Standing in front of the endless wall of wines at your local bottle shop can feel overwhelming – trust me, I’ve been there.
After months of reaching for the same reliable bottles, I decided to test Wine Selectors, one of Australia’s longest-running wine subscription services, to see if their curated deliveries could break me out of my wine rut.
With over 45 years of experience and a panel of expert judges selecting only the highest-rated Australian wines, Wine Selectors promises to deliver restaurant-quality wines straight to your door. But does their subscription service actually offer better value and variety than your local bottle shop?
After testing their Regional Releases subscription for three months, I’m sharing my honest experience to help you decide if this wine delivery service is worth your money.
Wine Selectors Subscription Box Review
Wine Selectors - Review Summary
Wine Selectors delivers a well-curated mix of Australian wines at genuinely good value, perfect for anyone wanting to expand their wine horizons beyond the bottle shop – though the expensive delivery fees and old-school subscription management might be dealbreakers for some. Best suited to wine enthusiasts who value quality and variety over convenience and flexibility.
Overall
-
Ordering - Website - 6/10
6/10
-
Products - Quality & Experience - 8/10
8/10
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Ordering - Delivery - 5/10
5/10
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Value For Money - 8/10
8/10
Pros
- Exceptional wine variety with both familiar favorites and interesting discoveries
- Significant savings (30-36% off RRP) compared to buying individually
- High-quality wines vetted by expert tasting panel
- Includes valuable extras like Selector magazine and winery discounts
- Sturdy packaging with detailed tasting notes and educational materials
Cons
- Expensive delivery fees ($15.99-$24.99 per box)
- No online subscription management (must call to pause or cancel)
- Limited flexibility with delivery schedules
- Higher upfront cost compared to buying individual bottles
Visit Wine SelectorsCheck out their selection of wine discovery boxes
Page Contents
Who are Wine Selectors?
Wine Selectors originally started in 1975 as the Hunter Valley Wine Society, providing a way for people to explore the various wines being produced in the Hunter Valley area. Since then, they have expanded across all the major wine regions in Australia, partnering with over 500 producers across Australia. The company also produces the popular Selector magazine that you’ll also receive as part of your subscription.
Wine Selectors is fundamentally run by a panel of wine tasting experts and competition judges, so you’d expect the quality of wines on offer to be exceptionally high. They judge every single wine available on their website, only stocking the wine if it rates at least 15.5/20 (bronze).
I’m personally a very casual wine drinker, so I’m not familiar with the way wine is judged. However, it does give a sense of confidence that they are selective in the wines they stock.
I do enjoy some of the marketing material they produce, with some ridiculous statements such as this wonderfully hyperbolic quote from Trent Mannell.
From the first day I started in the wine industry I knew this wasn’t just a job, but a way of life in every respect.
Trent Mannell, Wine Show Judge
What do Wine Selectors offer?
From the Wine Selectors website, you’re able to purchase single bottles and mixed cases of wines. I’ve found their selection to be highly impressive, featuring a number of more obscure wines that can be hard to get online. Single bottles start from $15 and cases are priced from around $95. However, I’m not here to review their wine catalogue.
Wine Selectors also offer a wide range of different subscriptions, including the expected splits between Reds, Whites and Mixed cases.
What’s really exciting about the different subscription boxes they offer, is the variety of different types of wine available. Here’s a sample of the different subscriptions you can choose from:
- Regional wines
- Organic wines
- Occasions / food pairings
- Sparkling wines
- Connoisseur wines
Delivery timeframes vary between subscription types. While some offer flexible delivery options ranging from 4 to 12 weeks, others are restricted to specific schedules. For example, the Entertainers subscription is only available with 4-week deliveries, while Regional Releases offers the full range of 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12-week options.
Overall, I would suggest that whatever your taste/budget in wines, there’s bound to be a subscription that suits you.
Visit Wine SelectorsCheck out their selection of wine discovery boxes
Build Your Own Wine Subscription
Wine Selectors also offer the ability for you to customise your wine subscription, for people who know exactly which types of wine they like.
This subscription option gives you the ability to select from a wide variety of different wine types to fill either a 6-case of 12-case box.
How much does a Wine Selectors subscription cost?
The prices can vary quite significantly between the different boxes, as you might suspect based on the quality of the wine. I also compare the cost of a subscription versus buying the wines directly slightly later on in this review.
For each subscription, a box with red wines comes a few dollars ($2-$3) more expensive than the white wine subscription. I’m not sure why this is the case, but it works quite well for people like me with a preference for white wine!
| Subscription | Price | Price Per Bottle |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Releases – 6 Pack | $126 | $21.00 |
| Regional Releases – 12 Pack | $231 | $19.25 |
| Organic Releases – 6 Pack | $138 | $23.00 |
| Organic Releases – 12 Pack | $249 | $20.75 |
| Entertainers Releases – 12 Pack | $180 | $15.00 |
| Sparkling Releases – 6 Pack | $132 | $22.00 |
| Winemakers’ Releases – 6 Pack | $201 | $33.50 |
| Winemakers’ Releases – 12 Pack | $366 | $30.50 |
For anyone interested in the customised ‘create your own’ wine subscription, that’s $126 for 6 wines and $230 for 12 wines. Just slightly more expensive than the standard regional releases subscription.
