Winc Review 2024: Is Wine Delivery Really Worth It?

Overview

Winc is a great option for wine lovers looking to explore and discover new flavors. Often referred to as the "Netflix of wine", Winc offers a personalized monthly selection of affordable wines from all over the world tailored to your unique flavor profile. 

After you answer a questionnaire to determine your palate, Winc recommends wines that suit your preferences and delivers them straight to your door each month. Newbies and more experienced wine enthusiasts alike can find something to love in each box, though its selection of luxury and premium wines is lacking. 

If you enjoy wine, you may find it's just the wine delivery service you’ve been looking for. Another service you might enjoy is Bright Cellars, especially if you’re new to wine tasting. Read on to see if Winc is right for you.

Winc’s Selection

Winc offers over 25 selections each month, with customer ratings and detailed information to help you make informed choices. You can browse categories like organic, vegan, and low sugar or search by varietals, regions, or sweetness.

While many of Winc’s wines originate in California, you can also find wines from a number of countries like Spain, France, Argentina, and Portugal. Bottles come in a standard 750 ml size. 

Customer ratings help you find wines that are popular with other Winc subscribers. It also offers brief but clear descriptions of each wine so you can decide for yourself if it strikes your fancy.

Winc offers a good selection of midrange premium wines but has little to offer those who are looking for ultra-premium and luxury wines. Its offerings are geared toward regular wine drinkers who enjoy a glass with meals or a few glasses with friends. It offers you 4 suggested bottles each month, but you can change that order as you wish.

Due to the rotating selection and partnerships with small winemakers, Winc’s stock of wines changes regularly, and popular wines regularly sell out. This can be annoying for subscribers who prefer consistency, but it ensures variety for those who like to be surprised by their new wines.

How Winc Works

At this time, Winc only sells to subscribers and doesn’t allow a la carte purchases. Winc's monthly subscription gives you a pre-paid $59.95 credit for wine. If you order more than that, you’ll pay the difference. If you purchase less, you’ll accumulate credits that you can use in the following months.

Winc sells its wines at a discount from the standard retail price, thanks to its marketing arrangements and collaborations with selected vineyards and bulk purchasing. This means that not only do you get the convenience of delivery, you even save money on your wine purchases.

You must confirm your order each month, as it won’t ship automatically. If you don’t confirm, your order won’t ship, and the credits for your membership fee will roll over to the next month. You can adjust your recommendation settings for how many bottles of red and white you’d like Winc to recommend each month in the My Membership section of your account.

How to Sign Up

1. Take the Winc Palate Profile Quiz. Before you provide any personal information, Winc asks you some questions to determine your Palate Profile:

2. Provide your e-mail address and date of birth. Because wine contains alcohol, Winc needs to confirm your date of birth.

3. Winc selects wines for you. Based on the Flavor Quiz, Winc suggests 4 bottles of wine. You’re free to swap out or add additional wines.

4. Choose your payment method. Winc accepts credit cards, Paypal, and ApplePay.

5. Provide your payment info and shipping address. You can also sign up for SMS alerts that will allow you to track your order.

Unboxing

Winc scores high marks for its sustainable packaging. Winc packaging, complete with a carrying handle at the top, is made entirely of compostable materials. Bottles are held in place by specially designed cardboard holders that prevent them from clashing and breaking during shipping.

Wine bottles arrive without cork capsules, which are no longer necessary due to the controlled storage of wine in regulated cellars and warehouses. This helps Winc minimize its environmental impact. Winc bottles come in the standard 750 ml size.

Your wines arrive with an accompanying booklet that provides easy-to-understand descriptions, tasting notes, and suggested food pairings to enhance the wine-tasting experience. It even includes an “A to Z of Wine” with sections like “A for acidity.”

Top Winc Wines

Winc’s selection changes frequently. The top wines I’ve listed are examples of what you can expect from Winc’s most popular wines.

Best Red Wine: 2020 Porter & Plot Pinot Noir

Porter & Plot gets its grapes from Paragon Vineyards in Edna Valley, one of the first Central Coast vineyards to be certified in sustainable farming. The cool climate of California’s Central Coast is an ideal place for the finicky Pinot Noir grape.

The wine has strong flavors of red and black fruit, earth, and warm spices, with silky tannins that add nuance, complexity, and a long, luxurious finish. Hints of black pepper and dried raspberry make it a great pairing with dishes like roasted duck, braised lamb, or grilled salmon.

Best White Wine: 2020 Les Hauts De Lagarde White Blend 

Les Hauts de Lagarde Bordeaux Blanc is a fruity white wine that pairs beautifully with spinach, shrimp pad thai, feta, and poached chicken. Made from organically grown grapes, it has a refreshing, crisp mouthfeel with notes of citrus, tropical fruit, and honeysuckle and hints of apricot, apple, and pear.

