10 Best Birthday Wine Delivery Services 2023: Great Gifts

Buying birthday gifts can be hard, but a wine delivery service subscription makes it easy. With so many options available, it can be difficult to find the right one. The best birthday wine delivery services offer a gift of fine wines delivered to the recipient’s doorstep.

Wine delivery services provide your wine-loving friends a platform for discovery, giving them the opportunity to sample wines from around the globe. Many of these wines are not readily available in local stores and can only be purchased from the services we have listed. 

Firstleaf stands out as my top choice. Firstleaf’s vast selection of award-winning wines from diverse regions ensures an exciting journey into the world of wines, delivered conveniently to the recipient's doorstep. But every service I’ve listed has something to offer wine-lovers and the people who want to buy them a birthday present.

Read on to find out how you can make your friend’s birthday extra special.

The Best Birthday Wine Delivery Services Reviewed

1. Firstleaf – Best Birthday Wine Delivery Service in 2023

Firstleaf’s wine delivery service is the perfect birthday present for wine lovers. Its personalized approach, array of customizable options, and exceptional customer service ensure your recipient will be enjoying good wine at a great price for many more birthdays to come.

Upon signup, Firstleaf provides a comprehensive quiz to determine flavor preferences. Firstleaf's algorithm then curates a selection of 6 wines tailored to the birthday person’s tastes. You don’t have to guess what to order. Your recipient answers some questions and gets a bespoke box of wine based on their flavor preferences.

You can tailor your Firstleaf subscription to suit the recipient’s preferences by shipment size, wine color, and price. Firstleaf offers reds, whites, or a mix of both. You can select from domestic, imported, or a mix of wines to allow for exploration and variety. You can also choose to subscribe every 4, 6, 8, or 12 weeks, with 6 or 12 bottles in each box, depending on how often they enjoy a glass of wine.

Our expert reviewer declared Firstleaf a great choice for those who want to learn more about wine. Alongside renowned regional wines from Bordeaux and Piedmont, you’ll find offerings from lesser-known European and American wines. It has an especially good selection of grape varietals, including uncommon ones like Grenache and Grüner Veltliner.

After you try each bottle, Firstleaf encourages you to offer feedback. The thumbs-up or thumbs-down rating may seem overly simplified, but it helps Firstleaf hone its algorithm to offer better suggestions. You can also provide comments and tasting notes for the Wine Concierge team. Firstleaf claims that after you rate just 3 wines its algorithm has a 98% accuracy rate.

If you don’t want to give a subscription, Firstleaf also lets you make 1-time orders. This flexibility makes Firstleaf a great gift choice for somebody who might enjoy a bottle of wine but is uncomfortable about committing to a subscription service. Firstleaf’s Wine Concierge team is readily available to handle any issues, and you can even get credit for wines that fail to meet your expectations. 

Firstleaf offers E-Gift Cards from $25 to $200. You can add a personalized message to the gift card, and your recipient can choose their wines. You can also order a Wine Bundle and have it sent as a present.

2. Naked Wines – Most Supportive of Independent Vintners

Naked Wines offers an unusual subscription model. While you can sign up for a Wine Genie subscription of curated wines every 1, 2, or 3 months, it is entirely optional. Naked Wines is a flexible service, letting you order more wine whenever you’re ready. You browse through the current Naked Wines list of available wines and add the bottles you choose to your cart. 

Our expert reviewer was very impressed with the Naked Wines ratings system. Every wine shows the percentage of previous customers who said they would buy it again. And with every purchase, you help Naked Wines determine the flavor profiles you enjoy, so it can make more accurate recommendations. 

Instead of a subscription, Naked Wines offers an Angel program that lets you invest in winemaking. Angel customers pay $40 a month, and all that money directly funds independent wineries. In exchange, every month you get a $40 credit toward future purchases at Naked Wines, as well as wine discounts, a free monthly gift bottle, and invitations to exclusive tasting events.

