If you're weighing Laithwaites for wine delivery in the UK, this review is based on 12 months as an active subscriber, not a one-off order review. Here's what worked, what didn't, and whether the subscription is worth continuing.
The 12-month verdict
01What Laithwaites actually is
The catalogue is broad — around 800 wines rotating — with a strong bias toward small-producer bottles rather than supermarket-tier bulk brands. Twelve months in, that breadth is the headline: I never felt like I was drinking the same six wines on repeat.
0212 months of subscription — what worked
- Range across price bands. Cases spanned £8–£25 a bottle, and I discovered several go-back-tos I'd never have picked on my own.
- Regional discovery. The regional Discovery Club cases (Rhône, Southern Italy) genuinely broadened my palate.
- Delivery reliability. 12/12 cases arrived within the promised window; damaged-bottle replacement was one email, fast.
- Tasting notes. Card-per-bottle notes are actually useful, not lazy marketing copy.
03Where it fell short
- Occasional over-familiar picks. Two of the twelve monthly cases repeated 2–3 bottles from a prior case — curation could tighten here.
- Entry-tier price pressure. At £8–£10 a bottle, supermarket bottles compete hard. The real sweet spot is the £12–£18 tier.
- UK-only reach. No Northern Ireland delivery on some SKUs; overseas delivery is a separate service entirely.
04Discovery Club vs Wine Plan
Wine Plan is the good baseline — a consistent monthly case with mix-and-match themes. Discovery Club is the standout, with themed cases offering curation you couldn't easily replicate shopping a supermarket shelf yourself. Serious wine drinkers who want breadth should go Discovery Club; casual subscribers will find Wine Plan is enough.
How it compares
- vs Virgin Wines: similar model — Laithwaites usually wins on producer diversity, Virgin is sometimes cheaper on the £8–£12 tier.
- vs Naked Wines: Naked's crowdfunded producers give more upside on price; Laithwaites has the broader classical range and more predictable curation.
- vs supermarket direct (Tesco Finest, M&S): not really comparable for enthusiasts — Laithwaites' curation earns its price on the £12+ tier.
Laithwaites — the subscription I tested for 12 months
Wine Plan and Discovery Club, side by side for a full year — 12/12 on-time deliveries and a catalogue that never repeated itself.
🔒 UK wine merchant since 1969 · ~800 rotating wines from ~500 small producers · one-off cases, Wine Plan & Discovery Club. Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Who this is for
✓Subscribe if…
- You want to broaden your palate without effort
- £12–£20 a bottle feels right for your budget
- Curated cases (not solo bottle-by-bottle picking) suit your lifestyle
–Skip it if…
- You already have a strong local wine merchant you trust
- Your budget cap is £8 a bottle
- You prefer to research and pick every bottle yourself
Frequently asked questions
Can I skip a month? Yes — the Wine Plan lets you skip or delay any month via the account portal.
What if I don't like a bottle? A 100% money-back guarantee applies to any bottle; contact within a reasonable window.
Is the introductory offer worth it? Check the current intro pricing — the mixed case usually runs £30–£50 off the a-la-carte price and is stocked with a few high-value bottles.
How do I cancel? Cancel via the account portal or email; there's no lock-in beyond the current case.
Verdict
Twelve months in, Laithwaites earned its place. Not the cheapest, but the palate expansion plus delivery reliability made it worthwhile. Recommended to anyone at the £12+/bottle band who wants curated variety without doing the research themselves.
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