A spicy Malbec grown thousands of feet above sea level, in Argentina’s Valle del Uco. A crisp Vermentino, Chardonnay, Colombard, and Viognier blend, from the Mediterranean heat of Languedoc, France. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Wine Subscription is a global journey for your palate. But is WSJ Wine worth the money? Read on for our full, honest review of the WSJ Wine Club.
Pricing: What You Get
The WSJ Wine Subscription has one of the most compelling introductory offers we’ve seen. The first shipment costs just $69.99 for a case of 12 wines, plus 2 bonus bottles. Through our link here, you’ll also receive two free Dartington crystal wine glasses (worth $60).
Members can choose from 12 red wines, 12 white wines, or a mixed case of 6 red and 6 white wines. Including the $19.99 shipping fee, you still pay less than $6.50 per bottle. It’s pretty hard to find good wines at that price, even at value wine retailers like Trader Joe’s.
Each WSJ Wine is worth far more than its $6.50 per bottle cost in the first shipment. For example, below are wines from our introductory shipment. It would cost $5-$12 more to buy them on your own, outside of the WSJ Wine Club. None of these wines are available at major retailers.
– Il Papavero Prosecco Millesimato Rose Brut – $18 through the WSJ Wine shop, $20 elsewhere
– 2019 DeLoach Vineyards Private Collection Chardonnay – $17 retail
– Raymond The Inaugural R Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – $15 retail
– Farnese Ultima Edizione Quattro Uve Vino da Tavola – $14 retail
– 2020 Alessandro Gallici Visionario Bianco Trevenezie IGT – $14 retail
– 2020 Abbesse Sauvignon Blanc – $14 retail
– 2019 Vina Baccana Pinot Grigio Friuli Grave – $13 retail
– Vina Baccana Pinot Grigio 2019 – $13 retail
– 2020 Dark Corner Durif – Shiraz – $11 retail
– 2020 Purple Owl Pinot Noir – $11 retail
A few of the bottles are only available on WSJ Wine:
– Château Tour du Roch-Milon Le Bordeaux de Tour du Roch-Milon 2019
– 2018 Cave de l’Ormarine Blanc Grande Reserve de Gassac
– 2020 Aluado Alicante Bouschet
After the first shipment, the price rises to $169 per case, plus $19.99 in shipping. If the $169 price tag is too steep, it’s easy to cancel. Shipments are spaced three months apart, so there is plenty of time to change your settings.
Shipping and Packaging: What to Expect
The WSJ Wine club shipment arrives in a no-frills, basic brown box with wine dividers. All our wines were intact and in good condition. We give the WSJ Wine Club bonus points for the two handles punched into the sides of the shipping box. The handles, not usually present on most wine case shipments, are a back saver when you lift the case into the house.
Upon opening the box, you’ll find thirteen tasting cards. The binder to hold these cards (pictured above) does not arrive until the second shipment. The short anecdotes on each card give you a fuller perspective on the wine you’re about to drink. For example, the wine below is named for Academy Award winner Francis Ford Coppola’s restaurant, Café Zoetrope. The card includes dishes that this wine would actually be served with at Café Zoetrope, including spaghetti alla carbonara classico made with guanciale, egg, and Pecorino Romano, and spaghetti and meatballs made with beef, pork, and veal. Drooling already? We are.
The Wines: How did WSJ Wine taste?
For $6.50 per bottle, WSJ Wines far exceeded our expectations. The wines were approachable, balanced, and expressive of their region and terroir. We liked 12 out of 14 wines in the shipment, or an 86% hit rate. Given how inconsistent $10-$20 wines usually are, we wouldn’t get a higher hit rate shopping on our own. For that, we applaud WSJ Wine for curating wines that nail both quality and value.
Our favorite wine, unintentionally, was one of the most “expensive” wines in the shipment, the Il Papavero Brut Rosé. And yes, by “expensive”, we mean $18, so it’s still a value wine and we’d easily buy it again. Its freshly-picked strawberry, red cherry, and white peach aromatics are beautifully framed by crisp minerality and clean acidity. This is the perfect wine to tote along to the beach or a summer picnic.
Not surprisingly, our least favorite wine was also the least expensive bottle in the box. The Purple Owl Pinot Noir has a very floral bouquet, laced with vanilla, earthy red cherry, macerated strawberry, and raspberry, and oak. However, on the palate, it was missing some of the depth of flavor one would typically want, even in a value wine.
Ultimately, the WSJ Wine team does an excellent job of covering a broad range of wines and styles. Our first shipment included wines from Argentina, Australia, California, France, Italy, and Portugal. It ranged from fuller-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Chardonnay, to lighter-bodied Pinot Noir, Prosecco, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Customization: WSJ Wine
Given its steep discount, the first WSJ Wine shipment is not customizable. However, all future wine shipments can be tailored to fit your palate. Simply log into the WSJ Wine website and go to the “Wine Preferences” and “My Wine Cellar” section. Here, you can rate wines and note your preferences. WSJ Wine will use this information to refine your future wine shipments. WSJ Wine also offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and will refund any bottle with which the customer is dissatisfied.
The other thing we like about WSJ Wine is that you can see the wines you will receive in future shipments. This helps you decide whether to pick the red, white or mixed club.
The Final Verdict: Is the WSJ Wine Subscription worth it?
The WSJ Wine Subscription is for you if:
1. You want to explore different regions and varietals
2. You don’t like spending more than $15 on a bottle of wine
3. You want something better than the mass-produced bulk wines at your local grocer or wine retailer
4. You want to save time on finding diverse, quality value wines
The WSJ Wine Subscription is not for you if:
1. You seek luxury or ageworthy wines for your cellar. All of the WSJ wines are approachable and ready to drink now.
2. You want to try unconventional varietals, regions, or winemaking techniques. While the WSJ Wine selection is diverse, this isn’t the place to go for an unfined, unfiltered, amphora-aged orange wine from Georgia.
The WSJ Wine subscription is great for wine lovers who want to go beyond mass-market wine brands, but don’t have time to find them. If you’re too busy to spend hours going to boutique wine shops and inspecting labels, WSJ Wine makes the process effortless by curating and delivering quality wines to your doorstep. Learn more about WSJ Wine and obtain special introductory pricing of $69.99 for your first case, here.