While we all wish we could be spending the day at a beautiful vineyard drinking and learning about the best wines and the food they pair with, this wonderful experience isn’t always possible.
Luckily for us, we live in an ever-evolving technological world where virtual wine tastings are now available.
Thanks to the virtual times we live in brands, wineries, and industry professionals, now offer us the vineyard wine tasting experience in the comfort of our homes.
Being able to sample beautiful wines from the comfort of your own home is a privilege, but with so many on offer, finding the best experience can be overwhelming.
However, with a bit of careful planning and help from us, you’ll be able to find the best virtual wine tasting experience in no time.
To make things easier for you, we’ve even done the research and compiled a list of the best virtual wine tasting experiences on offer, so if you want a Mediterranean vineyard experience at home, make sure you keep reading this article!
How Does A Virtual Wine Tasting Work?
Before we dive straight into the list of the best virtual wine tastings, for those that aren’t sure, let’s take a look at how a wine tasting experience works.
While every brand, winery, or industry professional might vary their wine tastings slightly, the main principle of the experience remains the same. A virtual wine tasting essentially does its best to let wine lovers experience wine like they would at a wine tasting venue.
Like regular wine tastings, you get the opportunity to taste and learn about several wines a winery offers. The only difference is that you get all of this without visiting the winery. Instead, the winery comes to you.
The winery will coordinate a wine delivery to your address, before arranging an online face-to-face meeting with you and your group. This gives them the chance to share details of the wine with you, explain its taste, and also give you the opportunity to ask any questions.
On top of all of this, the experience is typically accompanied by stories, videos, images, tasting notes, and any other add-ons used to enhance the experience.
Now we know a bit more about how they work, let’s look at the wineries and brands that do these wine tastings best.
OUR TOP PICK
The first company on our list that offers high-quality virtual wine tastings is Wine.com.
Considered to be the best of the best when it comes to offering interesting and exciting wine tasting experiences, the main reason most people love Wine.com and their virtual tastings are because of how much they have to offer.
Wine.com has an extensive calendar of free wine tasting events to attend. All you have to do is buy the wine in advance and turn your laptop on. You can easily register for the event before joining the session on Zoom.
One thing we love about Wine.com, aside from the fact that tastings are free, is how you can also access past tastings or a session you missed on YouTube.
Offering anybody over the age of 21 the chance to learn about a wide range of wines from all over the world, Wine.com even provides free shipping under the StewardShip plan.
If you’re pushed for time but still want to experience an enjoyable, yet informative wine tasting, we can’t think of a better place to start.
You have thousands of bottles to choose from, a flexible schedule of tastings, and even the opportunity to take part in spirit tastings.
What more could we ask for?
Pros
- Free tastings - All tasting events are free, you just have to buy the wine.
- Can watch missed sessions - You can watch missed wine tastings back on YouTube.
- Wines from around the world - Wine tastings with Wine.com include wines from all the popular regions.
Cons
- Wines can be expensive - You might have to pay a lot to purchase every bottle of wine for your tasting.
EDITORS CHOICE
Jordan Winery’s incredible private wine tasting sessions bring the best aspects of Sonoma California, directly to your doorstep.
On the Jordan Winery website, they state “This online wine tasting is our way of bringing Jordan’s warm hospitality from our table to yours”. From what we’ve seen, they do this impeccably well.
Through the Jordan Winery website, you can book your own private wine tasting for you and up to an impressive 50 guests. Once booked a Jordan staff member will work hard to tailor your experience to suit you.
Offered throughout the week, you don’t even have to drink Jordan’s wine. Brilliantly, Jordan will tailor the experience of the wine tasting to suit the wines you already have in the cellar.
Alternatively, you can choose from the wide range of vintage bottles Jordan has to offer. During your tasting experience, your host will talk to you about the wines you taste, what’s new at Jordan’s winery, and give you details about new vintages you might soon like to try.
If you, your family, and your friends want the ultimate tailored wine tasting experience, seriously consider Jordan Winery's virtual experience.
Pros
- Learn about your own wines - Jordan will happily teach you about the wines you already have in your cellar.
- Range of vintages available - You have a wide range of beautiful vintage wines to choose from if you wish to.
- Tailored experience - Jordan Winery will tailor your wine tasting experience to suit you and your group.
Cons
- Subject to availability - Due to the tastings being private, you’ll have to get in there first if you want a session.
BEST VALUE
The next virtual wine tastings on our list are delivered by Priority Wine Pass. Priority Wine Pass’s tasting experiences are excellent if you’re looking for something private and personalized.
Great for a get-together with your friends, a team-building activity, or simply a date night in with your partner, Priority claims to have the largest online collection of premium wine tasting options.
Based in Napa Valley, Priority Wine Pass has successfully joined forces with a variety of the best wineries throughout Oregon, Virginia, and of course California. This is great for us because it brings an enormous amount of options and possibilities right to our door.
When we reviewed Priority Wine Pass, we were pleased with just how easy it is to set up a private virtual wine tasting session that suits everyone’s needs and requirements.
Simply head to the Priority Wine Pass website, choose a package, of which there are many, and let the wine experts do the rest.
We were also thrilled with how much customization can be put into each tasting. Every aspect of your experience from the wine delivery and budget, to the wine expert and group size, can be adapted to your needs.
Pros
- Customizable - Tastings can be adjusted to suit your budget.
- Wide range of wines to choose from - You have an amazing list of wines to choose from.
- Private - Enjoy your virtual wine tasting experience on your own or a group of your choosing.
Cons
- Have to buy Priority Wine Pass’s wine - Unlike other tasting experiences, with Priority Pass you have to purchase their wine.
