A few weeks ago, while doing some online window shopping, I came across this wine deal that looked too good to be true. While I don't recall the exact details, I believe it was 12 bottles of wine for $70. Great price but how good are they? I asked myself.
Going beyond the initial advertisement, I soon realized that the vendor was offering an introductory wine package as a way to entice visitors to join their wine club. I was intrigued by the idea, but how many other wine clubs are out there? I couldn't, in good faith, join the first club I saw without having a clear idea of what my options were. How does this club stand up against the others? Thus began my search.
Over the next few hours, I looked for resources that would help me find the most popular and highly vetted clubs out there. I began comparing and contrasting the strengths and weaknesses of each option. How much does it cost? What do you get? What is the value and quality of these wines over those found elsewhere? What did other members and past customers have to say?
In the end, I was able to whittle down the list of choices to a select few. At this point, the similarities and differences were so minute that any of the options I had were probably going to be safe ones. So, when it came time to decide, we ended up selecting Firstleaf.
Why Did You Choose Firstleaf?
Firstleaf, which is headquartered in Healdsburg, CA, was listed highly amongst its competitors. Based on the various articles that I found, it was often referred to as a popular choice for wine enthusiasts. That sounds like us!
Beyond the public recognition, most of the customer reviews were also positive. Of course, like anything else, there was the occasional negative experience shared by only a handful of people. When compared to other wine clubs, there were those that were popular but had an overwhelming number of negative reviews, which made it easier to scratch them off the list.
Once on the site, we were presented with a short quiz that would help connect us with wines that we might enjoy. Based on the results of our initial submission, I think Firstleaf did a good job of identifying the types of wines that we currently drink while opening the door for others to try.
Beyond the personalized selections, I found the introductory offer to be just the right price for someone looking to try new things without the risk of throwing all of their money away. For us, we got 6 wines for $39 (plus tax). In total, we paid around $42.
How Does It Work?
Once you complete the quiz and review your curated selection of wines, you will enter your mailing address and payment information. Additionally, you'll have the option to update your wine preferences which include your mix of red versus white, region (USA and imported), frequency (1, 2, or 3 months), and a couple of other options.
With the introductory offer, you will receive your first box of 6 wines within a couple of days. From then on, you will get another customized box of wines according to your preferred frequency rate. Do understand that you can change your preferences at any time.
Our Experience
After exploring the Firstleaf website and completing the quiz, we decided to take the introductory offer. We completed our order on June 25 and the shipment safely arrived on July 1. Tracking was made available through the UPS website with the occasional email update from Firstleaf. Overall, it was an easy process.
