Whether you’re scrolling Instagram or simply picking up your mail, you’re probably getting bombarded with wine delivery services. From Winc to Firstleaf, vino subscription services abound, and as we try each one, we’ll share our honest review. First up: Laithwaites.

The Deal:

As an introductory offer, you can score eight bottles of wine—red, white or a mix of the two—and two stemless glasses for $50. Oh, and it comes with free shipping. After that initial deal, you’ll pay $180 ($160 + $20 for shipping) every three months for a dozen more bottles, unless you cancel.

The Pros:

• Speedy delivery — Within a few days of ordering, the package arrived at my door. I’ve waited longer for an Amazon Prime delivery (which is really saying something).
• Low-waste packaging — A simple cardboard divider protected the bottles and wine glasses, and everything still arrived safely without damage. I haven’t been able to say the same for gifts packed in all kinds of packing peanuts, Styrofoam and shredded paper.
• Great taste — Included pairing notes made it easy to choose what to serve with a meal, and each bottle tasted well-balanced. The Bees Knees Chenin Blanc and Silver Puffs Sauvignon Blanc were particular hits for being dry but not mouth-puckeringly so. The two “bonus” bottles were a 99-point Vino Rosso Roma, which was full-bodied and soul-warming on a chilly night in. (The intro price is for six bottles and the stemless glasses and two bottles of Roma are considered bonus gifts.)
• Serious value — None of the wines tasted cheap (like headache-inducing Juicy Juice you’d grab for $5 a bottle). That said, it’s understandable that they can’t sustain such a cheap discount, so they’re betting that people will enjoy the selection enough to keep the subscription going.
• Surprisingly well-crafted stemless glasses — At first, I balked: I didn’t need two random glasses—I have enough mismatched dishware!—but I loved the Dartington Crystal glasses enough that I soon found myself Googling to look for more. They have a great shape and lightness to them, and psst: Looks like you can score nine more for $65 on Amazon.
• Deliveries customized to your tastes — As you share your wine preferences, the wines you receive are tweaked to be a better fit for your palate.

Cons:

• Cost — After the rock-bottom intro price, $180 a quarter starts to add up…fast. Still, that comes out to $15/bottle, which is what we typically spend on a bottle, and it is a great value. It’s just getting that charge all at once that feels intense.
• Frequency — If you go through a couple bottles a week, the expense may make sense, but if you’re an occasional drinker, you may find yourself with a stockpile, fast. You can adjust your deliveries to be less frequent, or you can skip out of the wine club entirely and order bottles separately.

The Bottom Line:

If you enjoy wine—minus the hassle of going to a liquor shop—this service is worth it. At least for the introductory box; then you can determine what type of box and frequency (if at all) is right for you. The quality of the wine itself and efficiency of delivery makes it a top-notch pick out of the services I’ve tried.

Lead photo by Zan on Unsplash

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