Bright Cellars Review

Overview

Have you been feeling like you’re stuck in a wine rut – always reaching for the same bottle and never feeling adventurous enough to switch it up? Maybe you just don’t know what you actually like, or you don’t feel like wasting $20 only to end up with a bottle that you hate? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a brilliant system that could determine exactly what type of wine you would love and then could ship it to your doorstep monthly for you to enjoy? Well dream no more, because with Bright Cellars that’s exactly the service you get. 

This smart subscription service uses a palate test to pinpoint and understand the types of flavors you enjoy and then uses that knowledge to curate a monthly wine selection for you that is quickly shipped right to your home. No more wasted money or half-finished bottles, Bright Cellars treats you to premium wines that match your preferences, all for less than you would pay at the liquor store. From wine newbies to tasting pros, Bright Cellars caters to everyone and this Bright Cellars review will take a deep look into how it works, what they offer, and why customers come back month after month.

How DOes it Work?

Bright Cellars has made a subscription service that is extremely easy to access and everything is done directly on their website. Those who are interested in trying them out will first need to take the taste palate quiz, a unique system that helps to build up a profile about you so that they can better select wines that match your preferences. Based on your responses, Bright Cellars will then narrow down their wine database so that you are only sent bottles you will enjoy, eliminating anything too sweet, too dry, or any other profile that you dislike.

After you complete the quiz you will then need to create an account which includes your information and shipping address. Your account is part of a subscription, meaning that what you are signing up for is a monthly box of wine that is shipped to your doorstep. Your credit card will automatically be charged month after month unless you pause or cancel your subscription. However, pausing and cancelling is straightforward and simple, something you can do quickly and hassle-free whenever you want.

There are a number of benefits to sticking with Bright Cellars long term, including, but not limited to, the fact that over time the system better learns your preferences and will continue to adapt so that your monthly wines are more fine-tuned to your tastes. This means you get to discover new wines each time without the worry of whether or not you’re wasting money, since you are guaranteed to enjoy everything you are sent. 

In total you will receive four bottles per month and you pay a flat subscription fee regardless of the actual cost of each bottle. Overall, you benefit from greater savings than you would if you bought the bottles individually so you end up getting more bang for your buck. You can also enhance your savings through the Bright Cellars referral program which earns you points for every person you enroll with them. Points can then be redeemed for free bottles, an awesome deal for any wine lover.

Taste Palate Quiz

What makes Bright Cellars unique is that they rely on their own customized tasting quiz in order to ensure that customers are always sent wine that they love. The quiz is based around 7 specific questions, each looking at the kind of food and drink that you typically consume and enjoy. Looking at your favorite kind of chocolate to how you take your cup of tea, this quiz will narrow down if you’re someone who likes things on the sweeter side, if you like your wine a bit dryer, if bottles should be more fruit forward, or if a bold red is going to excite your most. 

The quiz takes only a minute or so to complete but it is important you really take your time with it and answer truthfully because it will significantly impact your entire experience with Bright Cellars. All bottles that follow are going to be based around your answers here, although this isn’t the only factor that determines your future shipments.

In addition to the taste palate quiz you will also rate your bottles using Bright Points, a percentage based rating that lets Bright Cellars know how much you enjoyed that particular wine you were sent. By rating each wine monthly the algorithm can continue to fine-tune its selections, curating you a better selection month after month. The longer you stick with Bright Cellars the more of a guarantee you will have that every single bottle is going to perfectly match your tastes.

Ordering & Delivery

Since Bright Cellars is a subscription service it works a bit differently than say an online liquor store. This isn’t a website where you have to go in and place an order each month, and instead, your order is automatically renewed monthly until you choose to pause or cancel your subscription. For your very first order there is a bit more to the process since you need to take the quiz, create a profile, and finalize your order; but after that it’s pretty hands-off minus the rating of the bottles. 

Every month the algorithm will select the four bottles it believes you will enjoy most and then has those shipped to your house. As long as you are over the age of 21, you can have it shipped to anywhere within the USA and there is a flat shipping fee of $8. Because it is alcohol, you will need to sign for your order when it arrives as well as provided valid identification that proves your age. If you are unable to be home for the delivery, you can have someone within your home who is over 21 sign for it, or you can have it shipped to your work so you never miss it.

Since each box contains glass bottles it is packaged properly so that nothing breaks or becomes damaged during transit. You will find each bottle is individually wrapped and then securely fastened inside a cardboard tray that tightly holds each wine in place. If your order does arrive damaged, simply contact Bright Cellars directly so that they can make it right.

Types of Wine Available

Bright Cellars doesn’t have an online shop or list of wines available, so it is a bit of a mystery as to what exactly they carry and how often their stock changes. What is clear, is that Bright Cellars does source their wine from all across the globe and they carry a mix of less expensive and premium wines which will randomly be added to your monthly box. 

During the taste palate quiz, one of the questions you will be asked is regarding the types of wine you prefer and you can select between only white, only red, an even mix of both, or a slight preference for one over the other. Depending on what you choose, this will influence what you receive so if you select to get only whites then that is how it will stay and you will never have any reds mixed in. There are no questions about roses or sparklings, so those do not seem to be included in the rotating selection and it is unlikely you will see either in your subscription box.

Contained within your box you will find a tasting guide that gives you some general information about specific notes for each bottle. Some find that the information provided is a bit sparse, but the good news is that Bright Cellars does have a blog that offers more in-depth information which you can access through their website. Better for the environment, this cuts down on added paper and waste within your package while still giving you everything you could want to know about your specific bottle.

If you have any questions about the wines that are available, or if you want to know more about specific bottles or taste profiles, then you are always welcome to contact one of the Bright Cellars concierges who are on hand to help make your subscription experience as positive as possible. 

Bright Cellars Cost

Bright Cellars keeps their subscription service very minimal and doesn’t have the same range of plan options that some of their competitors offer. However, the benefit to this is that they can focus more on the wines themselves each month and don’t have to cater to so many plan options. 

Those who are interested in signing up with Bright Cellars will always get four bottles per month, and those four will always be all red, all white, or half and half depending on your preferences and quiz selections. The subscription cost monthly is a flat fee of $60 plus an additional $8 shipping fee for a total of $68 USD. 

Broken down it works outo to an even $15 per bottle you receive, which depending on what you typically drink may feel either generally inexpensive or a bit on the higher side. For most, this is a pretty standard bottle cost though, and it is important to note that the retail cost of the bottles sent generally exceed this $15 price point. 

Bottom Line

If you’re looking to try new wines, learn more about flavor profiles, and generally enjoy what the world has to offer then Bright Cellars may be a great fit for you. Their customizable quiz and intelligent learning system is a unique feature that really helps Bright Cellars to stand out, as well as gives customers confidence that the selection they are sent is actually going to be something they enjoy. While you are paying $15 per bottle, for that price you get to discover new and exciting wines that you haven’t had before, all with the guarantee that each sip will delight your taste buds and make you feel like it was money well spent. 

With their wine selection rotating monthly, you will continue to get new wines in every box and over time the selection will become more and more fine tuned to your individual preferences. Subscribing to Bright Cellars month after month means better wines and greater savings, not to mention the ability to earn points and redeem for free bottles. So if you’re a wine lover, or even new to the world of wine, you should check out Bright Cellars today and see what new and exciting offerings they have on their menu this month.