Wine. I love it. Like, really love it. But even after being educated by an old boss of a restaurant I worked at in Melbourne, who had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the stuff, and having consumed what could be considered a small river of wine over the years, I’m still not totally sure I know everything I need to.

I have threatened myself a number of times – to spend money on learning the proper way, but have backed out every time, as other hobbies stole my spare time… and cash!

Recently I was contacted by The Wine List, a discover & education-focused wine subscription box, aimed at the amateur enthusiast who is looking to level up their knowledge. They offered to send a trial box so I could check it out. Sounds like me. I’m in.

The premise is simple. Every month, members get:

• Two amazing bottles: (priced around £15-20 retail) and they value lesser known regions, grapes and winemakers
• Wine Roots: The Wine List’s wine course programme: 12 lessons explaining key concepts from tasting through to winemaking
• Interactive tasting cards designed to help you with finding wine aromas
• Access to the Wine List community: loads of supermarket tasting notes, monthly tasting videos, and a digital community of other wine drinkers.

The cost? A mere £39 per month.

I wanted to see what all the fuss was about – I was sent two amazing bottles – neither of which I had tried before. When the box arrived, it featured one white and one red –  a white from the Bekka Valley, the same region as one of my absolute favourites – Chateau Musar, and a very light red from the famous Malbec region in Mandoza, Argentina.

Immediately my interest was piqued, as I usually love a heavy, juicy Mendoza Malbec, but this bottle was so light and more like a Beaujolais.

I cracked the bottles open and proceeded to read the very informative info card (see pics below) before marking my thoughts on the back of the card. It was a bit of fun for sure and the wine went down very well with dinner.

I didn’t have access to Wine Roots, or the Wine List community, which would be two major selling points for me if I were to sign up properly. Will I? I reckon once I’ve moved into my new flat in a few weeks, this is something I’ll be well up for, as it will be a great talking point at a dinner party.