11 best wine clubs for discovering new vinos and becoming an expert

Wanderlust Wine focuses on sustainable and small producers, meaning you get to experience vinos that aren’t available on the mass market. As its name suggests, the company makes it easy for you to explore a multitude of regions and wine styles from all corners of the globe.

What stood out to us in particular is the vast collection of wines that feel similar in style to the grape varieties we always go for, but enable you to venture a little more into the unknown. Many of the wineries have their own unique stories, so you can come armed with dinner table talk, too.

Whether it’s the four wines included in the silver subscription (£48) or the 10 in the platinum (£200), every case comes with brochures about what you’re drinking, free tickets to tastings, and fantastic discounts. They also have a great customer service team, too.

Wines come directly from independent producers, cutting out the middleman and therefore extra costs for you. Wanderlust’s dedication to sourcing smaller producers means wineries that are often overlooked are given the support they deserve – a huge plus. Ultimately, It’s easy to join, easy to leave and, most importantly, the wine is easy to drink.

When it comes to sipping from a steady flow of exceptional wines (90+ points, industry-acclaimed and stocked in Michelin-starred restaurants), Perfect Cellar doesn’t disappoint. A master sommelier sniffs out the highest quality bottles and even provides a “sommelier in your pocket” tool.

Members get 15 per cent off the entire collection and a virtual cellar, but cellar masters get 20 per cent off, free delivery on orders above £49, exclusive access to rare wines and more.

For those who want to dip their toe into exploration by the glass instead of the bottle, Perfect Cellar also has a tastingbox subscription. Choose from three or six glasses of epic wines delivered through your letterbox every one, three or six months. If you want to join an ecosystem of luxury wines and personal service, look no further.

Virgin has plenty of drinks retailer awards to its name and, with more than 1.2 million discovery club cases shipped, you’re in safe hands. Twelve bottles will be delivered to you every three months, and you’ll receive a preview of what’s set to be included, so you can swap out any you don’t want – a neat feature. If you decide to receive the suggested wines but don’t like them upon tasting, you can get your money back.

The sheer scale and availability of bottles mean you get to try so many new wines. Also, despite the massive brand name, the company works closely with well-reviewed independent winemakers, too – so, you get the best of both worlds.

With fantastic sign-up offers, this is usually where people start their journey, and it is well worth exploring if you’re about to host a big gathering, as you can save some pennies on your first case and enjoy some fantastic wines.

Launched in 2020 by wine and cheese expert Dan Belmont, Good Wine Good People is fantastic for a personalised wine subscription. The company aims to learn about your tastes and desires (when it comes to wine, at least) and, as you give more feedback and information, the brand continues to refine and tailor the selection of bottles sent to you.

Drawing from its top-notch range of 500 wines from more than 20 countries, the company puts serious work into finding bottles you’ll love. Where other clubs can fall short with a “one fits all” solution, here, you can choose your wines based on price point (£20, £30 or £50). It’s all about discovering who you are as a wine drinker, and the story of the producers selected, then bringing the two together in beautiful harmony – pure wine poetry.

Gusbourne offers two memberships, with the most popular explore membership costing £540 for the year, and the collectors £800. With English wine enjoying a meteoric rise, it’s surprising that Gusbourne is one of the only producers offering a membership programme so drinkers can get the most out of this flourishing space.

All the wines use fruit from the Gusbourne vineyards in Appledore, Kent and West Sussex, and you’ll receive a bottle, delivered straight to your door, every month. But there’s a lot more – complimentary wine tasting vouchers, preferential pricing, expert advice, and a customer service concierge.

Tasting is believing, so, see for yourself just how far English wine has come, with the best still and sparkling wines selected for you to try every month from arguably one of the best wineries in the country.

Unlike most wine clubs, Majestic has a high street presence and, as one of the biggest wine retailers in the country, it’s no surprise it comes with such a fabulous choice. Masters of wine sweat over the themed wines delivered to you four times throughout the year. An in-depth guide will accompany your 12 exclusive bottles, and, if you want to buy more, you’ll enjoy generous discounts. The themes take you on diverse terroir tours, while the value and quality of the wine are reliably fantastic.

Ridgeview members receive two mixed cases of six bottles in May and November, a guided tour of the picturesque winery at the foot of the South Downs, a tutored tasting for two and a cracking 20 per cent off all Ridgeview wines year-round.

It’s a one-stop shop for getting involved in the blossoming world of English wine, and with Ridgeview being the UK’s first B Corp accredited estate, you’re in the right place. With ambitious carbon neutral aims, big expansion and investment plans and monumental yields, now might just be the best time to sail the crisp seas of English sparkling wine. Ridgeview will even throw in two free sparkling wine glasses when you sign up.

The quality and simplicity of The Little Fine Wine Company’s membership is hugely appealing. Each month, a region or theme is picked, and four suitable fine wine half bottles are painstakingly selected. Delivered to your door, they are accompanied by engaging tasting notes alongside an industry-leading online tasting, should you wish to delve deeper.

Don’t feel like exploring north-eastern Italian wine? You can skip months. The same offering exists for more bottles, and there’s a champagne and sparkling gift subscription that makes a thoughtful present.

Aptly named, this is the world’s oldest not-for-profit wine retailer. Alongside being a retailer from which you can purchase a vast assortment of wines, The Wine Society also offers a range of subscription plans, so you can really nail down what you want.

All the hassle is taken out of exploring delicious new wines, and it goes without saying The Wine Society has the knowledge and experience to deliver, whether it’s regions you’ve never tried before or traditional French gems.

Grapey is a little different because it offers a club card rather than a traditional subscription. A one-time club card can be used for up to five bottles per order, whereas the annual club card is completely unlimited. Essentially, you need it to buy wine from Grapey – so what is the appeal of being part of the club? Well, the company works directly with winemakers, skipping the importers and retailers that usually add costs to every stage of the buy chain. This means premium and luxury wines with eyebrow-raising savings. It’s a model that gives regular drinkers access to fine wines from some of the most renowned wineries, and anything that democratises wine is good, in our book. It’s perfect for those who are keen to explore certain wine regions and wine styles while making a tidy saving in the process.

Plonk is a wine club importing directly, meaning it has access to interesting bottles you often won’t find at merchants or retailers. The focus is on small-batch independent producers and customisation, with no two boxes the same.

If you love French wine, Plonk might be for you, because this is their specialism – curating a great selection of first releases, new vintages, back vintages, and limited allocation wines from family-run producers. All the work has been done for you, you’ve just got to open up the box, sit back, relax, and enjoy. Oh, and the company also makes very admirable efforts with carbon emission deliveries, which is always appreciated.

Read the full Plonk review now