If you are a fan of wines, you will agree that there is nothing that beats the tranquility and class attached to a fine glass of wine.
If you are just starting on wines, worry not, for you have landed at the perfect place to get you up to speed on your wine club journey.
Bright Cellars came to be in 2004 when MIT graduates Richard Yau and Joe Laurendi joined hands to revolutionize the wine club experience that was available then.
When it was starting, many of the established wine clubs used the traditional methods of wine acquisition and recommendation to their members. Bright Cellars sought to bring technology into the wine club sector.
The aim was and still is to bring more people to be wine lovers. This is achievable by making sure that their first experience is memorable and enjoyable.
That combo will make those clients want to keep their memberships to enjoy this wonderful delicacy of a beverage. And on the large part, Bright Cellars have achieved that by far-seeing subscriptions from all over the states.
Bright Cellars Wine Club Overview
Pros
Cons
How to Join the Bright Cellars Wine Club?
If you are stoked to join this tasty life, Bright Cellars makes the experience of onboarding easy and very friendly. With just a few clicks, you are into it, ready for your monthly delivery. So yes, they ship four wines to each of their members.
You can sign up for the monthly subscription online on their website. Best Cellars use a wine preference algorithm, Bright Points, to select a wine preference based on your options in the entry wine quiz.
The questionnaire has seven questions on your favorite drinks and snacks. This allows the algorithm to select the best tastes that closely match what you already love.
Below are some of the questions that you may be asked in the palate quiz:
- What type of chocolate would you eat any day, every day? Here choices are for dark chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate, Reese cup, etc.
- How do you like your tea made? Choices for iced tea, sugarless tea, brewed tea, etc.
- A drink you would prefer when you have no wine? (Beer, whiskey, martini, etc.)
- Favorite juice (Orange, grape, etc.)
- How do you pair your glass of wine?
- How do you like your food/adventurous/experimental?
- What is your preferred wine between red and white?
With this information, the algorithm comes up with a preferred selection(s) for you to love. This questionnaire will take you about a minute at most to complete, as it does not require actual filling-you click on the provided pool answers.
Surprisingly, you may even find that you are having fun while at it!
Wines at Bright Cellars
How Do Bright Cellars Choose Their Wines?
Bright Cellars have a team of experienced sommeliers, sensory analysts, data engineers, and connoisseurs who ensure that the wines are well done and to the standard so that their members can enjoy a quality drink all the time. They work all year round, traveling and reviewing wines from the finest vineyards around the globe.
They source their bottles from renowned wine destinations-Italy, France, Spain, and of course, the United States. From the big wine farms to the garden vines, all in a bid to select a suiting and magical experience in wine taste.
Only one in twelve wines they taste make the supply list of Bright Cellars. This means you get quality over quality, which is a good thing for any wine lover!
Apart from having a dedicated team for wine selections, Bright Cellars train their in-house team of staff on basic sommelier principles that see them have a wine talk easily like wine experts. When you call them, you are sure that you are talking to someone who understands your wine language.
What Types of Wine Do Bright Cellars Have?
Bright Cellars’ selection of wines is an in-depth and intricate process that takes a lot more than just wine tasting. Each month of shipment you receive is carefully sorted from the rich and most pristine of winemakers and the finest vineyards.
The four wines you will receive each month are not always the same. That sets them apart from the crowd, as you don’t want a grocery store delivery service but a wine experience.
To always keep you rooted and anticipatory, Bright Cellars shipment is more of a mystery, more like a buffet setting than a menu option. You don’t know what is in the box, but definitely, you smile when you see the package!
Today most of their wine choices are 100% custom. Some of the few selections of the wine cellar at Bright Cellars include:
- Forty Winks Chenin Blanc
- Mojave Rain Cabernet Sauvignon
- White Willow White Blend Riverina
- Obscura Pinot Noir
- Forty Winks Moscato
- Forty Winks Chenin Blanc Chardonnay
Details of Bright Cellars Wine Club
Pricing
Bright Cellars runs a single subscription membership plan of $60 per month. You will receive four bottles of wine based on the selection match by their algorithm, which selects wines that you are likely to love based on the personalized wine test you take when signing up.
It is a monthly contractual subscription, which means you get shipments if you honor your monthly payments.
A shipping fee of $8 is charged. However, it is not clear if the shipping charge is included in the monthly subscription fee. Not to worry, as Bright Cellars will give you a comprehensive report on the same after signing up.
Membership Benefits
Joining the Bright Cellars Wine Club, just like any wine club today, gives you a supply of wines every so often, in this case, monthly.
Your wines are carefully selected and shipped to you every month when you subscribe to their monthly club. Bright Cellars Wine Club member benefits can be bundled up into the following:
- Referral Awards-every time you introduce a friend to Bright Cellars they reward you with bonus points that you can redeem to put on the price of an incoming subscription.
- Discounts and coupons-you get a welcome bonus of 50% off the first order when you join as a new member of the club. They also run coupons from time to time that sees you get reduced prices on wine bottles. With each purchase, you earn points that are redeemable for wine.
- Flexibility-you can cancel your membership at any time. You can also do reorders at the price of your subscription, i.e., $15 per bottle with a minimum of four bottles.
- Mystery Bottle-each month, the Bright Cellars sommelier sends you a bottle that is off your selection that he thinks will evoke your taste buds. It allows you to explore the different options that are available in wine prestige experiences.
Wine Education
Bright Cellars wine education excels in those neat tasting mats. They don’t usually give many details; however, they have their own tasting quiz to ensure that you get the wine you love.
The quiz typically revolves around questions on specific questions on the drinks and foods you enjoy. Is it not fun to take a quiz and set yourself up for the best wine?
