Perhaps now more than ever we’re looking forward to celebrating the holidays with our families. For many of us, wine makes life better, so giving wine is one of the best gift ideas I can think of.
Last update: October 15, 2021
Why shop now? If you plan to give an artisanal wine subscription gift this season from The California Wine Club, Gold Medal Wine Club, or French wine specialist SomMailier, you’ll get the season’s best prices right now through October 31.
Also, the pandemic has found new ways to impact holiday shopping this year. Here’s what you need to know:
1. Deals are less concentrated around Black Friday & Cyber Weekend — retailers want us shopping all holiday season because
2. Supply chain issues are real. You might expect that this mostly impacts imported wines (like the Champagne shortage), but it turns out supply chain disruptions have caused hiccups even for U.S. wineries. Most companies are doing what they can to keep inventory in stock, but shopping early is your best bet to make sure you get what you want to give.
3. All of the extra online shopping leads to significantly increased delivery demand. All delivery providers (UPS and FedEx especially) are predicting delivery delays. This means ordering early is imperative for guaranteeing on-time delivery.
Hey, congratulations on being a pro-active holiday shopper! Your early-bird tendencies will be rewarded this year. Here are the best wine club and gift deals I'm tracking — they’re good for giving gifts to yourself, too.
FYI: I find great wine deals so you don’t have to. To keep me on the hunt, I earn a commission when you buy wine based on my recommendations.
Adult Advent Calendars are a hot trend and I’ve compiled a resource list for all of the Wine, Beer, Canned Cocktail, and Hard-Seltzer versions I can find. I keep it up to date as they become available for purchase and sell out.
These deals often aren't announced in advance. I’ll post ’em as soon as I have ’em.
The California Wine Club curates monthly wine selections from small family wineries in California, Oregon and Washington, and outside the U.S. Their "Love It Guarantee" means you can rest easy that your gift recipient will be delighted.
Read my reviews: Premier Series, Signature Series, Pacific Northwest Series, International Series, Aged Cabernet Series
These deals are valid until October 31.
Reserve holiday gifts now and relax. They won't bill you until the end of November, and your gifts will be scheduled to ship in December. Changes to your gift order can be made until Nov 20.
Save 15% on ALL gifts. Give any wine club gift from The California Wine Club and save 15% on the wine portion of the gift (shipping is extra and the discount does not apply to the shipping cost). Use code BETTER at checkout. Shop this deal
These deals are valid until December 31.
Get Free shipping on Upper Level Gifts. Give any premium wine club gift of 3+ months and get free shipping ($14 per shipment in most cases). Does not apply to The Premier Series. Shop this deal
Exclusive: Save 50% on Your First Shipment. When you join any Upper Level wine club at The California Wine Club, save 50% on your first shipment. Offer does not apply to The Case Club or the Premier Series. Use code WCRHALF at checkout. Shop this deal
Read my review: SomMailier Wine Club
Exclusive Gift Deal for Our Readers!
Rarely on sale, this is a great opportunity to join a SomMailier wine club featuring French wine generally not otherwise available in the US. Order by October 31 to get the best prices of the season. Choose December or January for the first shipment.
C’est la Vie 3-Bottle Gifts
Save up to $120 on this special 3-bottle French wine subscription gift. Save $10 on a one-time shipment, $24 on a two-shipment gift, $54 on a year of wine gift, or $120 on a two-year subscription gift. Get this Deal
Rendez-Vous 6-Bottle Gifts
Save up to $232. Save $19 on a one-time shipment, $44 on a two-shipment gift, $104 on a year of wine gift, or $232 on a two-year subscription gift. Get this Deal
Et Voila 12-Bottle Gifts
Save up to $448. Save $37 on a one-time shipment, $84 on a two-shipment gift, $200 on a year of wine gift, or $448 on a two-year subscription gift. Get this Deal
The Gold Medal Wine Club features small-production wines, mostly from California. They work with family wineries to bring impossible-to-access wines to their members. No matter what your budget, Gold Medal has a wine club for you.
Read my reviews: Gold Club, Garagiste Club, Platinum Club, Diamond Club, International Club, Pinot Noir Club
These deals are valid until November 15.
The Gold Medal Early Bird Sale is always their best discount of the year. All of the wine clubs are marked down for gifting. Gold Medal doesn't offer a lot of discounts on their wine clubs because they're already priced below winery retail. This Early Bird Sale is your only chance until next October to trying their fantastic California wine clubs at a discount.
Early Bird gifts include in the first shipment: free gift wrap (organza wine bags) and a free personalized gift card. Annual gifts also include a beautiful gift box at no charge.
What to Buy During Early Bird
If you know a Pinot Noir lover, this is a don't miss opportunity. This once a year sale gets the prices down to $267 (3 months) - $984 (12 months), including shipping.
If you want to support the smallest family wineries and give impossible-to-find wines, go for the Garagiste Club. Prices range from $241 (3 months) - $903 (12 months), including shipping.
Want to taste the créme de la créme? Save over $50 on a year of wine subscription to the Diamond Club — California's best small family wines rated 93-99 points.
Winc is a personalized wine club where subscribers get personalized wine recommendations and can also choose all of the wine they receive.
Read my review: Winc
No holiday deals have been posted yet. Please check my Winc review for current offers.
These deals often aren't announced in advance. I’ll post ’em as soon as I have ’em.
These deals often aren't announced in advance. I’ll post ’em as soon as I have ’em.
Wine Access is an online wine store and wine club offering really amazing wine with critical acclaim, at (sometimes) incredibly low prices. Here are the best Wine Access deals available right now:
2017 Covalli Barolo DOCG
Grown on some of the region’s most famous hillsides, Covalli's 92-point Barolo matches scores with bottles from icons that can go for 2X the price. Regular price is $40.
2019 Highlands Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley
A sellout in almost every vintage, the member-favorite Highlands Cabernet is back. Authored by the legendary duo of Paul Segas and Silver Oak alum Dave Cofran, what others will pay $85 for costs you less than half. Regular price $85.
2014 Altos de Valdoso Reserva Ribera del Duero Spain
Best-in-class winemaking and perfect aging make this Spanish powerhouse one of the best Riberas on the market. It earned 94pts from Wine & Spirits—only Vega Sicilia and a handful of other Ribera del Duero wines have ever scored higher. Regular price $65.
Reserve Bar is an online liquor store and wine shop specializing in luxury goods. We tend to focus on wine around here, but they also offer an extensive selection of ultra-premium spirits. Many items on their site can be personalized via engraving.
Free shipping
Get free shipping on all orders over $99 with promo code: SHIP99
These deals often aren't announced in advance. I’ll post ’em as soon as I have ’em.
Guide by: Jessyca Frederick |
Inspired by frequent questions from friends and family about different wines and wine practices, Jessyca writes Useful Wine Guides so that people she doesn’t know might benefit from her knowledge and desire to share information, too.
