Time for Wine? A Review of Bright Cellars

Ok, so let’s be clear:  I love a glass of wine!  These days it’s been more Zoom happy hours and drinking on the back porch than enjoying a glass while traveling but that’s where Bright Cellars comes in!  I’ve been using Bright Cellars for about a year now and  I’ve been pretty happy with it overall.  This is especially true these last few months (um, wine delivery with no going to the store?  Yessssssssss, please!).  Want to know more?  Keep reading for info on how it works and my review.

Wine always pairs well with nice weather!

Where to start?

So what hooked me was the wine quiz you take when you sign up for Bright Cellars.  You’ll be guided through a short survey that helps to determine your flavor preferences, how adventurous you are and what you like overall.  Not super knowledgeable about wine?  There’s zero worries as the quiz is designed to help figure out the basics!

What next?

Once you’re done with your wine quiz you’ll be able to select red, white or mixed for your shipment.  Pop in your payment and shipping details and your wine will arrive shortly!

What do I get?

Your monthly subscription comes with four bottles, either red, white or mixed based on your selection.  You’ll also get digital wine notes on each selection.  Your shipment will come with a different card each month – my May shipment’s card detailed wine regions.

I typically choose mixed shipments and this most recent delivery included the following:

• Whistling Arrow Zinfandel 2017
• Black Oak Chardonnay 2018
• Supergenre Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
• Vanishing Act Syrah 2017

What’s the deal with the subscription?

When you’re a Bright Cellars member you’ll get to rate each wine you receive, from one to five stars.  You can also make notes to yourself about tasting, pairings or whatever you like.  If you want to make a note to your wine concierge you can also do that while rating – I once got a very sweet white wine (not my taste at all) and begged them not to send any more that were similar.  I received a follow up email from the wine concierge noting my preferences and apologizing (wasn’t my goal to get one but this was a super nice touch!) and haven’t had any delivered since.  After your first delivery and rating you’ll then get “Bright Points” assigned to the wines that are delivered – these are based on your ratings and preferences and help to determine the best matches for you.  You can also review your previous wines and compare tasting notes, flavors and Bright Points to level up your wine knowledge.  Love a wine?  You can repurchase directly from your ratings page in your account!  Just a pro tip:  if you really love a wine don’t take too long to repurchase as they’ve been known to sell out!

Want to skip a month or just push the delivery by a week or two?  You can do that right in your account, all without having to call (love this!).  They also have a rewards program where you can earn rewards for rating wines, repurchasing and referring friends.  These points can be redeemed for merch (wine keys, shirts, etc.), more wine (yay!) or coordinating cheese deliveries.

So here’s my verdict:

If my saying I’ve been subscribing to Bright Cellars for more than a year didn’t tip you off:  I love it!  The flexibility is one of my favorite aspects of the subscription, along with how intuitive the rating system is.  Remember the wine concierge?  I’ve found them to not only be helpful but also quick with the turnaround when it comes to following up to inquiries I’ve made.  Last bit – the price point is $20 per bottle with $8 shipping which is super reasonable, especially when you factor in your time (running to the store vs. answering the door when it’s delivered).

Want to save $50 off your first order?  You can click here to signup and save (FYI I might receive a free bottle if you do).

Do you have a favorite wine subscription?