There’s something intimidating about your first trip to the wine aisle. You stand there, staring at a hundred bottles that promise notes of random fruits while wondering if “dry” means it’ll make your mouth hurt.
And if we’re all being honest, a lot of people still feel that way long after their first bottle.
That was me before I joined my first wine club, which is more or less a subscription service that constantly sends you new wines to try and educates you about them. Today, I can actually tell a Syrah from a Cabernet. I can actually taste those notes of cherry and oak. I can’t tell you whether the grapes came from a specific French hillside (let alone which side of the hill), but I’m not clueless anymore.
That’s why I can’t recommend a wine club enough. It’ll curate bottles for your taste, deliver them to your door, and teach you just enough so that you sound smart at dinner without sounding like that person.
If you’re in the market for one, here are my picks for the best wine clubs for beginners. They hit the sweet spot between quality, price, and ease — perfect for anyone who wants to learn without memorizing the entire French wine map.
| Wine Club | Best For | Price per Bottle | Frequency |
| Winc | Casual sippers finding their style | $13–$18 | Monthly/quarterly |
| Wine Access | Thoughtful drinkers who like learning | ±$20 | Quarterly |
| Wine Insiders | Easy, affordable everyday wines | $10–$12 | Quarterly |
| Firstleaf | Personalized AI picks | ±$13 | Monthly |
| Naked Wines | Supporting small winemakers | $12–$15 | Flexible |
| Plonk Wine Club | Organic & adventurous palates | $20–$25 | Monthly/quarterly |
| Mysa Wine Club | Natural wine newbies | $18–$22 | Monthly/quarterly |
| Orange Glou | Bold beginners chasing something new | $35–$40 | Monthly/bimonthly |
| Laithwaites Wine Club | Global exploration with guidance | $13–$39 | Quarterly |
| Somm Select | Leveling up your palate | $30–$50 | Monthly/quarterly |
| Wall Street Journal Wine Club | Low-effort value | $10–$12 | Quarterly |
1. Winc
Best for casual sippers finding their style.
Winc was my gateway club, the one that made wine feel approachable rather than intimidating. You take a short quiz (think Tinder for taste buds), and they send six or 12 bottles that match your vibe.
I’ve had a few duds (looking at you, overly floral Viognier), but mostly it’s been solid weekday wine I’d happily share with friends.
The Highlights:
- Six bottles/month or 12 bottles every three months
- Choose between four plans: Classic, Preferred, Premier, and Fine Wine
- Average $13–$18 per bottle
- Ships to most states
- Easy to pause, cancel, or change delivery frequency
2. Wine Access
Best for thoughtful drinkers who like learning as they sip.
Wine Access is for the curious crowd, the people who secretly love reading the tasting notes. It feels more like a wine school than a club, and that’s exactly what I love about it. For example, I ordered their Discovery Club and ended up down a rabbit hole of Bordeaux vs. Napa comparisons.
It’s approachable but deep enough to feel educational, with every bottle backed by sommelier-level notes.
The Highlights:
- The Discovery Club or Wine for Normal People Club is best for newbies
- Six bottles each quarter
- Average $20+ per bottle
- Ships nationwide
- Detailed online tasting library
3. Wine Insiders
Best for easy, affordable, everyday wines.
If you’re the type who just wants good wine, fast, this is it.
Wine Insiders keeps it simple: pick red/white/mixed, get 12 bottles for ~$89, and enjoy your weeknight glass without overthinking it. And with their Perfect Pour Promise, you can get a refund if you hate something (I’ve tested this, and it’s legit).
For my first shipment, I got 15 bottles for under $100. Twelve were great, two were okay, and one was sangria. An overall win.
The Highlights:
- 12 bottles every 12 weeks
- Average $10–$12 per bottle
- Free shipping on 6+ bottles
- In-depth tasting notes for your wine education
4. Firstleaf
Best for algorithm-based personalization.
Firstleaf feels like if Spotify and a sommelier had a baby. You rate your bottles, the algorithm learns your preferences, and your shipments get smarter over time.
By my second box, it nailed my taste with a pinot noir that still lives rent-free in my memory. Plus, the price-to-quality ratio is killer.
The Highlights:
- 6 bottles/month
- Average $13 per bottle (after intro)
- AI-driven personalization
- Easy to pause or skip shipments
5. Naked Wines
Best for supporting independent winemakers.
Naked Wines has a fun twist, where you basically become an angel investor for small winemakers. Your membership helps fund their next batch, and in return, you get exclusive bottles at direct-from-vineyard prices. It leans into one of my favorite things about wine clubs: discovering smaller, independent vineyards and seeing what wine really tastes like when it’s not mass-produced.
It’s equal parts feel-good and practical, and I’ve found gems from California, Spain, and Australia that would’ve cost double retail.
The Highlights:
- Pay-as-you-go model
- Average $12–$15 per bottle
- Focus on indie producers
- Transparent pricing
6. Plonk Wine Club
Best for organic and adventurous palates.
Plonk is where I went when I wanted to get weird — in the best way, of course. Think organic, biodynamic, small-batch wines that make you Google the grape name mid-sip. Founder Etty Klein curates every shipment, and it shows.
I love that every box comes with recipe pairings to make the most out of every wine with a complementary meal. My favorite discovery was the Lunaria Civitas pecorino, which made me rethink every white wine I’d ever dismissed.
