Drizly Review 2024: Is It the Fastest Wine Delivery?

Overview

Drizly offers a wide range of alcoholic beverages, making it a go-to online destination for fans of wine, beer, and other liquors. Founded in 2012, the company serves customers in the USA and Canada. Besides drinks, the service provides valuable guides and other resources. And it accommodates various budgets, offering everything from affordable to premium wines.

As a wine lover, I primarily researched Drizly's wine selection. And I've found a broad assortment that caters to diverse tastes. Also, this online ordering and delivery platform stands out for its extensive reach, delivering to most US states. What's more, Drizly's corporate concierge team and gift options make it appealing for both personal and professional needs.

To sum up, I consider this service a worthy competitor. But I suggest you read my Drizly review to learn more about it and see if it works for you and if there’s some better out there. Below, you'll find my observations and the full breakdown of pricing, delivery range, pros, cons, and more.

What’s on the Drizly Wine List

Drizly's wine collection is extensive, boasting thousands of options per type. While reviewing its offerings, I found a selection of over 2,000 red wines, more than 1,000 whites, and hundreds of sparkling and rosé varieties. The diversity extends beyond wines. At the time of my research for spirits like whiskey and gin, Drizly offered between 100 and 200 options for each.

You can browse Drizly's selection by grape varietal for reds and whites, as you can see in the above image. Prominently displayed varieties among reds are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Malbec. For white wines, celebrated options include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling. You can navigate through different grape categories using side filters.

But the varietal filter isn't available for rosé and sparkling wines. I don't know if it's because of their more limited assortment. Either way, you'll have to check them out individually if you're a fan of those drinks. Naked Wines has an extensive filtering system that lets you mix and match preferences any way you want. And it has an Alcohol (by volume) filter, unlike Drizly.

What I really like about Drizly's filtering system is that it caters to dieters with different palates. For example, you can filter options by the Features and Food Pairings options. Features let you browse among Vegan, Sustainable, Kosher, and some other options, depending on the wine type. Some Food Pairings alternatives are Shellfish, Mushrooms, Chicken, and Cheeses.

More filters are available. Some I also like are Style, Sweet-Dry Scale, and Special Offers. Some Style options are Fruity & Crisp and Light & Dry, to give you an idea. Sweet-Dry Scale alternatives are Dry, Semi-Sweet / Off-Dry, and Sweet.

You can also buy other types of wine from Drizly. The company categorizes them as Pink, Dessert & Fortified, and Trending, to name a few.

Besides the vast wine selection, you’ll find a variety of other beverages and extras on this shopping platform. These fall into the Beer, Liquor, and Extras categories.

Some Beer sub-categories are IPA, Lager, and Belgian-Style Ale. A glance at Liquor offerings reveals options like Whiskey, Rum, Tequila, and Brandy. Extras that drew my attention were Ginger Beer, Bitters, and Food & Snacks. I recommend checking out Factor, a prepared meal delivery service, to pair wines with tasty meals and snacks.

Drizly has a Corporate Concierge Team dedicated to assisting businesses with their alcohol delivery needs. This not only saves time and money but also provides expert recommendations for corporate gifts. The team carefully considers the budget, variety of drinks, and delivery quantities to tailor suggestions to specific business requirements.

Unboxing

Drizly operates differently from typical delivery services because it doesn't deliver itself. Instead, it works with a network of local stores. Your order is fulfilled by 1 of the nearby stores you select that has the item you requested, ensuring speedy delivery. So, the packaging of your order depends on the local retailer that fulfills your purchase.

In my view, the packaging is rather nondescript and at a lower level compared to the best wine delivery services. Again, remember that this depends on the store. But here's what you can expect:

You may get your order in a paper bag. If you buy a brandy, for example, it should arrive in its original box. But if you buy a couple of ginger beers, you may get them unsecured in the paper bag.

In line with these points, it depends on the provider whether the package is eco-friendly or recyclable. If you're after wine delivery shipping items in recyclable packages, check out Wine Insiders.

