Wine Awesomeness Review 2023: Is It For You?

Overview

Wine Awesomeness wasn't on my radar initially. I had overlooked Wine Awesomeness, presuming it to be just another wine subscription. Yet, as I delved into the service, I discovered its distinctiveness. While I've assessed many wine subscriptions, most tend to follow similar patterns.

Its model stands out among competitors. Many services use quizzes to pinpoint your wine preferences, while others restrict you to their brand's limited varietals. Though fun, quizzes might not always push you to try new varieties, and brand-exclusive services can confine your experience.

Wine Awesomeness champions diverse wine exploration. Instead of conforming to the conventional, it encourages you to embrace a broader range of wines. This approach offers an enriching experience, as you're not just tasting wines but also expanding your wine knowledge.

What’s on the Wine Awesomeness Wine List

Its online store showcases a dynamic range of wines. The selection changes frequently, presenting varietals from across the globe. There’s definitely plenty of choice, with a selection of hundreds of different bottles available. Whether you’re into red, white, or rose, you’ll be able to find a wine to suit.

Every month, it introduces new wines for its subscription boxes. I like the current favorites as suggested by the company to help narrow down your wine choices. It’s also easy to filter wines in the shop by grape, country, type, or collection. The collections are offered in collaboration with popular companies or celebrities.

Wine Awesomeness offers themed monthly boxes. Each box centers around a unique theme, highlighting regions, varietals, or lifestyles. Examples of past themes are French Harvest, Shades of Pink, and Off The Grill. These themes make each box distinct and special.

Surplus wines remain available until sold out. Unlike some wine subscriptions that offer repetitive bottles, Wine Awesomeness boasts variety. You're likely to find a wine you love or revisit it in a month for fresh options.

It has an intriguing “mystery” wine option. I like that you can opt for a surprise bottle of various wine types. This offers a chance to explore wines you might not usually pick. These mystery wines are also available in packs of 12 bottles. You can expect wines from across the globe.

Considering the price, the deal is commendable. The platform benefits from a community that rates these wines. Most wines have ratings close to 4 out of 5 stars. If you rate the wines you order, you’re helping fellow wine enthusiasts choose their wines too.

It provides detailed information about each wine. Whether seasoned or new to wine, you'll find value in the extensive wine details and pairing suggestions provided. I particularly like the quirky suggestions of what track to listen to while drinking your wine. There’s also a full recipe to try out that perfectly complements your bottle.

Wine Awesomeness has varied gift-giving options. It offers prepaid memberships, which grant recipients access to their wine selections for a specific period. E-gift cards are available for those who prefer to let recipients make their own wine choices. Additionally, for businesses aiming to extend gestures to clients or staff, there are corporate gift options.

Unboxing

Wine Awesomeness primarily relies on FedEx for its shipments. With alcohol deliveries, there's a standard requirement for ID verification upon receipt. Given this, Wine Awesomeness suggests either routing your delivery to your workplace or arranging a hold at a local FedEx center, ensuring uninterrupted receipt of your orders.

The company's packaging sustainability was initially a mystery to me. The FAQs didn't offer clarity on whether they adopted eco-friendly practices, a concern considering the growing importance of sustainability. A customer service agent clarified that the packaging is fully recyclable. It uses recycled paper pulp trays, which are both recyclable and compostable.

Shortlist of My Favorite Wines

Wine Awesomeness's selections rotate frequently. The constant influx of monthly themed boxes means some bottles don't remain available for long. While this introduces you to new wines, it's disappointing when a favorite bottle becomes unavailable. Check out my top wine picks from Wine Awesomeness.

2021 Between Bridges Merlot

The 2021 Between Bridges Merlot from Romania is a delightful medium-bodied wine. It avoids the heaviness of oak and tannin, allowing the vibrant flavors of plum and strawberry to take center stage. Its fruit-forward character makes it an effortlessly enjoyable wine, ideally suited for pairing with classic comfort foods like pizza.

2022 San Cisalto Puglia Pinot Grigio

The 2022 San Cisalto Puglia Pinot Grigio is a genuine representation of Italian winemaking. It welcomes you with the delightful scent of sun-ripened pears and fresh green apples. On the palate, it offers a harmonious blend of ripe peaches and juicy apricots, balanced by a refreshing twist of lemon zest.

Finca La Pintada Cava Rosado NV

The Finca La Pintada Cava Rosado NV is a lively and refreshing delight. It has vibrant notes of strawberries, raspberries, and a hint of citrus. Crafted using the traditional method with over a year of bottle aging, it offers complexity, a creamy mouthfeel, and a lingering finish.

Prices

Wine Awesomeness wines start at just $15 per bottle. This includes reds, whites, and rose wines. The most expensive bottle I found was a champagne at $80. You can also find curated packs in the shop. These range from $60 for wine-based cocktails to $350 for a case of Odonata Petit Sirah.

