The Wine Society Reviews 4.070

Really poor experience overall - wine was very average in quality (tried their wine society own range mixed collection as a first delivery as a good initial option) but decided to give it another go given you pay for membership, second ever delivery was cancelled on the morning it was due for delivery! Was told by customer service that this was due to 'our current stock management system is outdated'...... order with care, Majestic, Laithwaites, Sunday Times Wine etc were much better experiences

If only everything was less costly
hey ho
Brian lloyd

Great wine. Easy deliver

I have been a member of The Wine Society (TWS) for 15 or more years. During that time, I have bought a lot (and I mean a lot) of wine at most price points. I would be classed as an engaged wine enthusiast, so you should read this review with that in mind.

TWS is very good at PR. It even boasts of that itself! I therefore do not really need to go over areas where it communicates very effectively, but in brief: its range is wide in price, style and geography, its prices are mostly (more on that below) the best in market, service is excellent with the folks in Member Services being super helpful should issues arise, and delivery is free for any order (via DHL or their own transport – their own vans are really great, but limited in coverage and availability, so if DHL does not work for you beware). All reasons that I have bought so much wine from TWS. However, of late I find myself consciously looking elsewhere, which is what TWS very explicitly does not want its members to do.

The Society has several key traits that affect how it works. It is very self-conscious and part of that is an explicit strategy – for example a focus on Fine Wine and appealing to younger drinkers. At the same time, it wants to be all things to all people (who drink wine at least). It is highly conservative, although it thinks that it isn’t whilst wearing metaphorical chinos and a crisp poplin shirt. It has even tried pairing with Noble Rot, who are a funky London wine group that also publish an irreverent magazine. An irony being that most of the content of their magazine would make it nowhere near a Society publication, or wine review (my reviews virtually never get published).

On price TWS is probably 95% of the time the cheapest in market. It makes a great play of not having high prices and then discounting, although they do clearance sales and supplier supported discounts. Where TWS is not always cheapest is with certain quality, but large volume, wines such as Guigal Côtes-du-Rhône, that other merchants often discount. They are also often not competitive on less good vintages of classic fine wines, such as 2021 Claret, that traditional merchants have quietly sold off. And sometimes they buy in a fine wine to complete an offer but get the price way wrong – a top Alsace Riesling springs to mind.

Staying with price, TWS is very reluctant to offer members any help identifying which vintages of a wine represent good value. There is a huge push to sell bonded wines. However, there are occasions where older vintages offer better value, and this is not mentioned. The Society’s current 2025 Bordeaux campaign does show some signs of this changing. I hope that continues, as the poor-fair 2024 vintage was plugged shamelessly with no mention of value.

You will get a lot of communication if you join TWS. You can choose paper and/or email, but you cannot choose what they communicate to you. That is decided by them, based in part on what you have bought, but also by other (unknown to me) factors. And I think that this is the thing putting me off the Society of late - overload. There is no light and shade. There is plenty curation – price point, region, season etc – but one senses that each buyer, or marketing bod, must have their area shouting. The overall effect is that I feel numb.

Maybe the Society does not know me very well, although in this age of data analysis it should given how much I have bought. Don’t ever recommend me a Malbec or a Sauvignon Blanc! Do eulogise about slopes in Barolo or classic French food pairings. I have never been asked what I like, or don’t.

People’s needs are different. For me more detail, less noise. Direct the effort. And 62-year-olds do buy wine. Slàinte mhath.

Really helpful and friendly ladies who took my order and went to get it from the warehouse

I have always loved The Wine Society and have used it prodigiously over many years, enjoying the incomparable range and quality of its wines and its exceptional value and customer service. I also always look forward to the bi-annual 'List' which genuinely brightens my life when it arrives, allowing me a few hours of happy browsing through a substantive, highly informative and top quality booklet of alluring treats. For me it genuinely stands alongside the first sunshine of Spring, the start of a summer holiday and the service from King's, Cambridge on Christmas Eve. I was therefore horrified to receive the new iteration of the booklet (I just can't call it The List) which is a feeble, watered down and glamoured up (for sales purposes, I expect) version of its predecessor. A much smaller range of wines, no descriptions of the actual wines beyond basic facts and a flimsy, cheap and depressing booklet. I do appreciate the need for change and development in line with improving customer service, value and environmental considerations though the first two have been significantly diminished with this abrupt change and reducing the tiresome flurry of the various other postings would surely improve green credentials? So please, don't lose the crown jewel of the Society and let's see a swift return to the loveliness of The List in all its previous glory.