RUNNER UP
Popping open a beautiful bottle of bubbly is a celebration all by itself so why not do so over a free 30-minute long Zoom tasting session.
Based in Napa, California, Domaine Carneros focus their virtual wine tasting experiences purely on sparkling wines.
Adding a pop of shimmer to the wine tasting experience, most people love the flexibility, fair price, and of course the quality of wine on offer from Domaine Carneros.
To take part in one of Domaine Carneros’s virtual wine tastings you first need to buy some of their wine. This couldn’t be easier, with the winery offering four different themes, each including three to four wines.
Once you’ve selected your wine shipment, simply call Domaine Carneros to schedule a Zoom call with one of the many wine experts that work for the company.
The expert will then take you through the story of how your wine came to be, what you should taste, and what other sparkling wines you might like.
A lot of people like to use Domaine Carneros’s services as a birthday gift for their friends. The winery will even send you a quirky Zoom background of the Chateau to make things even more entertaining.
In terms of wine on offer, we can highly recommend the estate brut and brut rose.
Pros
- Perfect gift idea - This wine tasting experience will make the perfect gift for your friend.
- Variety of packages available - There are four different themes to choose from.
- No charge for the tasting experience - You only have to pay for the wine.
Cons
- Only sparkling wine - If you don’t like sparkling wine, this wine tasting isn’t for you.
RUNNER UP
The final wine tasting on our list is provided by Brooklyn Winery. There’s a high chance that after taking part in one of Brooklyn Winery’s curated tastings, you’ll find yourself making New York wines a staple of your drinking regime.
Brooklyn Winery crafts a range of wine styles and cuvées to ensure every wine lover can find a bottle that their palate enjoys.
Hosting private and group virtual tastings, Brooklyn Winery delivers high-quality, interesting, and more importantly entertaining holiday-themed tastings.
Impressively, each tasting can have 12 to 500 guests making it a fantastic experience for large remote companies who want to treat their online workers. All you have to do is organize a date, time, and type of tasting session and Brooklyn Winery will do the rest, sending all the wine with shipping to every single one of your guests.
During the session, all you have to do is sit back, relax, and sip on beautiful wines. The host will run the party for you and teach you all about the different wines.
The only downside to this wine tasting is that you have to buy at least 12 packages, each containing two or three bottles of wine. This makes it only suitable for groups of 12 or more people and quite a pricey experience.
Pros
- Variety of packages - There is a wide range of wine tasting packages to choose from.
- Great for larger groups - Catering for up to 500 people, Brooklyn Winery’s sessions are perfect for bigger groups of people.
- Snack advice is given - In advance, Brooklyn Winery will give you some good advice regarding which snacks will go with the wine.
Cons
- Have to buy 12 packages - Unfortunately, to take part in this virtual tasting you have to buy at least 12 tasting kits.
Buyer’s Guide
Picking the right wine tasting for you can be difficult. To make things easier for yourself, take the following factors into consideration.
Group Size
One of the most important things to consider when choosing a wine tasting is how many people are taking part. Virtual wine tasting sessions are delivered in a range of groups depending on the organization.
It would make no sense to use a winery that only runs sessions for 12+ people if there are only 2 of you. On the other hand, if there are 30 in your group, make sure you don’t book a tasting that can only have 5 people.
Type Of Wine
You might want to think about the type of wine on offer during the tasting. Some brands have a wide range of bottles, giving you more chance to find a wine that suits you. However, some wineries only have one option available.
For example, Domaine Carneros only sells sparkling wine. If you don’t like sparkling wine you would obviously need to steer clear of this tasting.
Budget
We always recommend looking for a winery that is flexible when it comes to offering you a package that fits your budget. Generally speaking, most wine tasting brands are flexible, giving you a choice over how much to spend on your experience. However, some are better than others.
Tasting experiences delivered by the likes of Jordan Winery can be completely tailored to your budget, even letting you use the wine you already have if you don’t have a big enough budget to buy theirs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Book For Multiple People At The Same Time?
The beauty of most virtual wine tasting experiences is that they can be easily turned into a group activity. While some hosts limit how many people can join a Zoom call, others pride themselves on delivering tastings that can be enjoyed by as many or as few people as you need.
Some companies will cater for 12 or more people, while others can cater for 500. Most wine tasting hosts will even cater for just 2 people.
Which Virtual Wine Tasting Is The Best?
Although it ultimately comes down to personal preferences, Wine.com is thought to deliver the very best virtual wine tasting. To be honest, we tend to agree with this statement.
Wine.com offers an incredibly versatile wine tasting experience with hundreds upon thousands of free options. What makes the tastings even better is that you only have to buy the wine and previous sessions can also be watched.
Is A Virtual Wine Tasting Worth It?
Yes, virtual wine tastings are definitely worth it. They give those of us who can’t make it to the vineyard the opportunity to still take part and experience what an authentic wine tasting is like.
They also give you the opportunity to try something new with your friends and family. Besides, what’s better than sipping on a beautiful glass of wine in the comfort of our own homes.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, that concludes our guide to the best virtual wine tastings. As you can see from our list, there is a wide variety of pretty incredible options to choose from, all of which put their own unique spin on making a virtual wine tasting experience more enjoyable.
Whether you take your wine tasting seriously or simply want to try something new with your friends and family, there is a wine tasting experience on our list for you.
Some wine tastings are designed to teach you about the wine's rich history, while others simply want to bring people together to enjoy something new.
Now you have our list at your disposal, spend some time narrowing down the options until you find the wine tasting experience that suits you best.
I want to share with you all of my favorites, as well as share advice on picking certain alcohols and flavors.
I hope you enjoy my articles as much as I enjoyed researching them!
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