The majority of Naked Wines offerings come from the United States, particularly Napa Valley. But you will also find wines from vineyards in Australia, Chile, France, Spain, and other wine-producing countries. And Angels who join the Naked Wines message board can talk to winemakers and Naked Wines experts. It’s a great way to learn more about wine and the wine world. 

Because Naked Wines buys directly from the winemakers, there is less markup. And if you sign up for the Angel Program, you’ll save between 40% and 60% on most bottles. If you don’t, prices are still comparable to what you’d pay for wines of similar quality at your local wine shop. 

Naked Wines offers a selection of bundles that make great gifts for wine lovers. An 11-bottle box of Top Rated Reds, a 6-bottle Passport to France, or one of the many other Naked Wines cases are sure to put a smile on your birthday person’s face. 

3. Vinesse – Best Selection of Wines at All Price Points

Vinesse has a well-established reputation spanning over 2 decades in the wine industry, so it’s an ideal solution for a birthday gift. This trusted wine delivery service stands out for its high-quality selections, ease of gifting, and generous rewards. And every gift option includes free shipping and a $25 Vinesse gift card for both the giver and the recipient to use on future purchases.

You can choose between a one-time box of wine or a full wine club membership. Vinesse enables gift-givers to select an option that suits their budget and the recipient's preferences, a thoughtful bonus that encourages continued enjoyment of Vinesse's offerings.

Vinesse’s gifting options let you choose from many gift sizes, including 3, 4, 6, 8, or 12 bottles and 1, 3, 6, or 12 shipments. This is more convenient for your recipient than a gift card and lets them experience the benefits of a wine delivery subscription without commitment. 

You can also find a Vinesse wine club to suit almost every taste or budget. Vinesse’s Grab Bag subscription offers seasonal clearance sales with high-quality wines going for as little as $10 a bottle. On the higher end, the Élevant line brings you premium reds at $43 to $48.50 a bottle. Our expert Vinesse reviewer praised Vinesse’s extraordinary number of wine choices.

I was particularly impressed by Vinesse’s Sparkling Wine Club. If you’re fond of champagne, Vinesse offers a club that will provide you with a regular supply of bubbly wines. When he discovered champagne, blind monk Dom Perignon exclaimed “I’m drinking stars!” You’ll be a star at your parties with Vinesse’s selection of sparkling wines from around the world.

Alaskan and Hawaiian wine lovers can order Vinesse wines. Most wine delivery services only ship to legal states in the contiguous US. You’ll pay a hefty premium on top of Vinesse’s already steep shipping fees. But if you love wine and are dissatisfied with the selections in Anchorage or Honolulu, Vinesse is there for you. 

4. Bright Cellars – Best Selection of Gift Wine Bundles

Bright Cellars leverages AI to provide personalized wine selections to its members. Your membership starts with a detailed quiz about your taste preferences in wine, food, and other beverages like tea or coffee. It even asks questions about how you like to pair your wines. Bright Cellars uses this information to provide you with wines that align with your individual tastes.

A certified sommelier and her team are in charge of Bright Cellars’ wine selection. They use the data from quizzes to determine customer preferences in body, acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and astringency. Then they put their wine expertise to work selecting wines for Bright Cellars’ wine bundles. It’s a great combination of personal knowledge and computer wizardry. 

Each bottle Bright Cellars delivers comes with detailed information about the ideal serving temperature and predominant notes. This approach is very helpful for members who are less familiar with wines and is a great way to improve your knowledge. Our expert reviewer spoke highly of Bright Cellars’ selection of wine bundles for all occasions.

Many Bright Cellars wines come from its own winery. Others are sourced from vendors, some of whom also supply other wine clubs. These vendors focus on smaller vineries, most of whom do not distribute in retail markets. And because Bright Cellars is a winery, it can ship to states that allow sales from wineries but not from wine distributors. (New Jersey, where I reside, is one of those states). 

