Overview
Like many online wine retailers, Naked Wines drives value for its customers by working directly with winemakers (currently 57 of them) and cutting out the middleman (the supermarkets).
To get the full value from Naked Wines you’ll need to sign up to their Angels program which does require a monthly deposit. This deposit is then kept in your “Naked Wines piggy bank” for you to spend as you please.
You could simply sign up for the Angels program and buy wines as you please from the online store, but if you want regular deliveries customised to your tastes, you’ll need to use the Naked Wines Wine Genie. More on this below.
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Subscription Club Details
In order to get the full wine club experience you’ll need to sign up to become an “Angel” and then also join their “Wine Genie” program. Here are the details:
Angels
Angels is the Naked Wine membership program. Members are required to deposit $40 a month into their Naked Wines piggy bank.
These funds are yours to spend on what you want, when you want. In return, you benefit from access to world-class wines, savings of up to 50% off the retail price, and the chance to support winemakers directly.
Wine Genie
The Naked Wines Wine Genie is personalised for you based on what you tell them about your tastes. Try out new wines from hidden gem wineries from all over the world, as well as more familiar names.
When you sign up for the Naked Wines Wine Genie program, they deliver a case of wine to your door. Rate the wine when you receive it, and they’ll tailor future cases based on your preferences. The program is completely flexible: as often as you like, you can have a new case delivered whenever you want.
Payment for your Wine Genie cases can be made using your Angel balance (the $40/month). If your order costs more than your Angel balance, the extra will be charged to your card.
Because you’ll already be an Angel member, your Angel discount will be applied to all your Wine Genie cases. They’ll also automatically include the Angel free thank-you bottle in Wine Genie orders of 12 bottles or more, when it applies.
While the Angels program is more unusual for Australian wine clubs, the Wine Genie program functions very similarly to the other wine clubs we’ve reviewed on this site. Delivery can be made every 1, 2, or 3 months, there is no lock-in contract, and members are able to pause, skip or cancel deliveries.
| Wine Club | Naked Wines |
| Name | Angels + Wine Genie |
| Type of Wine | Mixed |
| Why try them? | Support small winemakers |
| Country of origin | Aus & NZ |
| Price (per box of 12) | $120+ |
| User reviews | Good |
| Satisfaction guarantee | Yes |
| No repeats | No |
| Request wine changes | No |
| Delivery frequency | Every 1, 2, or 3 months |
| Lock-in contract? | No |
| Membership Fee | $40/month |
| Cancellation Fee | None |
| Shipping Fee | None |
| Ability to pause/skip | Yes |
| Customer support | Live chat, email, phone |
| Tasting notes included? | No |
| Organic options? | Yes |
| Low/no alcohol options? | Yes |
What We Like
Great wine and value
Customers across the board seem to be pleased with the quality of the wines they receive from Naked Wines and feel they get good value with each case.
However, as is often the case with wine retailers that work directly with wineries, many wines sold by Naked Wines are not available on the retail market. This makes it impossible to conduct direct price comparisons.
Working directly with independent winemakers
Naked Wines’ 100,000 members allows them to fund independent winemakers. By supporting small to medium sized wineries they not only help keep these producers in business, but it allows them to deliver high quality wine to the market at very competitive prices.
Here’s an example from their website:
Wine Genie program
The naked Wines Wine Genie program comes with almost everything we look for in a wine club. This includes delivery options for every 1, 2, or 3 months, no lock-in contract, no shipping fee for major metro areas, and the ability to pause, skip, or cancel as you please.
Things that are currently not included but we would like to see include the ability to request changes to the contents of the case before delivery is made, and the inclusion of tasting notes.
No fuss refund
As with most Australian online wine retailers, Naked Wines offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you don’t like a specific wine, you can call or email them for a refund.
What We Don’t Like
Monthly deposit
We completely understand that the monthly commitment from their Angels (currently 100k of them) provides Naked Wines with the purchasing power needed to negotiate with winemakers and drive value for their customers. However, as one of the few wine clubs in Australia that requires a regular payment, we do feel we need to call this out as a negative.
It doesn’t help that many people’s complaints about Naked Wines relate to accidentally signing up to the Angels program. Often they don’t realise until they see the $40 coming out of their bank account the following month.
Many people will easily spend the $40 a month from their Naked Wines piggy bank. However, others may not appreciate being forced to buy all their wine from the same retailer every month, or won’t drink enough wine to get through the monthly deposit. The suitability of the program really comes down to an individual’s personal preferences.
Customer Reviews
Naked Wines generally receives positive reviews, with customers praising their high quality wines and good prices.
However, as mentioned above, Naked Wines cop a lot of flack from people who had no intention of signing up for the Angels program and then see a monthly charge to their account.
Choice raised this issue with Greg Banbury, who was at the time Managing Director of Naked Wines. He said “you’ll only be signed up to the Angels waitlist… if you buy an ‘Angel Favourites’ case”.
In our experience, making a regular purchase from the Naked Wines website doesn’t trigger any kind of monthly charge or Angels membership.
The issues seem to occur when you arrive at the checkout page through a deal or voucher of some sort. This can either be via the quiz on their website for $100 off or from a voucher that is often sent out as promotional material.
Here’s what the page looks like, with our highlight around the relevant info.
Do we consider this misleading?
Not really.
Could they do better?
Definitely.
Given the number of people who appear to have issues with this, we feel they should call out more clearly that your card will be charged monthly if you proceed with this payment.
Instead of “Angels save $40 a month into their Naked piggy bank each month” they could do something like “You will be charged $40 a month which will be deposited into your Naked piggy bank”.
Naked Wines FAQ
Is Naked Wines a subscription?
Naked Wines is not a pure subscription service, it is an online wine retailer that works with independent wineries to deliver better value to consumers. However, if you want to access the best prices on Naked Wines, you’ll need to sign up to their Angels program. This requires a $40 monthly deposit, which goes into your “piggy bank” for you to spend as you please.
Are Naked Wines any good?
Customers are generally very pleased with the quality of the wine they receive from Naked Wines, especially given the competitive pricing.
Where is Naked Wines Australia?
Naked Wines Australia is headquartered in Manly, Sydney, NSW.
How do I cancel Naked Wines?
To cancel your Naked Wines Angel membership, log in to your account, select ‘Account details’ under your name in the top right-hand corner, then click ‘Angels Account’. Alternatively, you can call Naked Wines on 1300 898 677. If you have any unspent funds in your piggy bank, these will be refunded.
Are Naked Wines Australian?
Naked Wines was founded by Rowan Gormley on 1 December 2008 and on 10 April 2015, was acquired by Majestic Wine, the United Kingdom’s largest specialist retailer of wine.