When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission.Learn more.
Vinebox is a company that sends you nine “glasses” of the world’s best wines for under $100.But instead of full bottles, you’ll get vials that hold about a glass of wine each that’s perfect for sampling.It can be a good way to try different high-end wines you would otherwise never be able to afford.Vinebox Fresh Reds Wine Collection $95.00 from Vinebox Finding out which wines you like can feel more like an accident than any sort of comprehensive, efficient effort.My own history more honestly resembles stumbling around in the dark — and asking my local wine shop experts for blind personal recommendations.
Related The best wine subscriptions in 2021 It’s exactly this obscurity that makes intelligent wine services like Vinebox so uniquely appealing.Vinebox sends customers nine wines revolving around different themes and seasons, with collections ranging from around $85 to $95.
Once a wine subscription club , Vinebox has since shifted to an a-la-carte-shop-only model (as of August 2021), allowing you to buy and receive wine collections any time rather than once every three months.
Popular Reviews Should you buy a refurbished iPhone? Best backpacks for students Best planners for productivity Where to shop for kids’ clothes Best vaccine passport apps Buying wine online isn’t a new concept, at least when it comes to buying full wine bottles.
But it makes sense why Vinebox would send by the glass; the high-end wine selection would cost the average person a small fortune (and probably some plane rides), and trying only by the glass is a low-risk commitment that encourages you to expand your palate.
You’re able to try a variety of really diverse, premium wines for a fraction of the cost required for full bottles, and you won’t be stuck with a wine you hate if you take a chance sampling something more adventurous.
If you do love one, then you can buy your own bottle.
How Vinebox works Visit the shop: Go to the Vinebox shop to see the current lineup of wine collections.They’ll usually focus on some kind of theme, like single varietals or European wines grown in optimal locations .Taste the wines : Most of the collections contain nine 10 cL vials of wine (some are six-packs instead) and each holds a full glass worth of vino.They come nicely packaged in a sturdy box and with a booklet full of information like tasting notes and how to pronounce the names of each wine.
You’ll get to suss out your favorite kinds of wine, learn more about the regions in and processes by which they’re made, and get the most out of the luxury wines sent to you.Discover favorites : If you love one glass more than most, you can see if a full-sized bottle is available in the shop.However, it may be hard because there are limited quantities available.Connie Chen/Insider What the wines are like Of more than 11,000 fine wines tested by Vinebox, only about 1% make the cut into your box.
They’re not the same as your local wine store options (even the really nice ones) — you won’t find anything mass-produced here.Though Vinebox handles the bottling and distribution, all the wine is imported from various winemakers and vineyards in Europe.
Vinebox’s periodic releases are said to be the best wine of the moment — from old vintage cellar releases hitting their “sweet spot” to those that mesh perfectly with current wine trends.
The company uses a closed-nitrogen environment to prevent the wines from ever coming in contact with oxygen.The use of inert gas allows the wines to “maintain their complete bouquet, flavor profile, and mouthfeel” throughout the process.Once they’re encapsulated in the vials, the wines are good for up to three years — though you’ll want to pour yourself a glass much sooner than that.
Connie Chen/Insider Price of Vinebox The price of each box varies, but they generally cost between $85 to $95, making each glass of wine $9 to $10.50.
Standard shipping is free, or you can pay $25 for expedited delivery.It’s also easy to make the shipment a gift and Vinebox lets you add a free gift message.
Review of Vinebox The last collection I tried from Vinebox was called Back to the Classics.It’s an ode to the “classic” wines of regions like Tuscany, Italy and Burgundy, France and contains four reds, four whites, and one rosé.
All the wines in this particular edition were light- and medium-bodied, so if those are up your alley, you’ll love the box.I enjoyed trying and sipping on all the wines, especially because I tend to be a casual, low-commitment drinker.
I hate opening an entire bottle knowing I won’t be able to finish it in one night (or even a few nights), so I really appreciated Vinebox’s unique design.
It’s also convenient because all the bottles have screwtops — no bottle opener or corkscrew necessary.