Shortlist of My Favorite Wines

Exploring Drizly's website, I found many outstanding wines. The sheer number of them made it seem like the options were almost limitless, posing a challenge in selecting the top 3. Yet, after careful consideration, I narrowed down my favorites to 1 each of white, red, and rosé wine.

If you’re new to wine and unsure where to start, check out our 10 Best Wine Clubs for Beginners guide. You’ll find information on top wine regions, the most popular grape varietals, and more.

Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio DOC

Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio DOC hails from Italy, 1 of the top 3 global wine regions. It’s a great wine for omnivores, vegetarians, and pescatarians, as it pairs well with salads, greens, poultry, and shellfish. The wine features 12.5% ABV (Alcohol by Volume) content and has fruity-tasting notes reminiscent of citrus and apple.

This dry white wine is available in 0.75-liter and 3-liter bottles. Light body is 1 of its main characteristics, and it comes from the Trentino-Alto Adige region. 

Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon comes from California, 1 of the top US wine regions. It's great for chocolate lovers and meat eaters, as it pairs well with beef, lamb, and pork, especially if the meat is well seasoned. Its alcohol by volume is 13.5%, and the drink has fruity notes of berry, vanilla, cherry, and dark fruit. You should also recognize cinnamon and oak aromas.

This full-bodied dry wine is available in a few packages. You can choose a single 750 ml bottle or bundles of 3, 6, or 12 bottles. At the time of my Drizly review, the wine had a 4.7-star rating from nearly 300 reviewers.

Château Sainte Marguerite Fantastique Rosé

After sampling various options, I believe that French rosés stand out in the drinking experience. Particularly, the Château Sainte Marguerite Fantastique Rosé from Provence is exceptional and worth its price. This organic wine, ideal for vegans, appeals to a wide range of palates. It's a blend of Grenache, Vermentino, and Cinsault grapes with an alcohol content of 13%.

This rosé is available in a 750 ml bottle. And given its design and taste, I think it would make an excellent gift for someone you care about or want to impress. The wine didn’t have ratings at the time of my review. But I’m positive that French rosés are a safe bet.

Prices

Drizly's pricing caters to everyone, from budget-conscious connoisseurs to wine enthusiasts with more lavish spending habits. Note that prices may vary based on the retailer fulfilling your order.

Compare listed sellers to find the 1 offering the lowest price. Speaking of these, they fell into the following ranges at the time of my Drizly review:

Be aware that prices on Drizly may vary depending on the assortment available. Also, when I looked at Pink Wines, I noticed that the highest price listed differed from the 1 you can see in the table. But this discrepancy was because the higher price was for a pack of 12 bottles, not a single bottle.

The shipping fee differs from 1 retailer to another. For example, when I looked at Franciscan Estate California Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine, the stores carrying this wine charged shipping fees of $2.99 and $4.99. Most markets charge $5, but there are some charging higher amounts. If you live in New York, most shops waive delivery expenses.

Shipping and Delivery

It seems that Drizly coordinates with suppliers close to the customer’s address, contributing to generally quick delivery times. In most cases, the expected delivery time was a few hours from when I viewed the wines. Occasionally, these times were even less than an hour, a fact corroborated by other reviews.

There's a limited time frame for you to reschedule or cancel your Drizly order. Changes are possible only within 10 minutes of placing the order, provided the courier hasn't left the store yet. If the wine is already en route, you may still cancel the order. But you'll likely have to pay a restocking fee and other associated costs, like gas and labor charges.

Drizly collaborates with retailers across many cities in most US states. But it doesn't operate in Utah, South Carolina, and Wisconsin, among a few other states. The service is also available in Hawaii, but not Alaska. For Canadian customers, Drizly offers delivery in a few cities within Alberta.

You can download the Drizly app to make the ordering process smoother. Also, you can link your Uber One account to your Drizly account via the app.

How Drizly Works

Drizly cooperates with local stores in many cities throughout the US to provide quick delivery to its customers. But at the time of my review, its website experienced some difficulties since I wasn't able to create an account and, consequentially, shop. I assume it was a one-time issue, but a big one since it left me without any options. Read on to learn more. 

