Best Wine Advent Calendars

You had the right idea. A wine advent calendar: 24 little doors, 24 bottles of wine, one per day from December 1st through Christmas Eve. It’s the kind of gift that earns a text the morning it arrives. The problem is that the best ones sell out in October, some of the most popular ones are in-store only, and a quick search turns up more confusion than answers.

This guide cuts through it. Here are the best wine advent calendars available, what’s actually inside each one, where to buy them, and how much they cost. Organised by price so you can match the pick to your budget and get the order in before stock disappears.

Best Budget Pick: Aldi Wine Advent Calendar

Aldi’s wine advent calendar is the one that started the annual sellout frenzy, and it still earns its reputation every year. For around $35, you get 24 mini 187ml bottles covering red, white, and rosé wines from European and New World producers. The selection leans accessible: crowd-pleasing Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Rosé, and seasonal blends that work for everyday drinking through December.

The catch is availability. Aldi releases this calendar as a “Special Buy” in late September or early October, in store only, with no online ordering or rain checks. Once it sells out, it’s gone for the season. The best strategy is to check your nearest store in late September and pick up multiple if you’re buying for more than one person.

At roughly $1.46 per bottle, it’s the best price-per-bottle of any wine advent calendar on this list by a wide margin. For a gift buyer who wants the advent calendar experience without spending $100+, this is the right pick.

Where to buy: In-store at Aldi locations, late September to mid-October. No online option. Check the Aldi Finds tracker at aldi.us for your store’s drop date. Price: approximately $35 (varies by state) What’s inside: 24 x 187ml mini bottles, mix of red, white, and rosé

Best Warehouse Value: Costco Wine Advent Calendar

Costco’s wine advent calendar follows a similar pattern to Aldi’s: it lands in warehouse stores in October, moves fast, and tends to sell out before most people realise it’s back. The Costco version typically includes 24 x 187ml bottles with a heavier lean toward European wines: French Bordeaux, Italian Pinot Grigio, Spanish Garnacha, and German Riesling alongside a few New World picks.

The selection skews slightly more sophisticated than Aldi’s, with a few bottles that would sit comfortably on a proper wine list. Prices range from roughly $40 to $60 depending on your market and the specific year’s lineup. Some Costco markets also offer an online ordering option through Costco.com, though availability and delivery restrictions vary by state due to alcohol shipping laws.

For a household that already has a Costco membership, this is the easiest way to pick up a well-curated wine advent calendar without committing to a direct-ship subscription.

Where to buy: In-store at Costco warehouses, October onward. Check Costco.com for limited online availability in your state. Price: approximately $40 to $60 What’s inside: 24 x 187ml mini bottles, European and New World mix

Best for Nationwide Shipping: Vinebox 12 Nights of Wine

Vinebox is the wine advent calendar you can actually order online and have shipped across the US. The 12 Nights of Wine comes in two collections: Bold (9 reds, 3 whites) and Bright (4 reds, 6 whites, 2 rosés). Each collection contains 12 wines, 100ml per wine, packaged in slim glass tubes with tasting notes, food pairing cards, and access to sommelier-led video tastings via QR code.

The wines come from France, Italy, Spain, Germany, California, Oregon, and Washington. A recent lineup included a Calvet Reserve Bordeaux, a Columbia Valley Rosé, and a German Hechtsheim Weissburgunder alongside lesser-known but well-made producers from across Europe. For someone who wants to genuinely learn while they drink, the included tasting notes and video sessions add real value beyond the bottles themselves.

For $129 per collection, you get 12 wines at 100ml each. That works out to about $10.75 per wine, which is reasonable given the curation and packaging quality. Vinebox also offers a 24 Nights of Wine that combines both collections for maximum variety.

One important note: Vinebox sells out every year. Last year’s edition sold out before December. Pre-sales for 2026 are expected to open in October. Sign up for early access at vinebox.com if you want to guarantee a set.

Where to buy: vinebox.com. Ships across the US. Adult signature required on delivery. Price: $129 per 12-bottle collection; both collections available separately What’s inside: 12 x 100ml glass tubes, sommelier-curated from Europe and the US West Coast

Best for Sparkling Wine Fans: Bev Sparkling Rosé Advent Calendar

Bev makes one of the few wine advent calendars that goes all-in on sparkling rosé. The Bev calendar contains 24 x 250ml cans of sparkling rosé across the company’s lineup: the classic Bev sparkling rosé, seasonal flavours, and limited-run varieties depending on the year. Each can is the equivalent of roughly one and a half standard glasses.

The cans are nitrogen-flushed to preserve freshness, which means the wine stays bright and effervescent right up to the last day. Bev ships nationwide and the canned format means no corkscrew, no fussing with seals, and no risk of breakage in transit. It’s the most practical format for shipping wine across long distances, which makes it a genuinely good option for a long-distance gift.

The calendar runs around $99 and is available directly from Bev’s website. For a friend or partner who prefers bubbles and rosé over still wines, this is the most targeted pick on the list.

Where to buy: drinkbev.com. Ships across most US states. Price: approximately $99 What’s inside: 24 x 250ml cans of sparkling rosé

Best Mixed Red and White: Wine Insiders 24-Bottle Holiday Set

Wine Insiders regularly runs a 24-bottle holiday wine set that functions as an advent calendar alternative: 24 individual 187ml bottles, a mix of reds, whites, and rosés sourced from California, France, Italy, and Spain. The selection is approachable and food-friendly, with picks chosen for broadness of appeal rather than single-region depth.

