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. It's one of our favorite alcohol delivery options out there!
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 February 2020 Review
When you sign up to join Winc, you take a six-question palate profile quiz 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.
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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 (when I feel like sharing, that is).
Winc also included a promo card for their latest offering, Lost Poet. On the back is a fun zodiac profile on different wine types. Is anyone else a sucker for these? I definitely am (which could have something to do with my Leo tendencies.)
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2018 Restless Earth Cabernet Sauvignon — $18.99 (or $16.99 through the subscription)
Santa Barbara County, California
Body: Full
Sweetness: Dry
Alcohol: 14.4%
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 cabernet sauvignon, which was more for my partner than myself as I know he likes reds, specifically this kind. The notes of this one include a very forward black cherry, followed by bacon, leather, and baking spice. Don't threaten me with a good time! I loved how I could detect the black cherry from first sip to finish—it gave this cab sauv a great, jammy quality that makes me question my near-exclusive dedication to white wines.
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2018 Più Giogia Pinot Grigio — $14.99 (or $12.99 through the subscription)
DOC delle Venezie, Italy
Body: Light
Sweetness: Dry
Alcohol: 12.2%
Winemaking: Vegan
Hello, old friend! I received this bottle in a previous delivery and was delighted to see it appear again. It's one that took me by surprise, so I'll let my previous review do the talking since those sentiments hold up:
This bottle promised notes of lemon, wet stone, and peach, and while I’m not sure my palate is refined enough to confirm those accounts, I thought it was all right. It was certainly on the dry side with a light bite, but was still refreshing served at a cool temperature. It wasn’t something I would consider my taste straight out of the gates, but I came to appreciate it with each passing sip.
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2018 Porter & Plot Chardonnay — $32.99 (or $27.99 through the subscription)
Carneros-Sonoma, California
Body: Medium
Sweetness: Dry
Alcohol: 14%
Winemaking: Eco-friendly, vegan
I noted last month that Winc's affordable wine selection seems to be decreasing in favor of more expensive options, which I estimate is due to the exciting options and opportunities they've been teasing about rolling out this year. This chardonnay is my priciest option of the month and it was worth every single cent. I loved it! On a particularly rough day, I poured myself a glass while getting dinner together and couldn't believe how smooth and refreshing it was. The medium body still erred on the light side, and the citrus, lemon rind, and white peach notes were beautifully balanced by the minerality of the crushed stone note. Needless to say, my neighbor and I polished this bottle off in an evening and I wish I had more! Something tells me we'll meet again, Porter & Plot.
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2018 Passarola White Blend — $14.99 (or $12.99 through the subscription)
Portugal
Body: Light
Sweetness: Dry
Alcohol: 12.5%
Passarola, my old friend. I've had this wine a few times before and always adore how light and lovely it is. My long-held favorite Winc wine was #TBT (yes, that's actually the name) but since its untimely departure from the whites collection, this white blend now reigns supreme in my heart. I can't get over the profile of apple, white peach, honeysuckle, and wet stone notes. It's refreshing, crowd-pleasing, and best of all, a really great price. Also, I'll likely be in Portugal by the time you're reading this review, living out my Passarola dreams!
Verdict: Winc was great this time around, though I'm hardly ever disappointed with what they send (aside from the sparkling options they try to sneak in, but if you're proactive with your account, then they're easily avoided if you don't want them). My total came to $70.96 for 4 bottles I really enjoyed, which is about average for me. Because there is no singular set cost for deliveries, the value you reap from this subscription is entirely up to you. I could have brought my total cost down by $10 or so if I'd opted for another base-tier wine instead of the Porter & Plot, but the occasional light splurge with this subscription typically pays off, or at least it has from my experience, particularly this month. Do I think Winc is worth it? Yes, absolutely. I'm such a fan of the user interface, the accessibility to new wines, and their customer service is phenomenal. Plus the wines are usually my taste, so what's not to love?
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 $70.96 for four full bottles of wine, but had a retail value of $81.96, so that's a savings of $11.00 by having the subscription.
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