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Wine Access Wine Club Review: Everything You Need to Know

With its discerning offering and client base, Wine Access is quickly gaining recognition as a destination for high-quality wines. One way of experiencing the entire Wine Access selection at a discount is through their wine club. If you’re thinking of taking the plunge, here’s everything you need to know about the Wine Access Wine Club.

The first thing to know about the Wine Access Wine Club is that it’s curation-based. That means every quarter, you’ll get six bottles hand-selected by the Wine Access team ($150 including shipping). Members won’t know in advance what bottles they will receive — it’s all about trust.

Wine Access Wine Club Review
An example of a typical Wine Access wine and tasting notes. Photo credit: Wine Access

So how can you validate that Wine Access is indeed a trustworthy authority for selecting your wines? In evaluating curation-based wine clubs, we’ve found that a quality subscription must offer the following: accountability, a unique selection, and compelling pricing. (note: these criteria do not apply to non-curation based clubs such as winery clubs, which offer full clarity on what they will provide to members). Countless wine clubs claim to be “curated”, but not all of them live up to this promise. The best will introduce us to exceptional wines, while others might seem more like a front for wineries to get rid of unsold inventory. So how does Wine Access stack up against these criteria?

Accountability

For curation-based wine clubs, the key question is: who is choosing your wines? When a wine club doesn’t name an authority, it’s often a red flag. A vague description like “team of experts” equals no accountability around quality. We love that Wine Access club wines are selected by genuinely knowledgeable authorities in the space, including Master of Wine Vanessa Conlin and Master Sommelier Sur Lucero.

Wine Access’ Head of Wine Vanessa Conlin and Master Sommelier Sur Lucero discuss their latest wine club selections. Photo credit: Wine Access

Conlin serves as a wine consultant to numerous celebrities, including NBA professional Josh Hart. Lucero has served as wine director or sommelier at restaurants including The French Laundry, Meadowood, and Daniel Boulud. Conlin and her team take personal responsibility for every wine club shipment. Each quarter, they produce new videos explaining to members via video why each wine made the cut. Ultimately, authorities like Conlin and Lucero pride themselves on having impeccable taste in wine. They’re unlikely to lead you wrong, because their reputation is at stake.

Unique Selection

Curation-based wine clubs should save members the legwork of searching for quality wines. Each Wine Access Wine Club shipment connects members to wines that are distinctive, well-respected within industry circles, and not easily available commercially. Here is a sampling of wines that have been included in past Wine Access shipments. As you’ll see, the selection ranges from traditional to adventurous, is highly-regarded by both critics and consumers, and from boutique, limited-production wineries.

Compelling Pricing

The Wine Access Wine Club costs $150 per quarterly shipment of 6 bottles. While this averages out to $25 per bottle including shipping, the wines range in price, and often are cumulatively worth more than the $150 cost of the shipment. This pricing is very reasonable, especially when compared to the amount one might spend on more mass-produced wines at nationwide retailers like Costco or BevMo. Wine Access also offers members a 10% discount on all purchases from its site.

The Verdict

The Wine Access Wine Club is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to easily experience a vast array of varietals, regions, and producers. Admittedly, it’s not for those who prefer a specific profile of wines. For example, those who prefer only full-bodied reds might want to find a more customized or targeted club. But for those looking to effortlessly discover new favorite wines, Wine Access’ thoughtful selections make tasteful additions to any cellar. To learn more, visit the Wine Access site.

Images courtesy of Wine Access.