It routinely distinguishes itself at international wine competitions.
Wine Club of the Month Membership Benefits
Our Rating 5/5
Wine of the Month Club gets 5 because it offers one of the best selections of plan out there plus a 100% satisfaction guarantee, a "skip-a-month" policy, and discounts for members.
This wine club has been running for long enough to know what customers like and expect and has, as such, fine tuned a range of perks and benefits that come along with membership.
Benefit 1
The club has a store featuring red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert wines so you can pick and choose from its selection in between shipments if you need to stock up. From a quick perusal, it looks like many of the wines are offered with a special discount.
Benefit 2
Sometimes you need your wine shipments to arrive a little earlier than usual. Wine of the Month Club offers express delivery with a surcharge to meet any such need.
Benefit 3
If you want to skip a shipment because you’re going on vacation or just have enough wine to be going on with, you have the option of delaying or skipping your next delivery. Simply contact the club by phone or email in advance.
Benefit 4
Educating members about what's in their glasses is of key importance to Wine of the Month Club. To this end, each shipment of wine comes with a comprehensive overview of the provenance of each label, tasting notes, and foodpairing ideas.
Benefit 5
The club makes excellent wine accessible with a range of affordable plans covering the main styles of red, white, rosé, sparkling, dry, and sweet. There’s also a fun mystery case option if you’re feeling adventurous and want to be surprised with a selection of top wines.
Wine of the Month Club Membership Programs
There are 12 plans to choose from, each focusing on a different style, region, or grape variety. Depending on the club, shipments arrive every month, bi-monthly, or quarterly. With most clubs, you have the option of selecting the number of bottles you’d like.
Wine of the Month Membership Length
Your wines are shipped every month, every two months, or every three months depending on the plan you choose. You can cancel at any time and skip a delivery when it suits you without any penalty.
Can I Give Wine of the Month Club Membership as A Gift?
Our Rating 5/5
I'm scoring Wine of the Month Club 5 because you can purchase gift plans, wine packs, and a host of accessories as presents.
You can give any of the 12 membership plans as a gift for a friend or family member. Additionally, there are wine gift baskets and assortments available to send loved ones. They are packaged beautifully and arrive with a card.
Wine of the Month Club Packaging
Our Rating 5/5
Wine of the Month Club Packaging is not only secure and protective but usually very pretty with special wine-related designs and educational material inside. I give it a wholehearted 5.
Your reds and whites arrive in an attractive, elegant box accompanied by a brochure that provides full details on your order. Information includes wine origin, food pairing suggestions, and tasting notes plus details on the winery and winemaking process.
Price and Shipping
Our Rating 4/5
Wine of the Month Club gets a score of 4 for shipping because, while it has arranged the best deals with its carrier, it doesn’t deliver to all states.
The cost of shipping is added to each case of wine. Rates vary according to product, weight, and destination and the club has negotiated as low rates as possible with its shipper. It can arrange express delivery for an extra fee. It’s worth noting that the club doesn’t ship to every state.
Skip A Month
With each of the membership plans, you have the option of skipping a delivery. This could be because you’re going to be away, or you have enough wine. You simply phone or email the club at designated contacts and inform them. There’s no penalty for skipping a shipment.
Customer Service and contact availability
Our Rating 5/5
I've given Wine of the Month Club a score of 5 for service because you can reach it in several handy ways and it has an extensive FAQ page.
The Wine of the Month Club has all bases covered when it comes to customer contact. Within designated hours, you can call with any queries or, if you’re in the neighborhood, drop by the tasting room and shop. There’s also an email form and a chat function on the website. There’s a special email address if you want to cancel or skip a shipment. The club website also has a convenient dedicated FAQ page for common queries so it’s worth checking there before phoning or emailing.
Cancellation terms
Our Rating 5/5
Wine of the Month Club merits a 5 for its cancelation policy. You are free to cancel at any time penalty free.
You are free to stop your Wine of the Month Club membership whenever you want without any penalty. You simply inform the club via phone, a dedicated email address, or by mail. Full details are in the FAQ section of the club website.
Disadvantages
It’s really tough to find any disadvantages to The Wine of the Month Club. It’s been running for decades so has ironed out any hitches and offers a good quality product and service to oenophiles. The only glaring disadvantage is the fact that, while it covers most of the US, for legal reasons, it doesn’t ship to all states. For one or two other states, you can ship but there are special procedures involved owing to legal restrictions which could make the process of receiving good wine more complicated than you would wish.
Differences from the competitors
There are several main ways Wine of the Month Club differs from other clubs. Firstly, unlike Firstleaf and Bright Cellars, the club doesn’t use tasting tech to fill your cases. Top wines are selected by experts who know what is perfect for the particular plan you’ve selected. Secondly, this club covers a range of niche wine areas that are widely popular such as Bordeaux, Napa, Pinot Noir, sweet wines, and organic labels giving members a great choice. Clubs like Winc, Vinebox, and Plonk home in on particular areas (California, Europe, and organic wines respectively).
Our Opinion
Wine of the Month Club is an ideal choice for both connoisseurs and those who are new to the world of vino. You select the plan/s that suit your tastes and interests and can be confident that you’re receiving the latest top-quality, hand-picked wines in each themed subscription. With most plans, you have flexibility about the bottle count which gives you control if you just want to try something new or want more of what you love! You can usually opt for a free gift as well. The club allows you to skip a delivery or cancel outright without any fees or penalties. Finally, the prices are fair for what you get and there’s a range for every pocket. It’s a big thumbs up from us!