Shipping costs can be expensive. I recommend that you purchase at least 10 bottles of wine to qualify for free shipping. Don’t forget that Wine Club members can get 20% off any purchases in the shop. These can easily be added to your monthly subscription.

Shipping & Delivery

Wine Awesomeness ships from 2 locations, enabling shorter delivery windows. Besides its headquarters in New York City, the company has a second warehouse on the other side of the country in Napa Valley. This means that no matter where you are, it rarely takes more than a few days for your wine to reach you.

The map above illustrates the locations of its 2 warehouses. It also shows the estimated shipping times for every state. Note that only a handful of states have delivery estimates greater than 4 days. Wine is shipped via FedEx or UPS, depending on your location.

Wine Awesomeness offers delivery to more states than some wine companies I’ve seen. The map above shows which states Wine Awesomeness can’t deliver to. These are Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Utah.

How Wine Awesomeness Works

Wine Awesomeness’ wines are available in its online store. To sign up for its Discovery Wine Club, follow the simple steps outlined below.

How to Sign Up

1. The first step is to select Join Now from the Wine Awesomeness Wine Club link.

2. Decide how many bottles you want to receive in each shipment. And whether you want all red, all white, or a mixed selection.

3. Decide how involved you want to be in your selection. This depends on how much you know about wine.

4. Enter your delivery details and check the details of your order.

5. Fill in your payment details and accept the renewal agreement.

Once you've ordered, anticipate the arrival of your themed box. The Back Label, Wine Awesomeness's exclusive online magazine, becomes accessible at the beginning of each month, offering not only detailed information about the wines of the month but also a wealth of lifestyle content, including travel tips, recipes, and wine and cheese pairing suggestions.

Managing Your Subscription

Managing your Wine Awesomeness subscription is straightforward and user-friendly. The platform's design ensures that adjusting or ending your membership is clear and intuitive. You don’t always get this level of ease with other subscription services.

To cancel your membership, you simply log into your account and open your settings. From there, navigate to the Manage Membership section and select Deactivate Membership. Check out our detailed guide on how to cancel Wine Awesomeness to see how easy it is.

Beyond cancelation, the Membership menu offers real flexibility. You can skip orders, modify your order frequency, update payment information, or make various other adjustments as needed.

Customer Service

Navigating the Customer Service section of Wine Awesomeness had its challenges. When I selected the Customer Service link on its homepage, I landed on the FAQ page. Although detailed, the FAQs didn't cover all of my queries, such as the company's sustainability efforts.

However, there's a live chat feature available. A chat icon sits at the bottom right of the screen, leading to a live chat option. If you reach out outside their active support hours, you can leave a message and expect a response by the next business day.

Wine Awesomeness offers solid customer support beyond the FAQs. If the FAQ doesn't address your concerns, you can rely on its team to assist you.

How Wine Awesomeness Compares to Other Wine Delivery Services

Wine Awesomeness vs. Firstleaf: While both offer premium wine subscription services, Firstleaf tailors its wine selections based on continuous user feedback, ensuring a more personalized wine journey for its subscribers.

Wine Awesomeness vs. Naked Wines: Wine Awesomeness emphasizes exploration through its monthly themes. Naked Wines takes a different approach by directly funding independent winemakers, allowing subscribers to invest in and discover wines from up-and-coming talents.

Wine Awesomeness vs. Vinesse: While Wine Awesomeness represents diverse wines, Vinesse has a rich history of offering classic and occasionally rare wine finds. This means it appeals to those who prefer tradition and exclusivity.

The Bottom Line: Is Wine Awesomeness Worth It?

I'm genuinely impressed by Wine Awesomeness. Its detailed information, particularly in the online magazine The Back Label, paired with exceptional customer support stands out, even more so considering its affordability.

Wine Awesomeness caters to everyone, from novices to vineyard experts. The flexibility to have a curated wine club subscription or select wines personally is commendable. For more wine club options, consider exploring our comprehensive list of top wine delivery services.

FAQ

What is Wine Awesomeness?

Wine Awesomeness is a wine subscription service. It sends a preselected selection of bottles on a monthly basis. You also get access to the exclusive online magazine, The Back Label, with in-depth information on the wines you’ve received.

How much wine do you get with Wine Awesomeness?

Wine Awesomeness offers 3 subscription levels. You can choose to receive 3, 6, or 12 bottles every month. You’ll also have access to the online store, where you can buy bottles on an individual basis.

How much is Wine Awesomeness per month?

The monthly cost depends on how many bottles you choose to receive. It costs $49/month for 3 bottles, and the price increases for 6 or 12 bottles per month. You’ll also get a 20% discount on reorders of wine, and shipping is free for a la carte orders of over $150.