You don’t have to be a Bright Cellars subscriber to order one of its wine bundles. Bright Cellars offers a selection of gifts that will suit almost every wine lover. Cabernet Sauvignon fans will love its Cab Collection, while calorie-counters will enjoy its Low Alcohol + Low Sugar wine box. And if you’re not sure, Bright Cellars also offers gift cards ranging from $75 to $1,000. 

5. Wine Insiders – Great Variety with Competitive Prices

Wine Insiders is a great choice if you’re looking for an affordable birthday wine gift. You’ll find an impressive collection of bottles, from European classics or exciting finds from emerging wine regions. And despite its extensive selection, Wine Insiders bottles are very reasonably priced, so you can give your friend a bottle of high-quality wine without spending a lot of money. 

Professional wine curators with over 50 years of experience taste thousands of wines each year. Only 3% of them make the Wine Insiders cut. If you’re a wine novice, you can trust their judgment to ensure your friend gets a birthday gift they’ll love. Our expert reviewer was impressed by the quality of Wine Insiders’ wines, most of which come in at under $20 per bottle. 

Wine Insiders also provides a straightforward online retail and wine club experience. You can view all the wines before signing up and can opt for shipments of 12 fresh bottles every 12 weeks. Whether you choose white, red, or mixed boxes, Wine Insiders caters to different preferences and offers flexibility in the subscription options.

If you’re buying a gift for a vegan friend, Wine Insiders even offers a selection of vegan wines. Many wines use egg whites or fish-derived casein to remove particulates before bottling. The wines on Wine Insiders' vegan list use no animal products whatsoever, so even the most dedicated herbivore can drink without guilt. 

Wine Insiders offers different sets to accommodate various birthday budgets and needs. With categories like sets under $100, sets under $50, 12-bottle sets, 6-bottle sets, and even Magnum sets with 1.5L bottles, there's a range of options to choose from. 

6. The California Wine Club – Great for California Wine Lovers

The California Wine Club offers membership options and wine varieties for all preferences. From casual wine drinkers to connoisseurs, all wine lovers will love its hand-selected, artisanal wines sourced from small, family-owned wineries. It's like taking a monthly personal tour of award-winning wineries along the West Coast without leaving the comfort of home.

You can choose between five different California Wine Club plans. The Premier Series features small family California wineries. The Signature Series sends you premium wines from award-winning small batch vineyards. And if you’re a Cabernet fan, you can enjoy top-shelf 7- to 12-year-old Napa Cabernets by joining the Aged Cabernet Series. 

But you’re not just limited to California wines. The California Wine Club offers an International Series that introduces you to premium wines from around the world. There’s even a Pacific Northwest Series that showcases wines from the exceptional vineyards of Oregon and Washington. And if you want to stock your wine cellar, California Wine Club also offers a Case Club Series. 

Our expert reviewer enjoyed the Uncorked magazine that comes with each box. Uncorked provides information about featured wineries, along with tasting notes and suggested food pairings. It’s a nice personal touch that helps you learn more about the winemakers and match your wines with your meals. 

You also get a “Love It” guarantee with every order from The California Wine Club. If you don't love a wine bottle you receive in your club shipment, you get a wine replacement or a full refund of your money. And if you absolutely loved this month’s selection, you get up to 50% off winery prices for reorders and pay just $1 shipping if you order a half case or case of your favorite. 

The California Wine Club’s website has a Wine Gift section. You can order gift subscriptions, send wine to your friend, or purchase a gift card. If your friend likes California wines, your birthday gift is sure to please.

7. Wine Awesomeness – New Wine Surprises Every Month

Wine Awesomeness is a birthday gift that surprises the recipient every month. You never know exactly what you’ll get in your box, but you know the wines will be excellent. If you (or your friend) like trying new wines, a Wine Awesomeness subscription is guaranteed to provide you with a diverse spectrum of wines and flavors.

Wine Awesomeness creates a thematic journey each month. Previous themes include French Harvest (French wines) and For the Love of Pizza (wines that pair well with pizza). Every box expands your wine knowledge and introduces you to new global wine regions and varieties. 