In particular, I liked the Le Gabier Blanc, a medium-bodied Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend with notes of apple and peach, which felt appropriate for the transition from summer to fall.Unfortunately, Vinebox didn’t have a full-sized bottle but it had a similar one — a Godello wine.This was slightly disappointing and I haven’t yet bought the full-sized alternative.It turns out Vinebox didn’t have any of the exact same wines as the samplers for the box I tried, so it might be best not to fall too head over heels for a particular bottle.
Other than the regular year-round offerings, Vinebox sells a holiday favorite: 12 Nights of Wine , a fun take on the traditional advent calendar.This limited-edition box contains 12 bottles and comes in one of three beautiful holiday-themed packaging.Each of the slots is labeled by number, letting you work through the collection one day at a time.Be on the lookout for this highly popular box around the holidays — it always sells out quickly.
Vinebox The bottom line If you’re looking for an affordable way to try premium wines, or you just want to stop wasting time and get smarter about wine or your own preferences, Vinebox is worth checking out.
The wines are delicious, and the service is convenient.
There’s very little chance you’d have the power, money, or time to first become an expert sommelier and then test thousands of wines to pair them down to the perfect litmus test for yourself.This way, you get to maintain your life the way it is and still get to try the best wines of a high variety so you can get into a new hobby, impress dates, or just have less trouble ordering in restaurants.
$95.00 from Vinebox Mara Leighton Senior Education and Personal Development Reporter, Insider Reviews Mara Leighton is the senior education and personal development reporter for Insider Reviews.In the spring of 2020, Mara spearheaded Insider Reviews’ new education beat .She’s reported on Yale’s most popular course on happiness as well as essential workforce recovery programs , free instructional courses for non-ICU workers on operating mechanical ventilators , and a Johns Hopkins’ contact tracing course designed to fill thousands of remote jobs .She’s interviewed Google executives, presidential policy committee members, best-selling authors, leading researchers and professors, and NBC’s Chuck Todd in her education coverage.She’s most interested in personal development, skill-building, industry shifts, and increased accessibility for learners of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.Previously, Mara covered e-commerce for Business Insider from 2017-2020.She’s written thousands of reviews and explainers, profiled emerging and established D2C companies, blogged through major retail events, and forecasted and analyzed industry trends.
She also produced the vertical’s weekly newsletter .Say hello at [email protected] or tweet her @maraleighton.Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here .Learn more about how we review educational and personal development products .
Read more Read less Connie Chen Connie Chen is a senior reporter on the Insider Reviews team, where she leads coverage of home textiles, home entertaining, and food and drink.She specializes in all the things that enhance life at home, from the most comfortable bed sheets and fluffy pillows to cool online wine clubs and bartender-approved cocktail shakers .She combines rigorous testing methods, conversations with professionals, and active knowledge of the home and kitchen space to help readers get the most out of their money.When she’s not changing duvet covers or washing towels twice a day for articles, she loves talking about and trying the newest snacks, drinks , and food gifts .
You can see more of her testing process and other behind-the-scenes of being a product journalist on her Instagram @connayreviews .Connie joined Insider Reviews as an early member in 2017 and has also reported on products and services in the style, tech, fitness, travel, and e-learning spaces, with a particular interest and expertise in emerging startups.
She has represented the team at CES and moderated panels on media business and the future of retail.Connie graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in media studies and business administration, which help inform her perspective on and coverage of industry trends, as well as the competitive e-commerce landscape at large.
Read some of her work: The 4 best cocktail shakers in 2021 The 7 best women’s bathrobes in 2021 The 5 best wine openers and corkscrews we tested in 2021 The 5 best bed sheets we tested in 2021 The 5 best cordless vacuums we tested in 2021 12 direct-to-consumer kitchen startups that are changing the way we shop for cookware and knives 8 tableware startups changing the way we shop for dishes Even chefs experience cooking burnout — here’s how they get re-inspired in the kitchen How businesses create successful virtual experiences 50 cookbooks from famous restaurants across the US that will help you recreate their best dishes at home Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here .Learn more about how we test kitchen products .Read more Read less
Sign up for Insider Reviews’ weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals.
You can purchase syndication rights to this story here.
Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team.
We highlight products and services you might find interesting.If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners.We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test.This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended.We operate independently from our advertising team.
We welcome your feedback.Email us at [email protected] ..
