Winc is a wine subscription box that re-imagines the traditional wine club by offering 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 this Wine Subscription
The Subscription Box: Winc
The Cost: Bottles start at $12.99 each with a membership. (Shipping is free on orders of 4 or more bottles.)
The Products: Small-lot wines, ciders, and sparkling options sourced directly from vineyards and winemakers.
Ships to: Eligible US zip codes, which you can check through this link.
Winc November 2019 Review
When you sign up to join Winc, you take a six-question palate profile quiz (so quick!) to help determine your taste in wine. Based on your answers, Winc makes bottle recommendations for you every month. You can go along with their recommendations, choose your own bottles from their regularly changing selection, or skip the month completely. You can also take the palate profile test as often as you’d like.
The bottles are shipped in an upright cardboard box that has molded pieces to hold them in place. This helps prevent the bottles from bashing into one another during transport. The box is rather sturdy and has a convenient handle that makes it easy to carry. I get a lot of use out of the box's clever design, and always make sure to keep at least one on-hand so I can make quick work of toting multiple bottles to a friend's house or elsewhere (when I feel like sharing, anyway).
No promo materials were included in this month's delivery, so how about those wines?
2018 Keep It Chill Chillable Red — $19.99 (or $17.99 through the subscription)
France
Body: Medium
Sweetness: Dry
Alcohol: 12.7%
Winemaking: Eco-friendly, vegan
I opted to receive 1 red and 3 whites several months ago and it's an arrangement that's been working well for me. My only red of the month is this one that can be enjoyed chilled, and while I suppose you can put any bottle of red wine into the fridge, I admittedly fell for the allure of the marketing and decided to take a swing. Firstly, I really like cold wines, so this was already a winner at first sip. It carried a distinct tang, likely from the raspberry and cherry notes. I didn't quite get the rosemary and rhubarb effects but that's all right. According to the site, this one pairs well with cured meats and cheese, so I whipped together a little charcuterie plate with what I had lying around, and wouldn't you know, it was an excellent match indeed.
2018 Vinyasa Chardonnay — $14.99 (or $12.99 through the subscription)
Clarksburg, California
Body: Light
Sweetness: Dry
Alcohol: 12.5%
Winemaking: Eco-friendly
The description of this bottle claims it to be an excellent post-workout treat due to its lower alcohol content, and you know what, I'm here for that. As it turns out, I worked up quite a sweat trying to get the cork out of the bottle after Andy very securely resealed it once this delivery was photographed, so we'll call that a workout and get into the taste test. I've earned it. Anyway, I picked up on the green apple and lemon notes right away, which were really sunny and pleasant. As for the crushed rock and cucumber notes, I didn't get those as much, which is fine, because they were toward the bottom of my list of flavors I was eager to discover. Plus, I was a fan of the sleek bottle silhouette, so this one is crowned a winner.
2018 Outer Sounds Sauvignon Blanc — $17.99 (or $14.99 through the subscription)
Marlborough, New Zealand
Body: Light
Sweetness: Dry
Alcohol: 12.3%
Hello, old friend! I received one of these back in March and really liked the crisp, forward fruit and bright acidity. It's like sipping on a ray of sunshine, which is much needed now that it's pitch black at 5pm. This is one of those excellent bottles that suits my tastes nearly to a T, and would be a great one to share with friends—though, something tells me I'll likely polish it off before inviting anyone to share a glass! It's my name on the package, after all...
NV Eplevin Cider — $17.99 (or $15.99 through the subscription)
Sonoma, California
Body: Medium
Sweetness: Dry
Alcohol: 8%
I took a chance in September and added a bottle of Winc's cider to my order and was very pleased—so much so, whenever I had company, I'd immediately open with "hey, good to see you, you've gotta try this!" before shoving the bottle in someone's hand. This particular cider is light, very crisp, and almost perfumey in a floral way, which I wasn't expecting. I couldn't detect the promised notes of pineapple, green apple, and lemon, but maybe that's just my unrefined palate at play (or perhaps all the pepperoni and cheese I enjoyed while writing this review). All that said, this was a very drinkable choice that I'll certainly enjoy, but I do prefer its counterpart.
Verdict: Am I unhinged for ordering exclusively cold bottles now that it's winter? Temperature preferences aside, this was a really solid delivery from Winc. I enjoyed every bottle (though some more than others) and am generally pleased with what their algorithm has been choosing for me. Also, I've said this before, but I'll happily mention it again—I'm a fan of the Winc experience as a whole. The user interface is great, the customer service is outstanding, and you can't beat the convenience of it all. If you're someone who goes into the wine section with confidence about your taste preferences and desired price points, then you do you. I am not one of those people and I very much appreciate how easy Winc has made the heavy lifting without me ever having to leave my house (which is ideal as the temperatures keep dipping up in the northeast). Winc retains my recommendation, so if you're curious about giving it a try, I say go for it.
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. As of publication, all the bottles I received are available, so you could duplicate this box if you feel so inclined! Sign up today and curate your own selection, or let them choose a few bottles for you.
Value Breakdown: This box cost $61.96 for three full bottles of wine and one bottle of cider, but had a retail value of $70.96, so that's a savings of $9.00 by having the subscription.
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