The Highlights:
- Choose red, white, or mixed
- 4, 6, or 12 bottles per shipment
- Free shipping
- Detailed tasting notes and recipes
7. Mysa Wine Club
Best for natural wine newbies.
Mysa is all about making natural wine fun, not fussy. It’s woman-owned, approachable, and surprisingly educational. I love the little video tastings and the fact that they’ll actually talk to you if you don’t like a bottle.
Their mixed box includes reds, whites, rosés, and the occasional orange or pét-nat. My first 6-bottle box had three absolute hits and one wine that smelled like a hay bale (though I surprisingly didn’t hate it).
The Highlights:
- 3, 6, or 12 bottles
- Monthly/quarterly
- Free shipping & 10% off in the bottle shop
- Focus on small, sustainable producers
8. Orange Glou
Best for bold beginners chasing something new.
This one’s for the brave. Orange Glou is a club entirely dedicated to orange wine, which comes from white grapes that are fermented with their skins for that amber color and funky, tea-like flavor.
I joined on a dare and ended up obsessed. Every box includes sparkling and still options, along with tasting notes and pairing suggestions.
The Highlights:
- 3, 6, or 12 bottles each month or every other month
- Average $35–$40 per bottle
- Ships to most states
- Focused on natural orange wines
9. Laithwaites Wine Club
Best for guided global exploration.
Laithwaites is the cozy sweater of wine clubs. It’s family-run, warm, and a little old-school (in the best way).
They’ve been around since 1969 and offer three tiers depending on how deep you want to go. I started with their Signature Collection and found it perfect for beginners: great stories, approachable wines, and nothing too heavy.
It’s also one of the few that feels truly family-curated, with each tier run by a different couple.
The Highlights:
- 12 bottles each quarter
- Average $13–$39 per bottle
- 20% savings on all wines
- Easy skip/cancel policy
10. Somm Select
Best for leveling up your palate with expert guidance.
If you’ve ever wanted a certified Master Sommelier as your personal guide, this is it. SommSelect is curated by Ian Cauble (you might know him from the Netflix doc “Somm”), and every bottle comes with deep storytelling and tasting notes.
It’s pricier, but the education and curation are unmatched. I like to think of it as my grad school of wine.
The Highlights:
- Monthly or quarterly
- 3–12 bottles
- Average $30–$50 per bottle
- Includes detailed tasting catalogs
11. Wall Street Journal Wine Club
Best for classic drinkers who want low-effort value.
WSJ’s wine club is the definition of easy. Big-name backing, generous intro deals, and simple red/white/mixed choices. It’s not flashy, but it’s reliable, and sometimes that’s exactly what you want.
My dad joined first and then sent me screenshots of his $8 Bordeaux “deal of the year.” I rolled my eyes, but the wine was solid.
The Highlights:
- 12 bottles quarterly
- Average $10–$12 per bottle
- Major welcome offers
How to Choose a Wine Club for Beginners
If you’re still not sure which wine club is best for you, here’s what I’d look for while shopping for my first:
- Personalization: Some of the best clubs will give you a taste quiz or learn your preferences over time to make sure you get the right wines for your palate.
- Price: For beginners, the sweet spot is around $10–$15 per bottle.
- Flexibility: Look for easy skip or cancel options.
- Education: Clubs that include tasting cards or pairing notes can really enhance the experience.
- Variety: Mixed boxes (red, white, bubbly, rosé) help you explore without committing too soon.
- Shipping: Check for timelines and availability (some clubs can’t ship everywhere).
Most importantly, you don’t need to find your forever club right away! Treat it like dating: see what clicks, learn what doesn’t, and never settle for a wine you don’t love.
FAQs
1. What is a wine club?
Wine clubs are part subscription, part education, and 100% the easiest way to level up your wine confidence without studying a sommelier manual. You just sign up, tell them what you like (or what you think you like), and a curated selection of bottles appears at your door.
2. Are wine clubs worth it for beginners?
Absolutely. They’re like guided tours of the wine world, and it’s less guessing and more sipping. You learn what you like fast.
3. Why should I join a wine club?
A wine club makes it simple to:
Learn your palate without wasting bottles.
Save money through curated bundles.
Access wines you’d never find at the grocery store.
Get tasting notes that teach you something.
You’ll start recognizing flavor patterns, understanding what “dry” really means, and maybe even pairing your own dinner wines like a pro — all without setting foot in a wine shop full of $40+ risks.
4. How much should I expect to spend?
Most beginner-friendly clubs average $10–$20 per bottle. My recommendation? Splurge only when you’re curious, not when you’re pressured.
5. Can I cancel or skip shipments?
Yes, almost all modern clubs let you pause or cancel easily. Look for transparent policies (Winc, Mysa, and Firstleaf are great examples).
6. What if I don’t like a bottle?
Good clubs like Wine Insiders and Naked Wines have satisfaction guarantees or credit systems, so you can experiment without fear.
Sip, Learn, Repeat
Wine clubs are one of the most fun and least stressful ways of getting into wine, and I genuinely wish I’d started sooner. There’s something magical about opening a box of mystery bottles, learning a new grape name, and realizing you actually have opinions about tannins now.
So, pour yourself a glass, and start exploring. The only real mistake is not opening the bottle.
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