Wine Awesomeness sommeliers and winemakers pool their expertise to create monthly themes. Based upon that theme, they choose 6 wines. (This is generally 3 reds and 3 whites, though you will sometimes see a box based on a single type of wine). Whatever they choose, you can be sure you are getting excellent examples of the wine or varietal. 

The Back Label, the Wine Awesomeness blog, is more than just a guide to the wines of the month. It also includes recipes, pairing suggestions, and interviews with chefs, sommeliers, and other interesting people. Our reviewer loved The Back Label and felt it added a lot to the Wine Awesomeness experience.

Wine Awesomeness may not be a good fit for people who have strong wine preferences. If you only drink reds, or if you wouldn’t dream of trying a rosé, you’re likely to be disappointed. But if you enjoy surprises and like trying new things, Wine Awesomeness will introduce you to wines and varietals you might never have discovered on your own. 

You can gift a recipient with a curated Wine Awesomeness box, a gift certificate, or a subscription. Wine Awesomeness gift cards come in denominations from $20 to $1,000. 

8. Macy's Wine Shop – Discount Wines from the Famous Store

Macy's Wine Shop has offered bottles from the world's premier wine regions since 1982. Its selection spans over 40 regions worldwide, including California, Washington, France, Italy, Argentina, and Australia. Long-standing relationships with large-production wineries give Macy’s Wine Shop access to better quality grapes and wines than many of its competitors.

An expert tasting panel of sommeliers curates the extensive selection available to Macy’s Wine Shop members. They ensure that only the best bottles grace the shelves of the shop and the tables of their clientele. But this expertise comes at a reasonable cost, with prices ranging from $10 to $30 per bottle with most wines falling within the $15-20 bracket.

Our reviewer noted that Macy’s Wine Shop offers a good variety of wines. Whether you're an adventurous aficionado looking to explore new flavors, a casual enthusiast desiring to savor a good $15 bottle, a novice seeking a safe and affordable entry into the world of wine, or someone who has been disappointed by other subscriptions, Macy's Wine Shop has something for you. 

One standout feature of Macy's Wine Shop is its flexible gift membership. While many wine subscription gifts require an upfront payment for a fixed number of shipments, Macy's lets you pay as you go and cancel at your convenience. The recipient of the gift gets delivery updates, while the billing notifications are sent to the giver.

When you sign up for the gift service, an email containing a gift message is sent immediately. It's advisable to enroll when you're ready for the recipient to be notified. A physical message is also included in the first box of wine for a personalized touch. Once an order is placed, shipments are processed within 3-5 days, ensuring prompt delivery.

9. Monthly Clubs – Monthly Shipments of Wine and More

Wine of the Month Club is the original wine delivery service, with a heritage spanning over 4 decades. It not only introduced the world to the concept of a monthly wine club but has continued to garner loyal subscribers by keeping its prices affordable.

The Premier Series Wine Club is its most popular choice. Each month, you get 2 exquisite estate-bottled, limited-production wines, each from a different boutique winery in the world’s most prestigious wine regions. Subscribers can opt for either 2 reds, 2 whites, or a mix of both. Additionally, each delivery includes insightful winemaker profiles and detailed tasting notes to enhance the experience.

Wine of the Month Club’s Bold Reds Wine Club sends you robust, barrel-aged red wines. You get 2 different reds that are rich in fruit flavors and ripe tannins, with an excellent structure. The wines range from full-bodied California Cabernets to critically acclaimed Carmenères, Malbec blends, and more.

The Collectors Series Wine Club provides rare, aged wines, primed for further cellaring. These wines are sourced from the oldest vines, aged for longer in the barrel, and made from only the finest vintage grapes. The result is a fuller, richer, and more complex expression of the region and grape variety, and each month, you get 2 bottles from 2 notable vineries. 

The Masters Series Wine Club sends 1 bottle from the Premier and 1 from the Collectors Series. This gives you a bottle to store in your cellar and another to enjoy over a nice dinner. It’s among the enticing options explored in our Monthly Clubs Wine review.

