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.
I've been subscribing to Winc for years, and it's one of my favorite alcohol delivery options out there!
This box was sent at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
My September 2021 Wines: First Impressions
In the warmer months, I tend to gravitate towards white wine. Crisp bottles of citrusy wine served chilled is just my happy place when it's stifling hot outside. When I placed this month's Winc order, the balmy days of summer felt like they'd never leave, but the day my box arrived, there was a chill in the air that made me long for a glass of red. Next month, I think you can expect to see some darker wines in my Winc review.
But for this month, I went with all whites, and I kicked things off with a winner.
The Taste Test
2020 Prismus® Pinot Grigio- $17.99 (Member Price: $15.99)
1 of 3
DOC delle Venezie, Italy | Light | Dry | 12.3% alcohol
Pinot Grigio is one of my favorite easy-drinking wines, and I first tried Winc's Prismus a few months ago. I liked it so much that I've been eyeing it on the site ever since, and I couldn't resist adding a bottle to my shipment this month. The flavor is delicate but with obvious hints of minerality and bright citrus, and the combination of green apple, lemon, and lime on the palate is really just lovely. This bottle isn't as tart as your average Sauvignon Blanc, and it's not as "wet stone-y" as a bottle of Sancerre, though the flavor is similar. It's almost like a crisp bottle of one of these wines got its edges sanded off and the volume turned down slightly. It's charming, reserved, and delicious. I think Prismus has secured its place in my Winc hall of fame. I'm putting this bottle in the top 5 Winc wines I've ever had.
2020 Far + Wide Grüner Veltliner- $15.99 (Member Price: $13.99)
1 of 3
Austria | Light | Dry | 12.4% alcohol
I must have been feeling adventurous when I shopped for this month's wines because I ended up with a lot of unusual whites in my box. One of the things that I enjoy about Winc's selection is that it's not unusual to see varietals that veer off the beaten path. Sure, you'll find plenty of Chardonnay's, Sauvignon Blancs, and blends in the Winc store, but you're also likely to see less familiar wines like this Grüner Veltliner. Grüner Veltliner is an Austrian grape that's fresh, versatile, and not nearly as unfamiliar taste-wise as the name might lead you to believe. It's bright and aromatic, and it reminds me of a good friend I have who went through a big Grüner Veltliner kick a few years ago. Every time we went out to eat, she'd order a glass if it was on the menu. This one's for you, Jamie. It took me a couple of sips to get into this particular bottle, but once it opened up a little I was into it. I sipped a glass of this wine while sitting out on the front porch watching the world go by, but I think it would also pair well with white fish or moules frites.
2018 If a Tree Falls® Gewürztraminer- $14.99 (Member Price: $12.99)
1 of 3
Washington | Medium | Sweet | 12.7% alcohol
If you're familiar with my wine reviews, you may be surprised to see this bottle in the lineup; I very rarely gravitate towards sweet wines, but I do sometimes make an exception for Riesling and Gewürztraminer. I'm a big believer that sweet wines pair well with spicy foods, and I lurrrve spicy food. I celebrated this bottle by ordering (a seriously embarrassing quantity of) Indian food, and I sipped on it while noshing on shrimp biryani, vindaloo, and saag aloo. The sweetness of this wine helped take the edge off the spice, but it melded nicely with the aromatics in the dishes. I may never be on board with popping open a bottle of sweet wine to sip on its own, but if Thai or Indian food is on the menu, you can always count me in. For this bottle, Winc spotlights flavors of candied lemon, honey, lychee, and pink grapefruit, which I think is pretty spot on. To me, this wine tastes like canned fruit in syrup. It's indulgent and really yummy.
2020 Far + Wide Arinto- $15.99 (Member Price: $13.99)
1 of 3
Portugal | Light | Dry | 12.5% alcohol
My last pick this month is another offering from the Far + Wide label, and it's perhaps the wine I was most excited about in this month's shipment. I've never tried Arinto before, so I was excited to give it a try! Going into the tasting of this wine, I had high hopes. Vine Verde, Portugal's famous slightly fizzy, low-alcohol "green wine" is perhaps my favorite varietal of all time, so I was eager to explore the country's other white wine offerings. Here's a description of this Arinto from Winc:
Grown in the Lisbon area, the grapes for this wine saw aging in stainless steel, resulting in an aromatic white that shows citrus, stone fruit and a touch of the grape’s tell-tale beeswax characteristics. Lighter in body, but still with plenty of nuance, this is the perfect white for richer seafood dishes - just as they’d serve it in Portugal.
Is it weird to say that they had me at "beeswax"? In the glass, this wine is crisp but with an underlying perfume that's fruity, honied, and floral, but subtle. I can honestly say I've never had a wine that tasted quite like this Arinto, and I mean that in the best possible way. Despite being light and dry, this wine delivers a burst of complex perfume that's utterly lovely. I would order it again in a heartbeat!
Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $56.96
Value Breakdown: This box has a retail value of $64.96, so that's a savings of $8 by having the subscription. The per-bottle cost breaks down to $13.24. That's less than I'd pay to buy wines of similar quality in the grocery store, and I like that Winc connects me with lesser-known varietals that may be hard to find locally. Looking at it another way, I'd probably expect to pay around $8-$12 per glass for a few of these wines out at restaurants, so I'm very happy with the value of this month's shipment. The added bonus this month is that all the wines were exceptional.
Key Takeaways
I've been a Winc subscriber for many years now, and I always look forward to picking out my wines each month. I'm thrilled I was able to fill up my September box with unusual whites, and tasting my way through the wines was an absolute delight. I got to try Arinto for the first time, I nabbed an excellent food wine in the Gewürztraminer, and walked down memory lane with the Prismus. All of the wines in this month's shipment were exceptional, and I think this is one of the best all-around Winc boxes I've ever received. This feels like a nice way to end my parade of Summer whites. Next month, I'm ready to explore some chilly-weather-friendly reds. Is there anything, in particular, you'd like to see reviewed? If so, hop down to the comments section and let me know!
Keep track of your subscriptions by adding this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
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 curate your own selection, or let them choose a few bottles for you.
What did you receive in your September Winc shipment? Click below to write a review!
Want to get your own Winc and join the community? Subscribe:
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.