Wine Insiders ships nationwide and often runs seasonal promotions in October and November that bring the 24-bottle set down to around $80 to $100. The packaging is gift-ready: individual numbered compartments inside a box designed to be opened one day at a time. Check their site for the current holiday lineup, as the exact selection varies each year.

Where to buy: wineinsiders.com. Ships to most US states. Price: approximately $80 to $120 (varies with promotions) What’s inside: 24 x 187ml bottles, mixed red, white, and rosé

Best Premium Option: Laithwaites Wine Advent Calendar

Laithwaites is one of the UK’s most respected wine merchants, and their advent calendar is the pick for someone who wants full-size 750ml bottles rather than minis. The Laithwaites calendar contains 24 full bottles of wine from producers across France, Italy, Spain, Australia, and South America, selected by the company’s buyers and accompanied by tasting notes for each wine.

At around $200 to $250 depending on the year’s lineup and exchange rates, this is the most significant spend on this list. What you’re paying for is quality and quantity: 24 full bottles is roughly 18 litres of wine, enough to last well beyond December if you don’t open a door every single day.

Laithwaites ships to select US states. Availability and delivery windows vary by state due to alcohol import licensing, so confirm your state is covered before ordering. Pre-sales typically open in late summer for delivery in November.

Where to buy: laithwaites.co.uk. Limited US shipping. Check availability for your state before ordering. Price: approximately $200 to $250 USD What’s inside: 24 x 750ml full-size bottles, mixed red, white, and rosé from global regions

Best Wine Gift Set (Ships Next Day): Wine Gift Accessories Bundle

If you’ve missed the window on every wine advent calendar above, or you need something that ships in two days for a birthday or early holiday gift, a well-chosen wine accessories set is the next-best option. A decanter, a set of quality glasses, a wine preserver, and an aerator pourer covers every tool a wine lover reaches for across December.

The Le Chateau Crystal Wine Decanter has over 5,600 reviews at 4.8 stars and arrives in a presentation-ready box. Pair it with the Vacu Vin Wine Saver (30,900+ reviews at 4.7 stars) and you’ve built a gift that covers two tools a wine drinker uses every week. Both ship via Prime with next-day delivery, which no wine advent calendar can match.

How to Choose a Wine Advent Calendar

The most important decision is format: mini bottles or full-size. Most wine advent calendars use 187ml mini bottles, which gives you 24 small pours, one per day. Each 187ml bottle is roughly one and a third standard glasses.

For solo drinkers or light drinkers, this is the right format. If you’re buying for a couple or a household, a full-size calendar like Laithwaites gives you 24 bottles to share properly through December.

The second decision is variety versus depth. Generic advent calendars (Aldi, Costco, Wine Insiders) mix red, white, and rosé across a dozen regions. This is the right call if you want to cover all bases or you’re not sure what the recipient prefers. Single-focus calendars like Bev (all sparkling rosé) are the better pick when you know exactly what the recipient drinks.

Budget matters differently here than it does for most gifts. At the low end, around $35 to $60 for Aldi and Costco, you’re paying roughly $1.50 to $2.50 per bottle. The wine quality reflects that: these are approachable, everyday drinking wines.

Mid-tier options like Vinebox and Bev at $99 to $129 spend more per wine and offer better curation. Premium options like Laithwaites push $200+ but include full-size bottles and producer-level selections. If you want to plan the rest of December’s wine alongside the calendar, our best wines for Christmas list covers full-size bottles for the holiday table.

One thing to get right: when to buy. The Aldi and Costco calendars hit shelves in late September and move in days. Vinebox and Bev pre-sales open in October. If you’re searching in November, act immediately: waiting a week can mean missing out entirely until the following year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a wine advent calendar?

A wine advent calendar is a gift set containing 24 individual bottles or portions of wine, one for each day from December 1st through December 24th. Most use 187ml mini bottles, which is roughly one and a third standard glasses per day. Some premium versions include full 750ml bottles. The format mirrors a traditional advent calendar: numbered compartments, one opened per day in the countdown to Christmas.

How much does a wine advent calendar cost?

Prices range from around $35 for budget options like the Aldi calendar up to $200 to $250 for premium full-bottle versions from specialist wine merchants. Mid-range options from direct-ship brands like Vinebox ($129) and Bev ($99) fall in between. The main variables are bottle size, wine quality, and whether the calendar is curated by a specialist or assembled from bulk stock.

Are the mini bottles in wine advent calendars real wine?

Yes. The 187ml bottles used in most wine advent calendars are the same format used for single-serve wine on aeroplanes and at events. They contain the same wine as a full 750ml bottle of the same label, sealed and preserved the same way. The difference is just volume: 187ml is a quarter of a standard bottle, or roughly one generous glass.

When do wine advent calendars go on sale?

Most wine advent calendars become available in September or October. In-store options like Aldi and Costco typically land on shelves in late September and sell out within days to weeks. Direct-ship options like Vinebox open pre-sales in October for November and early December delivery. Waiting until November significantly narrows your options, and waiting until December means most calendars will already be sold out.

Can you buy a wine advent calendar on major online retailers?

Due to alcohol shipping licensing laws in the United States, bottled wine advent calendars are generally not available through major general-purpose online retailers. They are sold directly by wine specialists (Vinebox, Bev, Laithwaites) who hold the necessary alcohol shipping licences, or as in-store releases at warehouse and grocery retailers like Aldi and Costco. Wine accessories advent calendars do ship through standard retailers, but these contain tools rather than wine. For a curated alternative gift in the same price band, see our wine gifts under $50 list.