If you’re buying for a friend who doesn’t care for wine, there are also packages of Beer, Cheese, Chocolate, Cigars, or Flowers. And you’re not limited to just one Club. Who doesn’t love a birthday gift of wine and cheese?

10. Plonk – Great for Organic and Biodynamic Wines

Plonk stands out for its selection of quirky wines sourced by proprietor Etty Klein. The club focuses on wines under $30 sourced from around the world that will delight any curious wine drinker. If you're looking for a unique and exciting birthday gift for a wine enthusiast, a subscription to Plonk is an excellent choice. 

The wines offered by Plonk fall within various categories, such as grown organic, grown biodynamic, certified organic, certified biodynamic, grown sustainably, and lutte raisonnée. (“Reasoned struggle,” a term used by French vintners to describe limited usage of chemicals and non-organic fertilizers). Plonk’s selection of biodynamic and organic wines is unmatched by any other wine delivery service.

Subscribers can choose reds, whites, or a rotating selection of reds, whites, rosé, and bubbly. They can also select the desired bottle count, with options of 4, 6, or 12 bottles per shipment. In addition to well-known regions, Plonk actively seeks out exciting indigenous grape varieties from less-known areas. This keeps the shipments incredibly interesting and introduces recipients to new, unique flavors. 

Plonk also offers exceptional customer service. While many other clubs direct inquiries to call centers or automated email queues, the owner of Plonk Wine Club personally handles customer interactions. This hands-on, highly personal approach ensures that members receive prompt and tailored assistance. 

To gift a Plonk subscription, simply mark your order as a gift. Additionally, you can choose to send the gift announcement immediately via email or receive a printable gift announcement letter to present in person. However you send your gift, your recipient is sure to be delighted! 

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Birthday Wine Meal Delivery Services 

With all these wine delivery services available, finding the right one can be a struggle. Here are some pointers to help you narrow down your choices.

• Know what types of wine your friend enjoys: Staunch fans of white wines may not have much use for a box of great reds and vice versa. Luckily, many wine delivery services like Firstleaf offer gift cards so your friends can select the bottles they want.

• Determine your budget: You can order boxes of excellent, reasonably-priced wine from many wine delivery services. Or you can send one of the premium gift options from Vinesse, like its $100 bottle of champagne with 2 wine flutes.

• Make sure your recipient drinks wine: A surprise wine delivery service gift may make things awkward if the giftee does not drink for religious, health, or other reasons. If you don’t know, don’t be afraid to ask. Or you can send Cheese, Chocolate, or Cigars of the Month from Monthly Clubs.

• Check shipping times: Wine delivery can take a bit, especially if you’re not at the door to sign for the package the first time it comes. If you are buying a gift bundle for a birthday party, order well ahead of time to avoid worry.

FAQ

What is the best birthday wine delivery service?

Firstleaf is my choice for the best birthday wine delivery service. Its wide selection of grape varietals, stellar customer service, and reasonable prices will appeal to almost every wine lover. And Firstleaf’s rating system algorithm helps ensure that it recommends wines suited to customer tastes.

What wine delivery service has the best selection?

It’s hard to top the selection offered by Vinesse. Vinesse gives you hundreds of wines to choose from and lets you choose between 14 different clubs offering everything from inexpensive to premium wines. And if you’re looking for a gift, Vinesse also has a great selection of gift boxes.  

Are wine delivery services only for wine experts?

There are wine delivery services for wine lovers of all skill levels. If you don’t have a lot of expertise, a wine delivery service can be a great wine education, as you get to explore new vineyards and varieties every month. Bright Cellars is a particularly good choice for beginners.  

What happened to the Martha Stewart Wine Club?

The Martha Stewart Wine Club has closed its doors. But if you’re bemoaning its loss, never fear. Our favorite celebrity chef and uber-hostess is now offering a selection of Martha Stewart-curated wines at Wine Insiders.  

Best Birthday Wine Delivery Services in 2023 — Final Score