Assemble a cheese board to snack on and you have all the makings of a fun night in, whether you’re partaking with just your household or signing onto Zoom with family and friends. Here are our picks for the best virtual wine tastings.
Best Virtual Wine Tastings of 2022
Best Overall: In Good Taste Best for a Personal Experience: Bartholomew Estate Winery Best High-End Tasting: Matthiasson Winery Best for Frequent Wine Tasters: Priority Wine Pass
What We LikeTasting-sized bottlesAffordable What We Don’t LikeOnly free shipping for orders over $100 A virtual wine tasting with In Good Taste is, first and foremost, fun. The company’s sole focus is on tastings, which means it has put a lot of effort into making them right. What makes In Good Taste unique is that you’re shipped tasting-sized bottles of wine measuring just 187ml rather than full 750ml bottles. This gives you the chance to sample a whole lot more wine, rather than committing to just a few bottles. This alone makes it a win because it can be overwhelming to open lots of full-sized bottles at home and be left with an assortment of half-empty ones when the virtual tasting is over. Where it gets fun is choosing the tasting flight. Selections include a regional focus, such as California, Australia, and New Zealand, or a focus on wines in a box. The tastings are curated by In Good Taste in collaboration with winemakers across the world, and there are no limits on how many people can join a tasting. You’ll be shipped a box of eight wines with tasting notes ahead of the tasting event. If you arrange a tasting with six or more households, each ordering their own kit, you can schedule a private virtual tasting. If you’d like to do a private tasting with fewer than six households or boxes, there is a charge of $75. In Good Taste also caters to corporate events and large groups. Tasting boxes are $65 for eight 187ml bottles. Shipping isn’t free unless you spend $100 or more, which you could do by ordering another tasting kit to share or a different one to use another day. In Good Taste also sells full-sized bottles of the wines offered in the tastings. The company ships to all states except Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, Rhode Island, and Utah. What We LikeExtremely personalCheese pairing suggestions What We Don’t LikeShips to limited states Bartholomew Estate is a fairly small winery that makes organic wine in the heart of California’s Sonoma Valley. These are wines you won’t find in your local wine shop because they aren’t yet distributed across the country. Add to that your virtual tasting is with the winemaker himself and you’re truly getting a one-of-a-kind tasting. After ordering your tasting kit, the winery will reach out to schedule a Zoom session. You can easily arrange to coordinate with other households to make the tasting a more social experience. When the virtual tasting starts, there’s really no set end time. Winemaker Kevin Holt is extremely passionate about his wines and he will go through them at length, whether you want to taste through them in 30 minutes or much longer. You can select a four-bottle tasting for $158, and a six-bottle tasting for $257. You’ll receive tasting notes and cheese pairing suggestions as well. Profits from wine sales go directly to support the public park in which Bartholomew Estate is located. The only downside is there is a large number of states the winery can’t ship to. What We LikeHighly regarded winesPersonal What We Don’t LikeExpensive Matthiasson Winery in Napa Valley is one of the most well-regarded wineries in the country, so bringing its wine tasting experience to your home is a real treat. This virtual tasting is indeed a splurge at $249 for six bottles, but it’s worth the price if you’re celebrating. And, it’s still less expensive than hopping on a plane and flying to Napa Valley! Matthiasson’s tasting pack changes each season but always includes six 750ml bottles. After ordering the wines, you’ll be able to reserve your free one-hour tasting directly on the website, which is run by a member of the winery team. You can choose to have up to six members in one household attend and share the tasting pack. If you’re interested in doing a virtual session with multiple households or have other inquiries, you can easily reach out to the team to schedule something. While pricey, the tasting pack does come with free shipping. If you happen to be a member of Matthisson’s wine club, you also have access to these free virtual tastings. What We LikeWide varietyFlexibility What We Don’t LikeWebsite is a little confusing to navigate If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop when it comes to virtual wine tastings with respected wineries, you can’t beat Priority Wine Pass. The company is known for its concierge service wine pass for in-person tastings and experiences, and now it offers a wide array of virtual experiences. It has partnered with dozens of wineries in California, Oregon, and beyond, and even offers virtual tastings with breweries, distilleries, chocolatiers, cheese experts, and more. The website is not the easiest to navigate, but you’re able to filter the tastings based on budget and then read more about the wineries, the number of bottles you’ll receive with each experience, and other details like shipping minimums and restrictions. The wineries Priority Wine Pass partners with are small-production operations, which means many of the virtual tastings are led by the winemaker or winery owner. The cost for a virtual tasting including wines can be anywhere from $75 a shipment and can go up as much as $500 a shipment. You can also add snack boxes with salami, cheese, and crackers to your shipment for an additional charge.
What Is a Virtual Wine Tasting?
A virtual wine involves tasting a number of wines virtually, typically on a Zoom session, either with a winery or a wine expert. Some are private tastings and others are public. The number of people allowed into each tasting varies.
Are Wines Included With a Virtual Wine Tasting?
Many virtual wine tastings will ship the wines to you ahead of the scheduled tasting, while others will instruct or guide you on which bottles to buy yourself.
How Much Do Virtual Wine Tastings Cost?
The cost varies quite a bit, especially because the wines are not always included. Some virtual tastings are completely free when it’s up to you to buy the wines. If the wines are included and shipped to you, however, you can expect to pay anywhere from about $75 to upwards of $500, depending on the number of wines and the size of bottles included.
How We Chose the Best Virtual Wine Tastings
We chose to narrow down our search by only considering tastings that included the wines. There are many virtual tastings that require you to purchase the wines yourself and while a lot of them are free, minus the cost of the bottles you buy on your own, we felt the tastings that ship the wines directly to you result in a more streamlined, user-friendly experience. We also aimed to represent virtual wine tastings that fit a wide range of budgets and offer their own unique experiences.