How to Sign Up

1. Click on Create account in the top-right corner of the screen, next to Cart.

2. Then, you should type your email address to proceed with the account opening. 

I have to say that the issue persisted. Whenever I tried to open an account, the Something went wrong... message reappeared. I tried with another email address, even from a different computer, but the result was the same.

After repeated failures to subscribe to Drizly, I considered some other wine delivery services. Bright Cellars has a great wine customization quiz and was among my shortlisted options. 

Customer Support

Drizly provides an online form for contacting customer support. Unlike many competitors, there’s no live chat option or phone number, which I found unusual. Even more disappointing was the discovery that this sole communication channel wasn’t functional during my experience.

To send a message via Drizly's contact form, you must fill in all 3 fields visible in the image. But my attempt to contact them was unsuccessful. The Reason field, crucial for specifying the purpose of the inquiry, had an empty drop-down menu and didn’t allow for any input. This problem made it impossible for me to initiate contact.

I attempted to try and complete my purchase as a guest to see how shopping works. But the string of failures continued.

After choosing 1 of my favorite wines, I tried to add it to the shopping cart. But then a box appeared asking me to enter my address, which made sense given that the company works with local retailers. When I typed the address and pressed Enter, nothing happened. The only remaining option was to hit X to clear the text and close the pop-up. 

I did eventually get it to accept my address, but when I attempted to check out, I was prompted to create an account and faced the same problems as I had experienced earlier. 

Again, I believe the Drizly website experienced temporary issues that blocked virtually all transactional or contact actions. Still, the company failed to fix the problem quickly, which was disappointing to me.

Drizly's FAQ section is moderately extensive, neither too extensive nor too short. But the service has an excellent Discover section. You can find many useful guides and content about wines, beers, tequilas, and other beverages for experts and connoisseurs there.

How Drizly Compares to Other Wine Delivery Services

Drizly vs. Firstleaf: Drizly has a wider assortment and makes it possible for you to get your drink quickly. But Firstleaf sources award-winners, which make a lion's share of its menu. Besides, you can take a wine-personalization quiz with Firstleaf to get wines that match your palate. And you can buy wine bundles in addition to individual bottles.

Drizly vs. Naked Wines: Both Drizly and Naked Wines have options for wine lovers with different budgets. But Naked Wines helps you find the perfect wines through a rating system. What's more, when you buy from Naked Wines, you're supporting independent winemakers. You can also buy red and white cases from Naked Wines.

Drizly vs. Vinesse: Besides wines, Drizly has beer, booze, and other extras on offer. But Vinesse brings you wines from acclaimed vineyards at reasonable prices. What's more, if a wine doesn't sit well with you, the company will replace it. And you'll get special offers for your favorites when you reorder.

The Bottom Line: Is Drizly Worth It?

Drizly stands out for its vast assortment and excellent coverage. If you're in 1 of over 40 US states, you can get your drink in an hour or 2, sometimes even in less time. The platform also offers various extras and has a comprehensive knowledge center. This feature is especially useful for learning various facts and insights about different drinks.

If you’re new to wine, Drizly might not be the ideal choice. The online store lacks features like a bottle customization quiz or personalized recommendations based on your reviews. During my Drizly review, I had trouble with account creation, contacting customer service, and even purchasing products. But I expect that once these problems are solved, the user experience will improve significantly.

FAQ

Is it safe to use Drizly?

Yes, it’s safe to use Drizly. The platform has been operating legally since 2012, partnering with local retailers to deliver alcoholic beverages. It adheres to legal standards for alcohol sales and delivery to most US states.

Is Drizly inventory accurate?

Drizly works with its partners to maintain an up-to-date and live inventory. But there are times when a store may run out of a product, not have the required quantity in stock, or have issues with its inventory integration.

How does Drizly make money?

You use the Drizly platform to explore and order alcoholic beverages from local liquor stores. Once you purchase, Drizly gets a commission from the liquor stores. Also, the retailer charges you a delivery fee, which adds to Drizly's revenue.