We set out on a quest to discover the best wine club. We found Winc. So what is Winc?
Winc is a wine club that creates unique wines with a variety of grapes from around the world. They create wines with grapes from as far away as Australia and New Zealand, as well as from our local vineyards on the California Coast.
They also use traditional grapes from Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain. Add in South American grapes from Argentina and Chile, plus those from vineyards in South Africa, and you have the world at your finger tips.
How does Winc work?
This club works a bit differently from others we researched. Instead of sending a set amount of wines at a predetermined time, they use a credit system.
After you receive your initial promotional wines, each month they charge $59.95 to your card which gives you credits. You choose when you want to order wine, how much, and which wines you want. Your credits continue to stack up until you choose to order. Then you use the credits to buy the wine. It’s as simple as that.
How do you join Winc?
Initially, Winc will ask you 6 questions to find out your palate profile. Then they select wines specifically for you. Do you like red or white? Would you pick Skittles or M&Ms to eat? Or would you eat both at the same time? Citrus, yes or no? These are just a few questions they use to discover your tastes.
How much does Winc cost?
Your initial membership starts with a promotional rate of 4 bottles for $29.95. However, we signed up when they were having an additional sale, so we paid $24.99 for 4 bottles. Then you pay $59.95 each month which earns you credits. The credits accumulate until you decide to order.
TIP: Order more than three bottles at a time. Then shipping is free.
What is included with my order?
My initial order came in a sturdy subscription wine box. The pulp from the shipping boxes is 100% compostable.
Winc included a handy booklet with the ABCs of wine and descriptions of some of their most popular wines. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed at first because I didn’t receive any information about the wines I received.
However, I later received an email which gave details of each Winc wine I had, along with food pairing suggestions. They really make an effort to be environmentally friendly. So they try to reduce the amount of paper they send.
They also give you a chance to rate the wines after trying for them to further refine their selections for you.
These wines are really tasty so make sure to serve them at the proper temperatures to bring out their flavors.
What’s the catch
None. You heard me.
If you don’t like their wines, just cancel.
You are under no obligation to buy a minimum amount of wine.
So if you decide this is not for you, quit the club.
Sign up. Enjoy your delicious wine.
You are going to buy wine anyway,right? Why not get great wine at a low price.
Then cancel if it’s not for you.
What we love about Winc
- Welcome booklet- Our first order included a glossary about wine. It is a great reference for beginners as it explains terms such as acidity, tannins, and earthy. It also listed some of their top wines with descriptions.
- Winc makes their packaging from 70% recycled materials.
- They incorporate many sustainable farming techniques.
- Winc bottles their wines in the U.S. after being shipped by boat, reducing the carbon footprint.
- Really tasty wines with unique taste combinations.
What Winc could improve
- Delivery time-We ordered our initial order on Wednesday, July 6th. The order didn’t ship out until Monday, July 11th. We received it Wednesday, July 13th. To sum up, it took a week to receive our initial 4 bottles of wine. Thumbs down. Nobody wants to wait a week for wine. However, our second order only took 4 days.
- Communication- While I received an email right after placing my initial order, I didn’t get any follow up notifications stating my wine would be shipped soon. No note stating sorry for the delay, we are hand picking the wine which takes longer. You are probably thinking, “Did she check her spam folder?” The answer is yes. Empty. All in all, better communication=better satisfaction.
- Lacked information- Other clubs I have joined in the past sent information about each wine I received. As someone who is not a connoisseur, I needed these cheat sheets to help me learn what I was supposed to be tasting. I only realized later that I could log into my account to find details about my wines. However, I wish I was told this from the get go.
Who is this club for?
This club is a great for the environmentally conscious. They have created over 300,000 cases of organically farmed wines. They use minimal intervention and are working to continually decrease their carbon footprint. 60% of their wines are considered low sugar or dry, meaning that only residual sugars from grapes remain. Many of their wines are organic and vegan. They also use the least amount of sulfur necessary to prevent oxidation.
Unique Feature
Winc makes all of their own wines. They work with growers and winemakers from 12 countries around the world to produce over 782 wines from 78 grape varietals. The wine is shipped to the US by boat before bottling which reduces the carbon footprint. They then bottle the wine here in the US.
Does this sound good? Right now you can get $30 towards your first order. Click the button to find out your palette profile and get started!
Remember, you are under no obligation to buy anything further.
What have you got to lose?
Donna Emperador is a creative blogger and copywriter. Donna believes in learning about different cultures while sharing good food and wine. She has lived in South Florida for over 20 years and enjoys spending time traveling and making wine culture easier to understand for readers.
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