Based on the quiz results, Bright Cellars identifies your tastes and matches you with excellent bottles of wine. Generally, from the kind of chocolate you love to the cup of tea you usually take!
This quiz narrows down if you are a person who likes it sweet, a bit dryer, or fruity. The quiz only takes a minute but be sure to answer the questions honestly!
Gifting With Bright Cellars
The gift program allows you to send someone a wine gift with wrappings and everything from Bright Cellars. You need only pay for the supply and provide details of the consignee.
Folks at Bright Cellars will contact them to get their preferences right, delivery address, and any other information that they may need to make the delivery. This personalization makes the gifting experience exclusively smooth-you will be named wine gifting guru!
They have two options: here, you can get a gifting experience as a member at the regular subscription rate; $60 for the wines and $8 for shipping. Typically the cost will be a flat fee of $75 to cater for taxes and any other cost incurred.
Not to worry, as balance will be up for collection on the next gifting experience. The second option is for a dollar value per bottle, which can go up to $20 each, plus an $8 shipping fee.
Customer Service
You can contact Bright Cellars by calling them during office hours, sending an SMS, or sending an email that is time stamped to ensure that you receive a response soonest.
Their customer service works to handle all queries within 24 hours. They are very polite and always want to know what you think about the products they supply you.
Their website also offers a FAQ where you can find the basics of their wines. You can also chat with them for more information on their products, or complaints about that matter.
Refund Policy
If you receive an order that doesn’t stoke your wine buds, then you can complain. Bright Cellars, at their discretion, will make a refund or replace the bottle free of charge with the one that they think will be a total win for you.
They have a very active concierge team who are always happy to talk about wines with you. Their response time is 24 hours, which is pretty decent as it will ensure that your query is given attention within the shortest time possible.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel your subscription anytime without prior knowledge or direction. But do notify them beforehand to allow for proper recording of the same.
You don’t want a shipment at your door, and you had plans to cancel, do you? You can also resume the subscription at a later date without any repercussions.
Bright cellars also allow you to skip a shipment. If you see like you will not need wines that month or that the stock you already have is enough to take you the month.
Just like their refund policy, to cancel your membership, you will have to contact them earlier before the monthly order comes through so that you can opt-out.
The Bright Cellars may ask you questions, like why you want to cancel, which is pretty okay for any customer care to ask. They seek to know what they can do to better your experience and probably retain you as their client.
Is It Right For You
Customer reviews
Bright Cellars have on the receiving end of bad and good critics. Some judge the quality of their service, while others praise their curation of wines and selecting wines that they loved.
Here are some of the actual customer reactions:
“Received my order of 4 bottles last week, and I am enjoying every bit of it. Their red wines are a gem, and I will even recommend the service to my friends.”
“Join this service at your own risk. They never delivered my order even after repeatedly contacting support. They keep telling me it is en route. Not cool!”
“In my last shipment, I had a white wine I didn’t enjoy, and Bright Cellars swapped it for me! I love that about this service. Their red wine selection is great-I enjoyed the Oregon Pinot Noir so much. It has become a personal favorite already.”
“Did not like their customer service one bit. I tried to cancel my membership only to be met with a never-ending process and busy lines. They ended up charging my card even after logging with them that I wanted to have my subscription canceled.”
Who Should Join Bright Cellars Wine Club?
If you are starting to have a wine club experience, Bright Cellars will work for you. They give you affordable wines of the highest quality. Their wines pass a thorough examination to ensure no compromise in quality.
For you looking for a wine adventure tasting and trying different brands, then Bright Cellars will sort you out. They have a bottle of mystery every shipment to introduce you to new tastes. No risk here-you will receive a refund or the credit carried forward if the new bottle doesn’t appeal to you.
Who Should Not Join Bright Cellars Wine Club?
If you are not an avid wine drinker, their monthly shipping is inconvenient as you will have to skip shipments for the months you wish not to have wine delivered. They ought to have other plans that cater to other clients, e.g., weekly or quarterly deliveries.
Alternative wine clubs
Firstleaf Wine Club is renowned for their quality wines, as they work with independent winemakers. Their handmade wines are an outstanding blend of history and artistic touch. This gives the wines a rich and quality taste that leaves you waiting for your next shipment.
If you are looking for a budget-friendly choice, then Winc wine club is your go-to option for an assortment of wines at favorable pricing. Bottles start for as low as $13, with deliveries done to most states in the US.
Naked Wines is another option to try if you are a beginner or looking for a wine exploration tenure. They give personalized service with their wide range of wines. Their winemakers frequently interact with commenters, thereby taking critic and implementing accordingly. They have a solid product that is affordably tasty.
Summary
Bright Cellars is a very suitable option for anyone who needs to get their buds tickled once in a while. Their program features a mystery bottle where they send new wine, not in your selection but close to your tastes, thus introducing you to a world of variety in your wine selection.
You can always ask for a refund or a bottle replacement if you don’t like what they send you; talk of assurance and quality control.
You can expect your favorites like Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec in your wine supply by Bright Cellars.
Their choice and selection of wines are seamless and very thorough. Out of every 12 wines they taste, one only is selected. Their custom ordering makes it easier for you to receive wines that are well-liked by your taste buds.
However, as much as this experience by Bright Cellars is good for any wine novice, you may find it a little off if you already have a range of wines that you appreciate.
You see, as you become a self-made sommelier, you prefer more quality wines from the finely preserved farms. Not to say that Bright Cellars wines are wrong, only that for a connoisseur in wine tasting.
Based on their policies, customer care, and wine selection, Bright Cellars Wine Club scores a strong 5 stars.
For their variety of options and ease of use, that will be a 4 stars-they could do better with cancelation on their website for a fully online company. Overall, 4.2 stars are justified. The experience gets better every time.