Ensure there’s always wine in time for the weekend with our round-up of the best wine deliveries and subscriptions. Whether you’re looking to learn a bit more, need help deciphering the supermarket aisles or just want hassle-free great plonk on the regular, we’ve found the best newbies promising all of that and more.
Vagabond SOMM
Vagabond SOMM is a new, intelligent wine subscription service that uses AI-driven personalisation to discern your likes and dislikes, recommending new grapes, regions and producers tailored to you, just like a sommelier would IRL.
Answer a few questions via the app and the powers that be will select five 100ml taster bottles from the 100-strong wine library. Once you’ve had a taste, add your feedback, and that way you’ll get an even better, more tailored selection next time. It’s pretty addictive.
Subscriptions start from £25.00, and if you like what you try, full-size bottles can be bought and delivered the next day with a simple tap of a button. Clever stuff!
Grape Marketplace
Described as “Netflix for wine”, Grape is a smart online wine shop matching you with your dream drop of vino!
The platform was launched by twin sisters from London (one of which was previously senior wine buyer for Oddbins), so you’re in pretty safe hands. You start by taking a short quiz, and then you’re presented with wines to suit your tastebuds from its range of white, red, blush and sparkling bottles. It worked a treat, matching us with a zingy pecorino (£9.75), a juicy skin contact from Argentina (£22) and a complex chenin blanc, viognier, verdejo, grenache blanc blend from South Africa (£22). Prices range from ultra reasonable to more special occasion spends.
And if you don’t feel like browsing your own tailored edit, you can just get Grape to choose for you.
Use the code “grapecrummbs20” to get 20% off your first order (min spend £50)
Drop
When we want wine, we want it fast, and Drop delivers exactly that via a snazzy, user-friendly app. Select your vino by colour, keyword, style, price or even mood (daring drop anyone?), and if you buy six bottles or more, you’ll get 10% off your order too! Prices range from £9 – £290, so there’s something for every budget. However, we’d recommend the Chenin Blanc ‘Stay Brave’ – a sexy skin contact style from South Africa. Can’t choose? Drop has got your back, offering an exciting weekly mixed case to keep your wine rack fresh.
Before reaching the checkout you’ll have the option to add on extras such as Torres truffle crisps, comte, and anchovies – and they’ll even deliver your wine on ice if you want to drink it immediately. Get it delivered in London within the hour (yes, really!) for about £7, or if you’re more flexible, delivery can be free. Now we’ve tried it, there’s no going back.
To download the Drop app, click here.
Crispin Wine Club
Crispin, the all-day cafe and restaurant in Spitalfields, has announced the launch of its natural wine club – available throughout lockdown and beyond! It includes hand-selected bottles recommended by Crispin’s in-house sommelier, Stefano Cazzato (previously Londrino, Hakkasan, Dalla Terra). With a focus on natural, biodynamic and low intervention wines from small producers and cooperatives, the Crispin Wine Club supports small and independent producers who use old world indigenous and rare grape varieties. Each subscription case will include some easy-drinking wines, alongside more interesting, funky and wild wines, some of which will be exclusive to Crispin.
From £55 per wine case
Pingza
Pingza is the new wine app that makes choosing your perfect wine simple. Finally! You’ll start by answering Pingza’s quick 8-point palate test which is designed to figure out exactly what kind of wine drinker you are. We can confirm they got our number spot on, figuring out we’re fans of elegant and smooth whites and big, powerful reds. So clever! Once Pingza has helped you pick a wine (in my case chardonnay, Argentinian Malbec and Californian zinfandel), it’ll show you the supermarket with the best deal so you’ll never be paying over the odds. It’s also super helpful to know what to go for from a restaurant wine list – life’s too short to waste money on a bottle you don’t love. They’ll also provide a little background to your bottle, with easy to understand lingo that won’t scare you off.
To download the Pingza app, click here.
Brad’s Wine
Originally a supplier of small-batch New World wines to the hospitality industry, Brad found himself having to adapt during the Coronavirus pandemic. The result, this new UK subscription service which gives customers the opportunity to try boutique wines from the comfort of your own home. Choose from either 6, 12 or 18 bottles a month (look, we’re not judging here) and let Brad know your favourite colour or preferred styles and he’ll come up with a specially tailored box, just for you. We went for a mixed box of white and rose and received
Prices start from:
6 bottles – £49 a month
12 bottles – £88 a month
18 bottles – £127 a month
Follow him on Instagram @brads_wine
Winepost
Choose how many bottles you want (3, 6 or 12) and what mix of red, white and rosé you fancy, as well as how often you want it. Your selection will then be delivered carbon-neutrally to your door in sustainable, recyclable packaging. Simple!
We told them we weren’t too keen on Sauvignon Blanc and that we were all about the whites and roses at the mo and this delectable trio turned up the next day:
Cave de Ormarine Duc de Morny Picpoul de Pinet (one of our faves in the summer!)
Domaine de Vedilhan Viognier (one of their most popular wines)
Les Cerisiers Côtes du Rhône Rosé (a new addition to the range)
Prices start from:
3 bottles – £29.95
6 bottles – £57.95
12 bottles – £109.95
Every time you drink a bottle of Winepost wine, you can then go into your Winepost account to rate it out of 5, and also add comments and tasting notes which will help tailor the next selection you receive.
Ourglass
We wrote more about these guys here but in a nutshell, Ourglass is a wine discovery club connecting you to great bottles that you won’t find in the supermarket. Delivering nationwide, there are three levels to choose from but unlike some of the other clubs we’ve mentioned, spending more won’t necessarily get you more bottles, it will get you better ones.
The First Time £35 a month – 3 bottles, all around a tenner
Next Level: £75 a month – 3-5 bottles over that £10 barrier
Wine at Home: £120 a month – 3-6 absolute bangers
Wine at Home
A fab new artisan wine delivery service based in London but delivering nationwide, Wine at Home supplied many of our favourite restaurants before COVID hit, including Bocca di Lupo, The Clove Club and The Drapers Arms. Working with artisanal, ethically produced wines made by small family growers, now you can get your hands on high-quality wine at trade prices. Sounds like a good deal, no? We love their mixed cases which currently start at under £70 for 6 bottles – particularly this ‘All white on the night’ box which is perfect for summer sipping. What’s more, you won’t find these wines anywhere else in the UK! A fab option if you want to stock up without a subscription.
We’ll be updating this with new wine deliveries and subscriptions as we find them!
