Macy’s Wine Cellar
Not recommended at this time.
Original price was: $149.00.$40.00Current price is: $40.00.
Does Macy's have a wine club? Yes! It's actually called “Macy's Wine Cellar,” and I was recently sent a box to review. By a “box” I mean a case of 15 bottles of wine, what used to be their introductory order. Let's jump into a little background about the club, what I received, and how you can order it yourself.
About Macy's Wine Cellar
Macy's Wine Cellar is operated by Direct Wines, and I have reviewed quite a few of their offerings in the past. So if you are ordering this wine club, do not expect to order it or pick it up from a Macy's store. It's a special collaboration you won't find in their stores.
You can order directly from the Macy's Wine Cellar site, but you will want to be sure that you are getting one of their special Introductory order specials. In my case, I not only got the deal that was 12 bottles for $89.99, but they added 3 bonus bottles of red wine. These deals will change periodically. Their current best deal is a total of 9 bottles of wine for $39.99 plus $9.99 shipping. That makes each bottle about $5.50.
What's in the Box
As I mentioned above, I received 15 bottles of wine, mixed between red and white (which is what I specified). You can choose “The Perfect Mix” of both red and white, the “Sumptuous Reds” of all reds, or the “Wonderful Whites” of all white wine. I always opt for a mixed box because it's the biggest variety plus wonderful for entertaining when you have a diverse group of drinkers.
My box included:
- Illustrious Merlot 2013 (Napa Valley)
- A Tavola! Pinot Grigio 2016 (California)
- Fattoria Lornano ‘Le Macchie' 2013 (Chiani Classico DOCG, Italy)
- Dark Corner Durif Shiraz 2016 (South Eastern Australia)
- Le Champ des Etoiles Chardonnay 2016 (Vin de France)
- Raymond ‘The Inaugural' Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (California)
- J Opi Malbec 2017 (Mendoza, Argentina)
- Alessandro Gallici Extra Dry NV (Prosecco DOC, Italy)
- Pillastro Primitivo 2015 (Puglia IGT, Italy)
- Saracosa Governo
In addition to the wine, there are tasting notes for every single bottle, and the tasting notes are extensive! They include things such as:
- Information about the wine itself
- Details about the grape varietal
- Trivia about the wine region
- Specific food pairing suggestions
- Winemaker's notes
- Serving suggestions (including temperature)
- “Best through” dates
There's also a place for you to include your own notes about the wine and information about how to visit the Macy's Wine Cellar website to rate and review the wine, record your favorites, and update your wine preferences. Every single tasting note also has information about how to contact the company with questions.
The Membership
When you sign up for the first shipment, you create an account that you can log into at any time to change your preferences. Shipments after the first one will be $149.99 plus $19.99 shipping and tax. You can skip or delay deliveries.
They also offer two “extra” cases a year for summer and the holidays. Be sure to watch your account closely if you do not want those extra cases. It's easier to pay attention to your shipments in advance than try to cancel them after they have shipped.
The one biggest complaint we hear about Direct Wines clubs is generally from people who are not watching their accounts and have cases shipped before they are ready for them. I usually set a calendar notice for myself for all of my wine shipments so I can decide in plenty of time if I want to skip one.
Shipping
Macy's Wine Cellar can ship to almost every state with the exception of a few states that have very complicated shipping laws. In Indiana, my shipment was delivered by a local company (Cap ‘m Cork) that they contract with. I loved that they called me a day in advance to give me a 2 hour delivery window! Remember that you have to have an adult sign for wine deliveries, so plan accordingly.
Summary
Like the other similar clubs operated by the same company, the Macy's Wine Cellar wine club is a great introduction to wine clubs because you get a lot of different wines along with full information about each one. For the introductory box, you are only paying $6 a bottle for wines that are probably in the $10-14 range. It is a LOT of wine at once, but it is also only shipped quarterly so that breaks down to about 1 bottle a week.
