The wines from HelloFresh are approachable and easy to drink, making them an excellent option for folks who are just beginning to explore wine.
HelloFresh is one of the biggest names in the meal kit industry, which makes its jump over to wine boxes pretty seamless. Like its meal kits, which are unfussy and dependable, so too, is its wine.
Lot 18 serves as HelloFresh's partner in the wine-sourcing enterprise. The online retailer promises to provide "access to high-quality, hard-to-find wines from around the globe," and it certainly makes good on its promise.
The wines from HelloFresh hail from several different countries. In my box, there was actually only one wine from the U.S. (it hailed from California). Otherwise, bottles came from France, Germany, and Argentina. That said, all wines are bottled at Lot 18's California winery, so even though it's a "product of France," it's imported and shipped from the West Coast.
HelloFresh seeks to be as nonintimidating as possible, both in terms of its meal kit recipes, packaging, and its wines, too. Each delivery comes with six standard-sized bottles. If you go with the Mixed Wine plan, you'll normally end up with four reds and two whites.
All wines are meant to pair with a HelloFresh recipe, but they're also perfectly fine with the cheese plate you threw together as a quick appetizer for your dinner party. HelloFresh sends along an info sheet featuring tasting notes, as well as an email that makes fun suggestions around your wine and potential snack accompaniments.
I was particularly fond of the Chasseur de Cailloux blend of 70% Syrah, 15% Grenache, and 15% Carignan. Fruit-forward and easy to drink, HelloFresh's online tasting notes suggest that this "food-friendly wine should be matched with spice-rubbed pork chops."
Also popular among reviewers and customers alike is the Lustra Pinot Blanc from Monterey County. Elin McCoy of Bloomberg called this white wine "rich and lush," while users on wine review app Delectable called it "very smooth," "light," and "buttery."
My Insider Picks colleague, Connie Chen, said, "HelloFresh is better suited toward someone who likes wine but doesn't need to know everything about it."
At $89 a month including shipping, the bottles work out to about $15 each, which is comparable to what you might expect at your local wine store.
Pros: Easy to drink, unassuming wines for everyday enjoyment, global selection, reasonable cost
Cons: For those who are more experienced wine drinkers, this may not be the most exciting of subscriptions to receive
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