From Picked to Packed- Your Wine is here.

Staying home more these days? Yeah, who isn’t? (don’t answer that). While you may be bunkering down in your homestead, that shouldn’t stop you from still enjoying a nice bottle (or 5) of quality wine. So when you can’t make a store run, you can’t hit your favorite spot for that happy hour special, or you just want something to look forward to being delivered (and to see another humans face), you should give Winc a go! 

We all have done it- googled “best wine clubs to join” or “cheapest wine clubs to join but don’t taste like crap”, heck we’ve even looked up “free wine delivered to my door”, and yet come up empty handed or disappointed. But when you google “Best Wine Clubs to Try”….those results offer some actual ideas! That’s why our crew gave Winc Wine Club a try! With a plethora of wines to choose from, delivery options we all can afford, and a streamlined process for how to pick and choose wines, Winc was an enjoyable way to keep the vino flowing in these odd and unpredictable times. So, get the door ‘cause yo’ wine is here!

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

We first want to start out with some initial impression stats from Winc:

• 60% of Winc wines produced in 2019 were made from grapes that were sustainably farmed

• 95% of Winc’s total production is low sulfur

• 75% of Winc’s wines in 2019 have less than 2g/L of sugar

• 100% of the wine we sampled from Winc is gone (we added this fun stat in)…we need more!!!

We like those numbers, Winc!

While Winc has some legit production stats they also have a pretty diverse range of wines to choose from in their wine bottle subscription. Winc’s wine program is incredibly diverse. It includes a red made to be chilled, a zero sulphur wine, a rare varietal from a century-old vineyard, and a style of sparkling wine that opens up a new category in the market. All these options can be picked and packed into one box- sent direct to you.

Our initial impressions really start off with not only the vast amounts of wine to choose from, but the way in which you go about setting up your account and box delivery choices. Whether you jump on their mobile app or their website, Winc’s user interface is pretty legit. Both offer a similar interface and both have a clear and well laid out sign up, account dashboard, and visuals to help you decide what you’d want to have shipped. We started with walking through their online questionnaire on flavor preferences (this helps match you to wines that your pallet would enjoy) to then being offered “suggestions to try” based on the responses. You can agree, hit go, and the wine is on its way- from 1,2,3-4+ bottles in a box. Customization is easy with swapping out all red wines to a mix of a few red and white, or even browse their sparkling options.

After we gained a lay of the land, we noticed each wine has user rated feedback, real time updates on the blends available, and upfront pricing per bottle is clear to see. From there we dropped in our discount code, (psst we offer a $20 OFF code just for YOU for being a duuude reader) chose our bottles, and moved onto shipping.

It was as simple as that. Now we just sat back and watched our user dashboard keep us posted on the status of our box: ordered to on its way!

Our initial duuude impression: Winc’s wine selection offers something for any moment, mood, or mouth’s desire!

TESTING IT OUT

We should honestly rename this section “Tasting it Out”…get it? Anyhow, within a week (delayed shipping due to the mass amounts of orders to their site due to stay-at-home orders), we had our box of wines at our door. We received 4 bottles in our initial sample box: 2 reds, 1 Rose’ and 1 White. Each bottle was different- with one being a Red Blend, the other, for example, was a Pinot Noir. We categorized our testing in the following ways: Wine Variety, Wine Flavor, Wine Feedback System, and Overall Feedback. We broke down the Winc review based on the following criteria:

Wine Variety

The variety of wines offered in the Winc Subscription was impressively vast- In just one box alone we had wines from regions of the world we have never even tried before and blends that we thought we didn’t even like. What’s cool about Winc is that since they assessed our palate profiles, they were able to suggest wine blends we usually wouldn’t grab at the store. Less of what we “think” we like, and more of “based on what tastes you like…” style of pairing. With not just one profile to choose from, we were exposed to blends we had not previously considered. Even the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon’s they offer give options that are more fruity flavors while others are a bit more velvety. Not to mention, it’s not just the blend of wine varieties that stood out- it is the region of grapes that is vast too. One blend the grapes came from Spain or Argentina and the next bottle was sourced from our California backyard.

Wine Variety Ranking: 5/5

Wine Flavor

Flavor is King. Well, good flavor is King. A poorly tasting bottle of anything can ruin one’s experience. So how did the taste test go from the crew? Well, all the wine is gone if that tells you anything. From the mouths of the crew we can say that while not every bottle hit a home run, all wines were a score. Sure, we tasted a few flavors that we thought could have landed better- but that is no fault of the wine itself. Rather, it was a preference as to what blends we liked over the other. The flavor profile of each bottle was good- no bitters, no sour grape blends, all were smooth and had good profiles. We tasted the $13-$15 wine range selection and some higher end $30+ ranges and as far as flavor goes for wines in that price point, we could not have asked for a better option and range of vino!

Wine Flavor Rating: 4.5/5

Wine Feedback System

One of the best aspects of Winc Wine Club’s offering is their feedback system on the wines shipped. Within a few days of receiving the wines, Winc emailed asking for feedback on our selection. The system tracks each bottle and once rated, it saves the scores as you go. This way, by the time your next bottles are set to ship, they can assist in creating either more of the same or all new ideas/options. The ability to give direct flavor feedback and preference makes the subscription much more robust than just being shipped “wine.” The rating system is easy to use, and makes for grabbing the next shipment that much more specific to YOU.

Wine Feedback System: 5/5

Overall Feedback

With the overall wine flavor, selection, feedback system, and process, Winc Wine Club really has the user in mind. Rather than having an ego with “our wines are the best”, they allow you to find the wine that is best for YOU and YOUR tastebuds. Nobody likes being told what they like, and with Winc they let you decide (with their help of course) what wines fit in your glass.

STANDOUT FEATURES

Winc has made 664 wines from grapes that represent 78 grape varieties, 97 regions across 12 different countries- that is a STANDOUT Feature if we don’t say so ourselves. While Winc makes a significant amount of wine, its winemaking team is uniquely focused on smaller individual lots that are more distinct. Some additional things that also stood out to our crew:

• You can upgrade to Winc Select and choose from top shelf wines, beyond the average $13 bottle price point on their standard subscription box

• Winc lets you skip a month, add more bottles, and customize your membership to fit your wine needs

• Winc offers a wide range of wines and also helps suggest bottles you may never have tried or knew you liked!

• Feedback- Winc asks for feedback on the wine so you can order more like the ones you tired or swap for something different. They don’t even judge you!

So while you are stuck at home, might as well enjoy some new, fresh, and solid wine from your casa!

BONUS FEATURES

In addition to domestic wines, Winc boasts an incredible international wine program. Winc’s winemaking team travels around the world fostering relationships with winemakers in all of the major wine growing regions to craft unique wines for their portfolio. Winc sources grapes from: Chile, Argentina, Italy, France, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal and South Africa.

As an added bonus to the wine selection, Winc Recipes offers you some great ways to pair meals with the bottles shipped. With recipe suggestions, you can have a great meal and a great bottle of vino! More bonus features are added every day on their blog, about us, and other Winc pages!

Winc Wine Club Overall duuude Factor: Passionately Perfected Wine Subscription has Arrived.

Price: Take $20 OFF your first order through duuude!

BRAND INFO

Winc is a modern winery with a direct connection to the consumer, building a portfolio of brands for the next generation of wine drinkers. Driven by the vision of a great bottle on every table and a great story in every bottle, Winc seeks to create more custom experiences for its members and bring ease and exploration to the process of buying and enjoying wine. In addition to its online subscription service, Winc’s sought-after brands are available in progressive restaurants and premium retailers nationwide.