He Wines, She Dines is a monthly (or bi-monthly) wine club that sends you personally curated bottles of wine based on your taste preferences along with a featured item, straight to your door. They offer three subscriptions: for $49/month + shipping you can choose The Standard (three personalized bottles), or for $99/month + shipping you can choose between Club Jeroboam (three premium wines) or Club Cuvee (two premium sparkling bottles).
This is a review of The Standard monthly subscription for $59 ($49 + $10 shipping).
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About He Wines, She Dines
The Subscription Box: He Wines, She Dines
The Cost: $49 + shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 20% off your first box!
CODE: MSA20
The Products: 3 bottles of hand-picked wine personally curated for you, as well as a featured item each month.
Ships to: the US and Canada for $10
He Wines, She Dines November 2018 Review
When you sign up you will answer several questions about your taste preferences including what varietals of wine and flavors you enjoy, your wine personality (i.e. exotic or not too crazy), your thoughts on tannins, and whether you prefer reds, whites or both.
The bottles are packaged carefully between these large pulp dividers that protect the wine and keep them separated. Bonus: my son loves to pretend they are volcanoes for his Little People figures!
They come packaged with tissue paper and a nice branded sticker.
Maeberry Handcrafts Handcrafted Soaps in Island Nectar and White Tea & Ginger - Retail Value? (The shop is currently taking a break so I wasn't able to get their values.)
Our featured item this month was a pair of handcrafted soaps and they included a nice insert about the company and why they chose these soaps as well as a coupon code for 20% off. The scent for these soaps is very mild and I love the fun colors. These are organic, eco-friendly and made without harsh chemicals and were included to help us relax during the stressful holiday months. I appreciate that they are from a small business as well.
We received a nice envelope full of several branded marketing materials and other extras including this letter about how we can purchase prior bottles we may have enjoyed.
Wine Glass Tags
We received this little packet of wine glass tags which will definitely come in handy if you want to have a tasting party or are simply having guests over and enjoying a bottle together.
I received a nice handwritten note welcoming me to the club. I thought this was a nice, personal touch!
This first wine had a cute tag saying "I may be young, but I'll age well."
I love that they include an information card about the wine as well as a recipe on the back for braised cabbage. This is listed as a 2015, however, my bottle is a 2016, so hopefully, this one hasn't changed too much between vintages!
2016 Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon—Retail Value $43
Vintage: 2016 (listed as 2015 on the card)
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Paso Robles, CA
Pairs Well with: pork, beef, fish, and cheese
Alcohol: 15%
Description:
Deep ruby in color, the 2015 Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon expresses aromas of freshly picked black currants, ripe black cherries, and blackberries, with subtle notes of violets. mocha, and dried spices.
I love a good Cabernet Sauvignon and since this one was mentioned as being special, I couldn't wait to taste it. I found it to be medium-bodied and not too complex. It was pretty fruit-forward with notes of blackberry and nice tannins on the finish. It really opened up nicely and both my husband and I found this to be a very easy wine to drink. This seems like a people-pleaser - one of those wines that you bring to someone whose wine preferences you aren't sure of because it's good, but not too bold or dry.
This bottle came with a recipe for jalapeno fish tacos which sounds amazing!
2015 Two Sisters Chardonnay—Retail Value $40 (found here for $31.99)
Vintage: 2015
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Appellation: Sta. Rita Hills, CA
Pairs Well with: pork, beef, fish, and cheese
Alcohol: 14.3%
Description:
A limited production wine with rich, complex and intense character...notes of hazelnut, graham cracker, candied lemon zest, and citrus marmalade.
I love a good Chardonnay and this one was nice, but it didn't wow me. I definitely got a lot of oak as opposed to a more buttery chardonnay and the finish had a bite to it. I wouldn't call this wine intense as they did, but it was rich and slightly complex in flavor. I definitely got a lot of crisp citrus flavors and was able to pick up on a bit of the nutty flavor on the finish.
This last bottle came with a recipe for Filet Mignon with Balsamic Glaze. I wish I could cook a steak to look that good!
2012 Macphail Pinot Noir—Retail Value $42.99
Vintage: 2012
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Appellation: Sonoma Coast, CA
Pairs Well with: pork, beef, fish, cheese, and dessert
Alcohol: 14.5%
Description:
Bright red fruits jump from the glass, led by cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate...there's a spicy sassiness with notes of cedar and clove and a touch of white pepper.
I found this pinot noir to be medium-bodied and slightly complex in flavor. I got a bit of a bite at the beginning (sassiness!) and then it mellowed out nicely. This was what I would call a "boozy" wine, one that sort of gives you the feeling that you're going to have a hangover the next day if you drink too much of it! I brought it to a family gathering and it went over pretty well. The flavors are good with a little bit of spice and some dark fruits.
Verdict: This was my first time receiving a shipment from He Wines, She Dines and I thought all of the wines were very nice and perfectly suited to my flavor preferences. I regularly drink all three of these varietals so it definitely felt curated to my tastes. I loved all of the nice touches such as the bonus gift, the handwritten card, and the included recipes. It made it feel much more like a complete experience rather than just receiving a product. Plus, having it delivered straight to my door is definitely a nice perk! As for value, I came up with a retail value of $125.99 which is fantastic for a $59 ($49 + $10 shipping) box.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Wines are curated to your personal preferences so your wines could be different than mine since they will be based on your survey responses.
Coupon - Use code MSA20 to save 20% off your first box!
Value Breakdown: This box cost $59.00 for three full bottles of wine but had a retail value of $125.99, so I saved $66.99 by having the subscription and that's not including our bonus soaps!
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Have you tried He Wines, She Dines?
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