What a great company, wine and delivery brilliant. Their own drivers are kind and thoughtful, delivered exactly where asked. Thank-you.

Why do the society persist with DHL ?
Last several orders, not delivered at all - wine disappeared, split deliveries over several day, smashed bottles or nothing at all. Hopeless. Previous delivery, the Society said they were reviewing delivery option. Hmmm, nothing has changed.
Wine ordered last week, and Society said I would get a one hour slot. DHL - Texted an 8 hour slot, and only half the wine delivered. Still awaiting (yet again) the rest of wine. Nothing from DHL and after emailing the Society - nothing either. Total silence.
I have been a member for over 40 years, have significant wines in Bond, and the delivery service is appalling. Please revert to Society Vans. I would always use these if they were not so infrequent and get booked up so quickly. Says it all doesn’t it ? Listen to your members.

I purchased a box of 12 bottles of a variety of Chardonnay wines. The various wines have been of a high quality (so far), the price was very reasonable, and speed of delivery was excellent. Thank you.

Great choice of wines and suggestions for others similar; delivery from WSoc van is perfect - timely, courteous and helpful

Fine wine and an excellent delivery service.

I've been a member now for about 6 months and made several orders. The selection and pricing is excellent. I am mainly buying French and Spanish reds, and I have had some really excellent wine at a reasonable price. Caters for all budgets and if I want to splash out on a fine Bordeaux, the option is there.

Website is easy to use. Delivery from DPD has been great for me, all on time and I can get the wine quite quickly if I want to. And it's free.

I would definitely recommend joining The Wine Society if you buy wine fairly often, this is far better than any supermarket

On the advice of a friend i joined the WS and ordered wine for up coming guests over the weekend. The wine failed to arrive as scheduled and i am informed will be delivered Tuesday. Oh well back to Majestic, unimpressed but a little wiser.

Postscript- after receiving the text about Tuesday delivery and posting the above I received a further missive saying delivery would now be Saturday which indeed it was, make of that what you will

I love the Wine Society and I get some really good wine for really good value.

I do notice that most of the negative reviews tend to concern DHL rather than the Society itself. I get that it's frustrating, and ultimately the Society's reputation will suffer if its delivery partner doesn't do its job, but I've never really had a problem. If I have they've sorted it quickly and on a rare occasion that the wine hasn't been good, refunded me, no questions asked.

They've always been really good to me, and I like them because they focus on members.

Yet another delivery goes astray. TWS offer a good range of wines at reasonable prices, but only one day a week are you guaranteed to get your order - the other 6 days they use DHL, surely Britain’s worst performing delivery company. Twice in recent months, I’ve been in a hurry and unable to wait for the day of the Wine Society van, and both times, despite their fancy tracking system, DHL have failed to deliver. It’s inconvenient when they fail to meet the 60 minute time slot you’ve stayed in for, but when your wine doesn’t come that day at all, it makes you question whether TWS are worth bothering with. Other companies sell good wines, and actually do deliver it when they say they’re going to. Not so with TWS. If you’re happy to wait for the one-day-a-week delivery that TWS are reliably able to offer, then they’re good value for money; otherwise I’d recommend you give them a very wide berth. I wonder how many other customers they are losing due to their continuing dependence on the relentlessly dysfunctional DHL. It’s no way to run a business.

punctual and well communicated delivery and a great selection of wines at a good price

It was very easy to order and arrived very quickly.

Prompt deliveries. Great value quality wines. Excellent customer service.

Easy to order and good selection of wines from budget to vintage.

Wine soc is incredible member owned business. It’s commitment to service is second to none. It’s pricing is keen and website so easy to use. Open a wine and it’s off….let them know and you get a credit. Want something with bottle age, they do a museum release…..love it