Blue Apron Wine Delivery Review 2023 Does it Really Deliver?

Overview

Blue Apron regularly scores high marks for its meal delivery service, but how does its wine subscription fare?

Blue Apron will send six bottles of wine to your doorstep every month for $69.99. That kind of convenience is hard to beat. The service offers a basic selection of consistently good wines along with booklets explaining flavor profiles and suggested food pairings.

This wine delivery service is a great choice for wine novices or existing Blue Apron subscribers who like a nice glass of wine with their meals and want to set the whole process of finding wine on autopilot.

However, if you are a serious wine aficionado with an adventurous palate, you may find Blue Apron’s service a bit limited for your tastes. Those looking for a larger selection of varietals or award-winning wines might do better with a more comprehensive wine delivery service like Firstleaf.

What I liked

• Booklets describing your wine’s flavor profile and suggested food pairings

• Wines coordinated with Blue Apron’s menu

• Excellent choice for novice wine-lovers

What I didn’t like

• 500ml bottles are only ⅔ the size of a standard wine bottle

• Difficult to get information without committing to a subscription

Blue Apron Wine Selection

Blue Apron has branched out into wine delivery, but how does it stack up against dedicated wine delivery services? For comparison purposes in this review, I’ll show you how it holds up against  Firstleaf and you can check out our dedicated Firstleaf review to find out more.

Blue Apron’s monthly wine list lets you choose from around 24 different wines. You can let Blue Apron pick a box of reds, whites, rosés, or a mixture for you, or you can make your own selections.

Every bottle of wine comes with a booklet that describes its flavor profile and the growing region as well as a list of suggested food pairings. By matching the symbols on your Blue Apron recipe cards with the symbols in your wine booklet, you can easily coordinate your Blue Apron meal choices with your wine.

Where Blue Apron lets you choose between 24 wines, Firstleaf provides over 175! And where Blue Apron lets you browse by red, white, and rosé, Firstleaf lets you select by country or by varietals like Syrah, Cabernet, Pinot, or more obscure grapes. Firstleaf also offers a “Wine School” and plenty of in-depth articles on wine.

Those who don’t know their Shiraz from their Shinola may find Firstleaf’s range overwhelming and prefer Blue Apron’s more limited wine list.

Top Blue Apron Wines

Here are my top recommendations from Blue Apron’s wine menu.

While France’s Bordeaux region is most famous for its red wines, the whites produced at Château Grand Jean win high marks from wine lovers and critics alike. This white Bordeaux is a great summer wine that goes perfectly with salmon, scallops, and oysters.

Rosé wines are often dismissed as sweet, light, inoffensive wines with little complexity. Charles Bieler’s high-altitude winery in Washington’s Columbia Valley produces rosés with more depth, tartness, and character than your typical rosé. His Truth or Consequences wine pairs well with salty foods, hard cheeses, and spicy meals.

If you like bold, in-your-face red wines that blast your tastebuds with tannins and tickle your nostrils with fruit, you’ll love Omen Red. This California blend of Petite Syrah, Syrah, and Merlot grapes is the perfect accompaniment to a steak dinner.

Sending A Blue Apron Wine Box As a Gift

While Blue Apron’s wine delivery service doesn’t deliver boxes as gifts, it does offer digital gift cards for wine subscriptions. When the recipient redeems their card (available in $65, $130, or $260 denominations), they can then apply that payment toward their first wine boxes.

Redemption is easy: click on the link in the e-gift card, enter your shipping information and proof of age, then schedule the delivery.

Blue Apron Membership

At present Blue Apron only offers one plan, which gives you six 500ml bottles of wine every month. You can also order an extra wine box with each monthly order or you can order wines through the Blue Apron Market with your meal delivery membership.

If you already have a meal kit subscription with Blue Apron, you simply log into your account and go to the Wine page, click on Order Now, then Place Order.

No Blue Apron subscription? No problem! Simply:

1. Head to Blue Apron’s Wine page and click Order Now.

2. Enter your email address and state

3. Create a password

4. Click Continue.

Blue Apron will lead you through the rest of the signup process.

