Direct Cellars

Direct Cellars launched in 2014 as a direct selling wine subscription company. Its early pitch was simple: a monthly wine delivery, chosen by the company and shipped to members' doors, with each bottle's origin story included. In 2016 it developed a full team commission plan, which turned members into sellers who could earn by sharing the club.

Our older profile listed the company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. By 2019 its website gave 1627 Main Street, Suite 901, Kansas City, Missouri as its home. That year the site offered a country picker for the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany. Kevin Raulston was named on the homepage as president, alongside the company's promise to its customers.

“We’re confident in our wine selections- if they do not meet your standards for any reason, simply let us know and we’ll send you a replacement bottle. That’s our 100% customer satisfaction guarantee.”

Kevin Raulston, President — Direct Cellars website (directcellars.com), November 2019

Direct Cellars sold wine, and nothing else. The company said it had wine buyers in more than 10 countries. It bought wine directly from partner wineries and released it under its own brands. It said this avoided big advertising and retail costs, and claimed its wines typically retailed for 2 to 3 times its member prices.

• Club 2: two bottles a month for $49.95, aimed at beginners.
• Club 4: four bottles a month for $79.95.
• Club 6: six bottles a month for $99.95, the most variety.
• Retail and reorders: single bottles at $30 retail or about $20 for members, plus mixed case reorders.
• VIP membership: a $25 yearly fee for case discounts, quarterly gifts and a free anniversary order.

Earlier, the old Direct Sales Aid profile described two- and four-bottle packs with free shipping. Each shipment came with tasting notes, and members could choose all red, all white or a mix.

Sellers joined as Brand Partners by buying one of two packages, called Premium Wine Lover and Premium Wine Lover Elite. They earned bonuses and commissions on their own customers and on the sales of the team they built. Everything was ordered online, and the company shipped the wine, so sellers carried no inventory.

Enrollment packages

In 2019 the Premium Wine Lover package cost $249.95 and included four bottles plus 20% off future case orders. The Elite package cost $499.95 and included 12 bottles plus 40% off case reorders. Both came with a monthly autoship of four bottles. The company said a Brand Partner who signed up three customers got their own monthly subscription free.

Pay

The company advertised “6+ ways to earn”. The old Direct Sales Aid profile described quick start bonuses for enrolling new Brand Partners, dual team pay, check match bonuses and unilevel pay. It said these capped at 20%, 10% and 10%. Staying active meant keeping a $79.95 monthly autoship. There was also a car program and an ambassador program for top performers.

On November 1, 2019, the trade outlet Social Selling News reported that Direct Cellars had abruptly suspended its direct selling business operations until further notice, in an email to its sales force. The report described the company as Missouri-based. We found no public statement giving a reason.

The wine club website stayed online for a few more weeks. A November 2019 capture still showed the shop, the wine club and the president's guarantee. The direct selling program did not return. By March 2, 2023 the directcellars.com address showed a page for SLEEK Dental Club, which has no stated connection to the wine club. It still did when we checked on October 2, 2026.

Today Direct Cellars wines cannot be ordered, and former Brand Partners have no company to buy from. If you liked the idea of sharing wine with friends, look at live wine sellers such as Boisset Collection.