The Wine List – Wine Club Subscription

As restrictions have been in place for over a year now, there has seldom been a better time to learn a new indoor-based skill which also involves consuming alcohol. Our wine and cheese correspondent Jax took the time to sample a membership of The Wine List, a wine club which teaches you how to taste wine via a high-quality two bottle-per-month subscription.

My pre-Wine List wine criteria was not exactly sophisticated – I knew I liked most Rioja and certain brands’ versions of different wines but generally speaking would go for wines with a high RRP-low(ish) actual price or based on recommendations from friends and family who actually knew what they were talking about. So it was very nice to have the opportunity to learn about the different elements of what makes an enjoyable wine and how to tell more about the wines we drink!

With each delivery you will receive two bottles of wine, usually sold at around £16 per bottle according to wine app Vivino (and of very good quality according to that app). These come with tasting cards to note your observations as you sample, with more information about the wine itself on the reverse, again of good quality and beautifully designed.

With your first delivery, you receive an instruction booklet to help you navigate the tasting itself, and with further deliveries the booklets provided delve further into different things that can affect the taste of the wine – we received one which went into the different types of casks used and how that can have an effect on tannins in the wine. One thing that wasn’t clarified in the original instructions was whether tannins are good, bad or just an element when tasting but a quick google gave me the answer (it’s just an element when tasting as it turns out).

I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to fancy up a few evenings in per month: for stay at home date nights or virtual hangouts with loved ones. It’s more high end but the care and attention that goes into the selection and information is well worth it and makes for quite the treat – something we all need a little of at the moment!