Firstleaf’s signup process is slightly more complex, and it starts with a quiz that creates a suggested introductory box for you.

I suppose this makes sense when you consider how much larger its menu is compared to Blue Apron’s. 

Blue Apron Prices

Blue Apron charges $69.99 per monthly six-bottle shipment with shipping included, so its wine comes in at around $11 a bottle. And remember, its 500ml bottles are ⅓ smaller than the 750ml bottles more commonly used for wine.

Blue Apron says its 500ml bottles are perfect for a meal for two. But it really depends on what kind of wine drinker you are. You may find that they’re a perfect size and less wasteful than a 750ml bottle, but if you normally drink a full-size bottle of wine with a meal, then you may find they empty too fast!

In comparison, Firstleaf’s 750ml bottles start at $13.99 for its Firstleaf Exclusive brands. It also charges $9.95 for shipping on a six-bottle order but offers free shipping if you order 12 bottles.

Delivery

Because wine services must get a signature upon delivery, somebody over 21 has to be home to sign for your order. Blue Apron will also ship to business addresses, so you can get your boxes delivered to your workplace if no one is at home during the day.

You can follow your wine order on the Blue Apron website or by clicking the tracking link in the email they send. You'll see when it might arrive, but not the exact time. Since Blue Apron uses UPS for delivery, you can also use your UPSChoice account to hold the package at a UPS store until you're able to pick it up.

The bottles are insulated with molded cardboard in a heavy cardboard box. All packaging is curbside recyclable, so you can enjoy your wine without worrying about your carbon footprint.

Blue Apron Delivery Locations

While Blue Apron delivers to 31 of the 48 continental United States and Washington, D.C.,  Firstleaf sends wine to every state except for Mississippi, Rhode Island, and Utah. If you live in a state that isn’t on Blue Apron’s list (and isn’t Mississippi, Rhode Island, or Utah), Firstleaf is a good alternative.

Customer Service

Blue Apron offers customer support via phone, email, or its customer support form.

If you want to cancel your Blue Apron wine subscription, you must email cancellations@blueapronwine.com and wait for further instructions. This is an inconvenience, but it’s way easier than Firstleaf (which makes you call its concierge team to cancel your membership).

However, if you dislike one or more of the wines that came in your monthly Blue Apron box, you’re out of luck. Blue Apron will take your feedback, but it doesn’t offer refunds or returns on wine. Firstleaf, by contrast, will give you a full refund where legal on any bottle that doesn’t meet your standards.

Blue Apron Wine Delivery vs. Firstleaf

The Bottom Line: Is Blue Apron Wine Delivery Worth It?

If you’re already a Blue Apron subscriber, its wine delivery service is definitely an added benefit. If you’re a wine-lover also looking for a meal delivery service, Blue Apron lets you kill two birds with one stone. It’s ideal for casual drinkers who enjoy a glass with meals and who are interested in learning more about wine.

Serious wine lovers may find Blue Apron’s wine selection and plans limited. If you’re an oenophile (and you recognize that word without Googling it!), you’ll probably feel more comfortable with a specialized service like Firstleaf.

FAQ

How does Blue Apron's wine program work?

Every month you choose six wines from a selection of 24 reds, whites, and roses. Those bottles arrive at your door a few days later, along with a booklet containing tasting notes and pairing pointers for each wine. You can also add a second six-bottle box, or choose from three-packs, half cases, and full cases of Blue Apron’s more popular wines.

How do I sign up for Blue Apron Wine?

Signing up for Blue Apron’s Wine Delivery is easy if you already have a Blue Apron subscription. If you don’t, simply follow the instructions listed above.

Can I purchase some of these wines again?

While Blue Apron’s wine selections change monthly, it offers pre-selected three-bottle and six-bottle wine bundles of reds, whites, or a mixed selection. It also offers three-packs, half-cases, and full cases of some of its more popular selections so you can stock up on the wines you love.

For an even greater selection of wines, check out Firstleaf’s wine club.

Where does Blue Apron ship wine?

As noted in our list of Blue Apron Delivery Locations, Blue Apron delivers to 31 US states and the District of Columbia.