A wine subscription service can introduce you to a whole range of excellent wines you never about. Both newbies and experienced wine lovers can enjoy all the benefits that wine subscriptions can bring. There are lots of options available, and one of these is Firstleaf.
You could have heard of Firstleaf from various wine industry publications, from an ad, or maybe even from a friend or connection. We decided to try Firstleaf for ourselves to find out what all the buzz is about.
Enjoy our Firstleaf wine club review to learn about the company, see what we thought of the service, and to help you decide if you want to give it a try as well. This wine club has a lot going for it, so let’s get right into it.
Firstleaf Main Benefits
Before signing up for any wine subscription services, we like to dig around first for some background information.
As for the question – Is Firstleaf legit? The answer is a big yes!
We found that this company is very credible. It was founded by Philip James, a British entrepreneur, and adventurer based in California, where it is located. The mission behind the service is to become the most customer-centric wine service. This is achieved through a robust system of analyzing wine data, customer ratings, and wine preferences.
As it stands, three main factors make Firstleaf stand out:
- Personalized wine selections based on the thumbs up ratings from customers
- Incredible value and access to affordably priced quality local and imported wines
- Lots of flexibility – choose your wines, skip deliveries, or cancel at any time.
If you’re still wondering how exactly the subscription service works, we’ve got you covered. When you join the club, you take a short quiz for Firstleaf to determine your wine preferences. Next, you receive an introductory order of quality wines delivered to you. After you have rated these, you start receiving curated club orders.
More benefits of joining the club include:
- A 100% satisfaction guarantee
- Great variety of award-winning wines
- The Firstleaf community of over 100,000 fellow wine lovers, using a smart ranking system.
- An exclusive wine concierge team
- Excellent customer service available for extended hours daily
Our Try with Firstleaf
We decided to try out a wine box from Firstleaf to taste their wines for ourselves. It was also an opportunity to experience every aspect of the service for ourselves—from the signup and ordering process to the delivery and, finally, to the best part of sampling the wine selection from Firstleaf.
Placing an order on the website was easy enough to do. We were very excited when our wine box arrived a few days later. The packaging was very impressive; our wine bottles were in good condition when they came. We also enjoyed all the company information, wine information, and the newsletter in the box.
Every wine club has a unique style and its pros and cons. There was a lot that we loved about the service and the whole experience. We wished that the rating system could be different after you get your bottles of wine delivered.
Because Firstleaf does a lot of data analysis, the rating is simplified to a thumbs up or down. It could be great if we could also share comments on our experience.
You are probably ready to hear about our experience with each of the five bottles of wine we tried from Firstleaf. Here is some information on the wines we tried, their taste, the prizes they have won, and our general experience with each of them.
Le Douleur Exquise 2019 Grenache
This French red wine has over 13 awards to its name, including the Best of Class in the 2020 International Women’s Wine Competition and 98 Points in the 2020 Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition. The wine comes from the oldest wine-making region in France, Languedoc-Roussillon, or “Pays d’Oc.”
Le Douleur Exquise is a classic medium-bodied French Grenache and features a rich fruitiness. You can catch the pomegranate, strawberry, and raspberry flavors.
Using the helpful tasting and pairing notes, we tried this wine alongside a dish of braised beef and mushrooms, and we loved how the fruity flavors were enhanced.
Isolde’s Rapture 2018 Syrah
This is another award-winning wine of the Syrah variation. It has ten awards in total, including the Best Syrah in the 2020 Critics Challenge: International Wine Competition and 95 Points in the 2020 Critics Challenge: International Wine Competition. Isolde’s Rapture comes from Monterey County, California.
We loved the bold mix of dark berries, chocolate, and spice flavors. The combination with a pork dish only made the wine better.
Tintoretto 2019 Sangiovese
The Tintoretto is another award-winning wine, this time a classic Italian Sangiovese. It features the signature dusty tannins and juicy, savory flavors we know so well from other wines in this variety.
With five awards in the bag, the Tintoretto has most recently won 91 Points in the 2020 Sommelier Choice Awards, the Gold Medal also in the 2020 Sommelier Choice Awards, and the Silver Medal in the 2020 USA Wine Ratings.
The flavor of the Tintoretto is composed of sour cherry, strawberry, and a leathery taste. You can also savor the herb and balsamic taste in the wine. As recommended, we paired this wine with a tomato-based dish. We chose a creamy tomato pasta and enjoyed the combination.
Watchful Maker 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon
The Watchful Maker is a classic Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley in Washington. Many people are not as familiar with this beautiful wine region as they are with California’s wine areas.
This Cabernet Sauvignon has landed three awards: 90 Points in the 2020 Harvest Challenge, the Gold Medal in the 2020 Harvest Challenge, and the Silver Medal in the 2020 USA Wine Ratings. This textured wine had great berry flavors, and you can easily catch the richness of blackcurrant, raspberry, blueberry, and a touch of mocha.
This local wine also paired well with different meat dishes. We love the great texture that comes with a classic Cabernet Sauvignon.
Rancho Campo 2018 Malbec
The last of the five Firstleaf wines we tried was the Rancho Campo. This wine is a bold Malbec from the Mendoza region in Argentina. The stand-out flavors include violet, plum, blackberry, vanilla, and cocoa.
The Rancho Campo has landed two awards, namely the Silver Medal in the 2020 USA Wine Ratings and another Silver Medal in the 2020 Sommelier Choice Awards. From the Firstleaf wine card, we learned that this wine pairs well with grilled vegetables, empanadas, and desserts. It is a full-bodied wine and went well with a meal off the grill.
Final Thoughts – Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?
Our final verdict after trying the Firstleaf wine club is defiantly thumbs up!
One of the standout features was the quality of the wines, both local and imported. You get a wide selection of wines to try from this subscription plan. We appreciated the personalization process, from the initial quiz to the opportunities to rank each of the wines we tried to improve the matching.
We noted that becoming a Firstleaf club member is an affordable option for the quality experience and wines we receive.
We were able to get a great coupon for our readers – for even more savings on your wine. So make sure to use it when ordering. Cheers!
