Wine.com is 1 of the largest online wine retailers in the U.S. Its enormous selection of bottles is tough to beat – there are literally thousands to choose from. But with so many wine delivery services to choose from, is Wine.com a good choice for you?
I did a deep dig into Wine.com’s offerings. I weighed its prices, studied its selection, and looked closely at its customer service. After all that research, I can say without hesitation that Wine.com is a great choice for those who are looking for top-quality wines at every price level.
With Wine.com, you can find wines at $15 a bottle and wines for well over $1,000. Its filters let you focus on specific varietals like Malbec and Sauvignon Blanc as well as regional wines. Whether you’re an experienced wine aficionado or a novice oenophile, you’ll find a lot to like at Wine.com. Read on to learn more!
Pros | Cons |
Enormous selection | Little information arrives with your wine |
Free shipping with Stewardship program | Limited choices with Picked By Wine.com |
Excellent recommendations | Steep shipping prices |
Wine.com offers an extensive selection, boasting over 17,000 different bottles. Options include familiar and well-known brands as well as rarer and more expensive wines. Conservative wine drinkers and adventurous connoisseurs will have no problem finding bottles they love at different price points.
Besides wines, Wine.com also provides a range of extras. Customers can find an assortment of stemware, glassware, and gifts at every price range. Whether you’re looking for a nice selection of table wines or a bottle of Dom Perignon for very special occasions, Wine.com has you covered.
If you want a curated collection of wines delivered to your doorstep, you can sign up for Picked by Wine.com. You receive a delivery every 1 to 3 months of 6 wines chosen by your personal sommelier. This subscription is optional, and you can always buy wines a la carte instead of or in addition to your Picked by Wine.com bottles.
Wine.com uses recyclable bottle padding and cardboard boxes. The packaging is otherwise unremarkable, but it does the job of protecting your bottles.
Your box also includes several coupons and discount codes for future orders, which is always a nice touch. You don’t get a sheet with selected pairings or tasting notes on a la carte orders, but your Picked by Wine.com subscription box includes notes from your personal sommelier.
With so many wines to choose from, it’s hard to come up with 3 favorites. Consider this instead to be my list of 3 of the many great bottles you can find at Wine.com.
This oak-aged 2016 Malbec has an intense fruity aroma of black currant with a spicy afternote. Its deep color is matched by an equally powerful flavor that combines a tannin bite with a mellow oak aftertone that will shine when paired with rich foods like poultry, game, and cheeses.
Hamilton Russell Vineyards are in the cool, maritime region near Cape Town, South Africa. Their 2022 Chardonnay has a strong, dry mineral note with aromas of pear and lime. It will pair beautifully with fish, shellfish, and butter sauces.
This rosé gives you notes of rose petals, grapefruit, watermelon, and wild strawberry, with a wet stone undertone and a refreshing acidity. If you’re tired of sweet simple rosés this Flowers Sonoma Coast 2022 bottle is a more complex yet still eminently drinkable alternative.
Starting From | Subscription Type | Shipping Fee |
$7.99 per bottle | A la carte bottles | $19.99 to $37.99 |
$15 per bottle | Picked by Wine.com | Free |
$7.99 per bottle | StewardShip membership | Free on orders over $49 |
Wine.com shipping is $19.99 for a package of 1 to 3 bottles, $25.99 for 4 to 6 bottles, $31.99 for 7 to 9 bottles and $37.99 for 10 to 12 bottles. Shipping wine is expensive, but those costs are steep even by wine delivery service standards.
Wine.com has a StewardShip program for regular wine buyers. Members enjoy free standard shipping on all orders over $49. They can also order wine futures that let them prepay for sought-after wines, like the latest Bordeaux offering. The StewardShip program costs $69 annually. It quickly pays for itself if you order regularly from Wine.com.
You can set your own delivery date, with most Wine.com shipments arriving within 1-2 business days. You can track your orders on your smartphone or tablet using the wine.com app.