Its tangy, bracing palate makes it a great choice for summer drinking, but it has the minerality and complexity to work well in cooler weather as well. The Bordeaux region is most famous for its red wines, but Les Hauts de Lagarde Bordeaux Blanc offers the strengths of a classic Bordeaux with a lighter, sunnier flavor.

Best Rosé Wine: 2021 Summer Water Bubbly Rosé

Summer Water Bubbly Rosé is refreshing, light, and perfect for any occasion. With hints of candied strawberry, melon, fragrant white flowers, and citrus and orange zest afternotes, it pairs beautifully with barbecued meats and chocolate. While its aroma is sweet, the taste is pleasantly dry.

Summer Water is an elegant sparkling wine that’s good for just about any celebration and perfect for summertime parties. Summer Water started in 2014 as a collaboration between Winc and Yes Way Rosé and is made in the Provence region of France.

Shipping & Delivery

Winc orders usually ship within 3 business days of processing, and shipping typically takes 3-7 business days depending on how far you are from the fulfillment center. You can sign up for SMS updates to keep track of your order as it makes its way to your home.

Your ship date is dependent on your order date. Subscribers can contact Winc if they need to change the day of their monthly order date, or if they have issues with their delivery time or location. Winc’s minimum order size is 3 bottles, but you can order as many bottles as you like.

Currently, Winc doesn’t accept orders to the following states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah.

Because this is a wine shipment, somebody over 21 must be home to sign for the box. This is inconvenient, but it’s an unavoidable part of wine delivery. You can also have the box shipped to your workplace or to your adult friend or family member if you’re unable to sign for it yourself.

Customer Support

Winc’s Support Articles answer a lot of common questions. If you can't find an answer there, you can use Winc’s contact form or send an email to support@winc.com. Winc tries to get back to you within the same day and promises to reply within 24 hours, even when they're busy.

Live support hours are 7 am to 4 pm Pacific time every day. You can use the chat function on the website or call or text 1 (855) 282-5829.

Winc has an iOS app, but Android users are left to make changes using their mobile browser.

How to Cancel Winc

To cancel your monthly subscription with Winc, you can follow these steps:

1. Log into your Winc account between 7 am and 4 pm PT.

2. Click on the Help link at the bottom of the Home Page.

3. Click on the Support button and select Live Chat.

4. Answer a few questions from a customer support representative.

If you want to skip a month instead of canceling completely, click the skip a month option.

Prices

With Winc, you purchase credits that you use to buy wines. Each credit is worth $1.00. Wine recommends 4 bottles that will cost around $60. Prices on individual bottles generally range between $12 and $25. You can order less wine; the remaining credits will roll over to next month. Or you can purchase more wine and buy more credits to cover the extra costs.

If your order drops below $40, Winc charges a $9.00 shipping fee. Since shipping is free otherwise, it makes sense to stay above the $40 limit if you can.

Winc offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee and a refund policy if a subscriber is dissatisfied with a wine purchase.

Gift Subscription

You can purchase or redeem Winc gift cards without a subscription. You must create an account so Winc can send you an order confirmation, but there will be no monthly bills unless you choose to sign up for a membership. Before purchasing a Winc gift card, make sure Winc delivers to the recipient’s address.

Winc gift cards start at $60 so the recipient can get a full monthly order. Any credit left over on the account will roll over to the next order, which means starting a subscription. The recipient must create an account and go to Account Settings to redeem it.

The Bottom Line: Is Winc Worth It?

Winc is definitely worth it if you’re looking for great value and variety. The convenience of having wine delivered to your door with information and food pairing ideas makes it a hassle-free experience. Its selection process is excellent, especially if you provide reviews that help further hone the Winc algorithm.

If you’re a newbie to wine delivery, then another great service to try is Bright Cellars. It has a monthly subscription and a large variety of wines from across the globe.

Those seeking luxury wines may want to try one of our other best wine delivery services. But Winc’s 100% satisfaction guarantee and selection of solidly enjoyable wines at a reasonable price definitely make it worth trying.

FAQ

How does Winc work?

When you sign up, Winc provides a 6-step questionnaire with questions like “How do you take your coffee?” Winc uses this information to create a palate profile that helps it recommend wines. You can choose your own bottles or let Winc decide. After your order arrives, you can rate your wines, which helps Winc with future recommendations.

Can you gift Winc to someone? 

Winc lets you send a gift card in the amount you choose to anyone over 21. Your Winc gift card gives the recipient Credits they can spend toward the wines of their choice and a Winc Membership.

Is it hard to cancel Winc?

Canceling Winc is not difficult, but it requires chatting with a customer support rep. This means making the call or using the live chat feature between 7 am and 4 pm PT, and answering some questions.