Wine Insiders

“I was pleasantly suprised by everything that was included in this shipment!”

What is Wine Insiders?

Wine Insiders is both a wine retailer and a wine club. You can purchase individual bottles of wine through their site as well as “wine sets” and their wine club.

Individual bottles include red, white, and rose'. They come from around 15 different countries and cross 50 different varietals. They range in price from $9.99 to $27.99.  

The Wine Sets come in themed 3, 6, and 12 packs like “Best of France,” “World of Rose',” and “Flavor Packed Grilling Wines.”

Our primary focus is going to be on the Wine Insiders Club, which currently features 15 bottles for $89. 

How Do You Order Wine Insiders?

Your first step in ordering from the Wine Insiders Club is to determine whether you want an all reds, all whites, or mixed wine club.

Although I tend to prefer white wines most of the time, I do sometimes enjoy reds. For purposes of reviewing wine clubs, I always choose a mixed wine box so that I can show a wider variety of the wines. For this club, you are choosing either 12 white, 12 red, or a mix. They will add on 3 red wines to your first shipment. You can change your color choice before any further shipments if you like.

Your Order Summary will very clearly show the terms and conditions for ordering this introductory case. I appreciate this because many times when you order a subscription service, they bury the fact that you are signing up for a club and that the price will change after the introductory shipment.

The Terms & Conditions very clearly state that after your first shipment, you will receive another shipment approximately every 12 weeks until you cancel. That 12 bottles will be billed at $155 plus tax (free shipping!). That comes out to around $13 a bottle. In addition to the quarterly shipments, you will receive a bonus winter and a bonus summer shipment. You can skip shipments at any time if you have too much wine!

Part of the current introductory order is that you also receive a Connoisseur's Deluxe Chrome Lever Pull Corkscrew, valued at $50. Note that this will come in your SECOND shipment, not the first. So don't get upset if you don't see it in your first box!

Where Does Wine Insiders Ship?

Wine Insiders has one of the broadest shipping policies of the clubs that we have reviewed. Because state shipping laws are complicated and vary greatly, we always rely on the clubs to tell us where they ship. Wine Insiders currently ships to all states except: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah. Be advised that this can change!

When I was placing my order, I was given the option to have my wine sent to a local pickup point because alcohol must be signed for at the time of delivery. 

In my case, I was having it delivered to my company's UPS location anyway. But if I had not had that, I would have chosen this option of having it delivered at my local Walgreens so that I could get it at my convenience instead of having to wait at my house to sign for it.

When I placed my order, they said that it would ship in 1-2 days. Imagine my surprise when it arrived only 2 days later!

What's in the Box?

Wine Insiders ships in Molded Fiber, which is known for being environmentally friendly and sustainable. It's made from recycled newpapers rather than Styrofoam.

I was pleasantly suprised by everything that was included in this shipment! Often when you order boxes of wine at this price point, you are just sent a basic box of wine. This box actually came with two nice additions:

Inside Wine Magazine

The Inside Wine magazine featured their “Winter” news, including membership information, exploring a couple of wine regions, a piece on “How to Order Wine at a Restaurant,” and even a recipe from Chef Ludo Lefebvre for “Ratatouille and Poached Egg.” It was a nice addition for wine lovers of any level and definitely reinforced that this is a club that wants to help you learn about wine.

Printed Tasting Notes

While many clubs have moved away from printed tasting notes, Wine Insiders includes details about every wine in your shipment. In addition to the name, origin, and picture of the bottle, you will also get food pairing ideas, serving temperature suggestions, the exact grapes used, and a 2 paragraph description of the wine.

For me, the wine pairings are always one of the most interesting things that a club will provide because it helps me undertand the wine a bit better if it is completely new to me.

Can You Send the Wine Insiders Club as a Gift?

Good news! In addition to Wine Insiders offering Gift Cards, you CAN send this club as a gift. As part of the order process, you can check a box to make it a gift and include an optional gift message to let the recipient know it is coming. This is great for when you or ordering something last minute and want them to know it will be there in the next week.

Would I Recommend Wine Insiders?

Compared to all of the other clubs I have reviewed at this price point, Wine Insiders is not only one of the most interesting clubs but also one of the only ones that could be used as a gift. Although I am only in my first shipment, I am excited to spend more time with the wines plus see if the next shipment is as impressive!