Wine.com lets you send your boxes to over 20,000 locations. You can pick them up at your local Walgreens, FedEx Office, Shaws, Safeway, Albertsons, or other stores. If you’re not going to be at home when your wine.com order arrives, you can have it dropped off elsewhere and pick it up at your convenience.
While you’ll pay more for shipping, Alaska and Hawaii wine lovers can order from Wine.com. Not many wine delivery services offer service outside the continental US, so this is definitely a feather in Wine.com’s cap.
Picked by Wine.com is Wine.com’s subscription service. Every 1 to 3 months (depending on your preference), you get wine selections curated by a sommelier delivered to your door. Here’s how you can get started in just 4 easy steps.
Click the Get Started button. The Get Started button is located at the center of the page and is difficult to miss.
Take a short quiz. Like many wine delivery services, Wine.com starts your subscription with a short quiz to get an idea of your palate and your preferences.
Schedule your deliveries. Decide whether you want monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly deliveries.
Choose the bottles in your box. You can choose between 6 reds, 6 whites, or a mix of both, as you prefer. You can also choose between an average bottle price of $20 to $40, which means you will get bottles between $15 and $45 depending on your choice.
Provide billing and payment information. Wine.com accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.
You can modify a la carte orders before they ship by going to the Order History page. Find the order you want to change, then click View Order Details and make any necessary changes. To modify a Picked by Wine.com subscription, you have to contact Customer Support.
You can reach Wine.com customer support by phone at 1-800-592-5870 or by email at CS@wine.com. There is also a Customer Care chat box that puts you in touch with Wine.com agents. Phone hours are from 8 am to 5 pm Pacific time, while chat hours are 6 am to 11 pm PT.
I reached out to Customer Care chat with a question. Within under a minute, Janeth H. greeted me. After I provided my question, she put me in touch with Heidi, a Picked Sommelier. Heidi provided a clear and detailed answer. The entire process took no more than 2 to 3 minutes.
Wine.com vs. Firstleaf: Firstleaf’s prices per bottle are considerably lower than the prices at Wine.com, with most bottles coming in between $15 and $30. Firstleaf may be a better choice for wine newcomers who will benefit from its tasting algorithm.
Wine.com vs. Naked Wines: Naked Wines has a greater focus on independent vineyards than Wine.com and supports smaller winemakers through its Angel subscriber program. Naked Wines also provides more detailed information about each bottle it sends.
Wine.com vs. Vinesse: Vinesse offers some high-end wines costing over $100 a bottle, but Wine.com offers a selection of bottles going for over $500. Wine.com’s website is also more user-friendly than Vinesse’s.
If you want an enormous selection of wines, Wine.com is definitely worth it. Whether you’re looking for popular favorites or unique, lesser-known wines, chances are you’ll find it amidst Wine.com’s extensive inventory.
I would recommend Wine.com’s a la carte service for intermediate to advanced wine drinkers. If you’re new to the wine game, you’ll find that Wine doesn’t offer a lot of hand-holding or supporting advice. Firstleaf might be a better choice for beginners who want to improve their wine knowledge.
That being said, a Picked by Wine.com subscription is also a good way to learn more about wine with input from your own professional sommelier. And if you’re buying wine regularly from Wine.com, a StewardShip subscription will save you money on your shipping fees.
Wine.com doesn’t ship outside the United States. It also doesn’t accept orders to addresses in AL, DE, ME, MI, MS, MT, SD, TN, and UT. But wine lovers in Alaska and Hawaii can purchase from Winc.com, though they’ll incur air mail shipping fees.
You can regularly find Wine.com coupons and special offers for new customers on its website. And you can also save money by taking advantage of our special Delivery Rank discount: 10% off your $99+ order. Code NEWYOU
If you’re looking for the largest selection of wines available at any online site, Wine.com is definitely worth it. You can find wines at just about every price point, and with Picked by Wine.com you can get a regular supply of sommelier-curated wines.