Winc Wine of the Month Review + Coupon – December 2018

Winc (formerly known as Club W) is a wine subscription box that re-imagines the traditional wine club. Winc offers a regularly changing selection of unique, small production wines that are sourced directly from vineyards and winemakers.

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 Winc

The Subscription Box: Winc

The Cost: Bottles start at $13 each. (Shipping is free on orders of 4 or more bottles.)

The Products: Small-lot wines sourced directly from vineyards and wine makers.
Ships to: All US states EXCEPT AK, AL, AR, DE, HI, KY, MS, OK, PA, RI, DS, and UT.

Winc December 2018 Review

When you sign up to join Winc, you take a short, fun “palate profile” quiz that helps determine your taste in wine. Based on your answers, Winc makes bottle recommendations for you every month. You can go along with their recommendations or choose your own bottles from their regularly changing selection (or skip the month completely).

The bottles are shipped in an upright cardboard box that has molded pieces to hold them in place. This also helps prevent the bottles from bashing into one another during transport. The box is rather sturdy and has a super handy handle that makes it easy to carry! It’s quite the transportable beauty. A real party in a box, if you will.

Looks like everyone arrived safely!

Here’s a look at what was in this month’s envelope.

Instead of their usual educational tidbits, Winc went with a NYE-themed promo that encourages gifting their bottles throughout the holiday season.

Hello Fresh generously included a $60 gift card, along with a discount on deliveries and free shipping. Nice!

Check out our Hello Fresh reviews to learn more about this meal subscription box service.

YogaClub offered a free outfit with the first three boxes ordered from their subscription service. Check out our YogaClub reviews to learn more!

Frances Valentine contributed 20% off the first online order. If the tutu-style off-shoulder top on the promo card is up for grabs, I may just use this one.

Lastly, Made In, a kitchen tool company, came through with a code for 25% the first order.

Let’s get into the wines, shall we?

2017 Kin & Country Cabernet Sauvignon — Retail Value $22.99 (or $18 through subscription)

Lodi, California

Body: Full

Sweetness: Dry

Alcohol: 13.7%

Winemaking: Eco-friendly, Vegan

This cab sav is a pretty solid red! With a 3.9 star rating (out of five) by 2,426 Winc users, this wine touts tasting notes of bacon, blackberry, cedar, and dark chocolate. Dry reds tend to give me an initial pause, but this one goes down nice and smooth. If you’re not a huge fan of reds, especially the dry ones, this is a welcoming introduction to the category.

2017 #TBT White Wine Blend — Retail value $16.99 (or $13 through subscription)

California

Body: Medium

Sweetness: Slightly sweet

Alcohol: 13.1%

I received this bottle for the first time back in October and was really excited to see it again. It was my favorite of that month! Initially, the name of this wine displeased me. #TBT—why, why? That aside, the label design for this bottle was really nice. It’s comprised of moments submitted by the Winc community, which wound up playing into the originally-questionable name in a nice way. As for the wine itself, it’s so, so good. Very smooth, and just sweet enough for me to reach for it only moments after putting the glass down. If there’s a white wine you’re down to try from Winc to test out the experience, let it be this one. Did I mention it’s a twist-off? Bonus.

2018 Mercana Malbec —Retail value $18.99 (or $15 through subscription)

Mendoza, Argentina

Body: Medium

Sweetness: Dry

Alcohol: 14.4%

Winemaking: Vegan

Hooray, another twist-off! This one hails from Argentina, with tasting notes of plum, red cherry, spice, and vanilla. What makes this Malbec so special (preferred lid situation aside) is a savory element that’s typically missing from Malbecs at this price point. It finishes on the savory side, and is indeed pretty elevated in comparison to its price tag. This wine would be good to bring to a dinner party, as it’s sure to impress. Also, the label design is so clean and interesting.  

2018 Alma Libre Sauvignon Blanc —Retail Value $16.99 (or $13 through subscription)

Aconcagua, Chile

Body: Light

Sweetness: Dry

Alcohol: 12.6%

I received the Alma Libre pinot noir last month, without realizing it had a sauvignon blanc counterpart. This particular white promises notes of bell pepper, lemon rind, and melon. The bell pepper flavor is instantly recognizable in the scent and initial test but finishes with a crisp smoothness. From the Casablanca Valley region of Chile, this sauvignon blanc is a solid dry white made to pair beautifully with Thai, sushi, salad, and veggies, and just like it’s pinot noir variant, it wasn’t my favorite right off the bat but grew on me steadily.

Verdict: This month’s Winc selections were pretty decent! While none of the other “new” wines beat out my favoritism toward the #TBT, they were all delicious in their own right. My contentment with Winc continues on, and I’m already looking forward to what next month will bring!

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Since Winc allows you to choose your wine, you can get any combination you’d like any month. Sign up today and you’re welcome to curate your own or let them choose.

Coupon – Save $25 off your first order, no coupon required, just use this link

Value Breakdown: This box cost $59.00 for four full bottles of wine but had a retail value of $75.96, so I saved $16.96 by having the subscription.

Check out all of our Winc (Club W) reviews or visit the Drink Subscription Box Directory for more boozy boxes!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

Do you have a favorite Winc wine?