Do Wine Selectors charge for delivery?
Wine Selectors delivers Australia-wide with a varying fee of between $15.99 – $24.99 per delivery depending on your postcode. Compared to other services like Good Pair Days who offer free shipping, this delivery fee is very expensive.
While their online store offers free shipping for orders over $320, this unfortunately doesn’t extend to subscription deliveries.
My Wine Selectors subscription
As someone who enjoys 1-2 bottles of wine per week, I chose the Regional Releases 6-bottle subscription on a 4-week delivery schedule. Being primarily a white wine drinker, I customized my subscription to focus on white varieties.
Delivery and Unboxing
The delivery experience was impressive from the start. My first box arrived within just 3 business days in a sturdy, well-designed package that protected the wines perfectly:
I enjoyed the design of the box and it certainly felt exciting to open up, not having a clue what types of wine would be inside.
What’s Included
Opening the box was genuinely exciting – each delivery is a surprise, and Wine Selectors includes everything you need to appreciate your wines:
- 6 carefully selected wines (more on these below)
- The latest issue of Selector magazine
- A detailed welcome pack with tasting notes
- Information about each wine’s origin and producer
The Wines
My first delivery showcased an impressive variety from across Australia’s wine regions. The mix perfectly balanced familiar varieties with exciting discoveries:
The mix perfectly balanced familiar varieties with exciting discoveries:
- Classic favorites: Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling
- New discoveries: Viognier and Grüner Veltliner
- A surprisingly enjoyable Rosé that changed my perception of pink wines
What impressed me most was how the selection represented different regions, from SA to NSW, TAS, VIC and WA.
Is a Wine Selectors subscription good value?
Wine Selectors promise to beat the RRP of your wine by at least 25% in your subscription. I wanted to test that out and see if I could have purchased my selection of wines any cheaper.
| Wine | RRP | Best Alternative Price |
|---|---|---|
| Amadio Sauvignon Blanc 2019 | $25.00 | $21.99 |
| Lisa McGuigan Grüner Veltliner 2018 | $30.00 | No Better Price |
| Relbia Estate Riesling 2016 | $25.00 | No Better Price |
| Sam Miranda Rosato 2019 | $20.00 | $18.99 |
| Three Elms Chardonnay 2019 | $35.00 | No Better Price |
| Yalumba Viognier 2017 | $24.00 | $20.00 |
According to the RRPs listed by Wine Selectors, the total value of my wine came to $159.00. I paid just $102.00 (at the time of my review) which is a grand saving of 36% from RRP!
What makes this particularly good value is that Wine Selectors includes harder-to-find wines that aren’t readily available elsewhere. Even when I could find the same wines online, buying them individually would have cost significantly more once multiple delivery fees were factored in.
Excluding the high delivery costs, I think getting a wine subscription from Wine Selectors presents fantastic value.
Additional Features and Considerations
Membership Benefits
Wine Selectors includes several valuable extras with your subscription:
- Monthly Selector magazine to expand your wine knowledge
- Exclusive discounts when visiting partner wineries
- $40 birthday month voucher
- Access to members-only tastings and events
Whilst this used to be a paid extra on top of your subscription, it’s now fully included as long as you have an active subscription.
This opens up a small loophole where you can order a 6-bottle custom box every 12 weeks for $132 and maintain your subscription (including partner discounts and event access) for just $528/year with 24 bottles of wine.
Subscription Management
The main drawback of Wine Selectors is their subscription management system. Unlike many modern subscription services, you cannot pause, skip or cancel your deliveries online. Instead, you’ll need to call their customer service team directly.
While their service is friendly, this old-school approach might frustrate those who prefer managing subscriptions digitally.
Summary: Is Wine Selectors Worth It?
There’s no doubt Wine Selectors provide a fantastic range and variety of different wines. With a strong discount compared to purchasing each wine individually, the wine selection itself offers excellent value. However, the substantial delivery fees ($15.99 – $24.99 per delivery) do eat into these savings, making the overall value proposition less compelling than it initially appears.
Despite the delivery cost consideration, these boxes remain perfect for anyone who wants to refine their wine tastes and discover new grape varieties. The curated selection and educational elements make it an enticing option for those serious about exploring Australian wines.
The service has two significant drawbacks to consider. First is the expensive delivery fees, which set them apart from competitors offering free shipping. Second is their dated approach to subscription management, requiring phone calls for any changes to your subscription.
Compared to a service like Good Pair Days who offer both free delivery and an incredibly customised online experience, these limitations might give some customers pause. If you don’t like picking up the phone to talk to a company rep, or you’re put off by additional delivery charges, you might want to explore other options.
Visit Wine SelectorsCheck out their selection of wine discovery boxes
