Winc Wine Reviews

Published on November 17, 2020

Last modified on June 13, 2023

This Winc Wine Reviews post contains affiliate links and we were given a sample.  We may be compensated if you make a purchase.  All opinions are our own.

Written By Alison Chew    |    Dietitian Verified by Rebecca Housh, MS, RDN

 

What is Winc?

Winc is a direct-to-consumer winery focused on producing delicious, handcrafted wine, and delivering it to consumers in a curated, inclusive, and user-friendly way.

The Winc team is passionate about introducing new wines to the world– especially those that are organic, vegan, low-sugar, low-sulfur, and sustainable.

The underlying ethos of Winc’s winemaking process is to respect the product by following minimal intervention winemaking methods and sustainable farming techniques.

Winc handcrafts all of its wines from grape to glass and partners with innovative, dynamic winemakers to bring unique experiences to its members.

 

 

Winc Wine Pros

• Winc’s focus is on producing organic, low-sugar, low-sulfur wines with sustainability in mind.
• Flexibility to purchase wines a la carte or become a Winc member to receive discounted pricing.
• Pricing. Winc wines are both affordable and of good quality.

 

Winc Wine Cons

• Credit system can be confusing to new members.
• Would be nice to have per quarter shipment options vs monthly.
• Call, text, or live chat to cancel.  Cannot cancel within an account.

 

How does a Winc Wine Membership work?

Winc connects you to a world of exclusive, small-lot, sustainable wines from around the world, tailors them to your tastes, and then delivers them right to your door.

Each month, Winc will introduce you to new wines that match your tastes based on a short 1-minute Quiz and your past Wine Ratings, share the story behind each bottle and provide interesting wine knowledge you can share with friends.

You then choose the wine that you like and they ship out your box.

You can skip a month or cancel any time, no questions asked.  SHOP NOW >>

 

How much does a Winc Wine Membership cost?

Winc is free to join and each month you are charged a monthly fee of $59.95 that is then added to your account as “credits” to be used to purchase wine. 1 credit = $1.

You can add as many additional bottles as you’d like to your monthly shipment. Bottles start at $13 each. Your monthly order may be lower or higher due to wine choice or quantity, and local tax rates.

Unused credits roll over month to month so you can save up and buy a case or skip a month.

If you order 4 or more bottles, shipping is included.

You can also purchase a la carte with Winc wines ranging in price from $15 to $33 (member price $13 to $28). SHOP NOW >>

 

Winc Membership Benefits

• Exclusive savings on each wine (plus, free shipping on 4+ bottles and a 10% Case Discount)
• Personalized wine recommendations based on your palate profile
• Save $15 on every Winc Gift Box order sent via Standard shipping
• Member Credits: You can purchase Winc credits at a discounted price allowing you to save up to $100.   1 credit is equivalent to $1 for any Winc order.   Member credits can be redeemed toward the purchase of Winc items at any time.

 

Can I order Winc wine without a subscription?

Yes!  You can order Winc wine without a membership or subscription.  Bottles range from $15 to $33.

If you order 4 or more bottles, shipping is included. SHOP NOW >>

 

Where does Winc deliver?

Winc is able to ship to states which have laws that permit the shipment of wine directly to consumers. Currently, they are unable to accept orders that are delivered to addresses in AK, AL, AR, DE, HI, KY, MI, MS, NJ, RI, SD, and UT.

 

How much is Winc wine shipping for members?

If you order 3 bottles or your total is under $50, shipping is $9.

If you order 4 bottles or more shipping is FREE.  SHOP NOW >>

 

Winc Wine Reviews

We’ve tried Winc several times. 

For our first Winc Wine Club review, we decided to try four sustainable wines including one white – 2019 L’Atelier du Sud® Chardonnay- and three reds – 2019 Keep It Chill Chillable Red, 2019 Far + Wide Zweigelt, and 2019 Restless Earth Syrah.

 

Why Buy Sustainable Wine?  The driving principle of sustainable wines is that they are made in ways that both support a healthy planet while also ensuring a delicious product. When you buy a sustainably made wine, you’re helping to maintain healthy vineyards, protect the environment, and ensure the well-being of the wineries and winery workers.

 

For our second Winc Wine review, we tried the 2019 Chop Shop Cabernet Sauvignon, 2020 Folly of the Beast Pinot Noir, 2020 Matchlock Cabernet Sauvignon, and Lost Poet Red Wine Blend.

 

 

The Winc team creates and curates over a hundred wines, and makes the experience of exploring interesting, sustainable wine easy and pleasurable.

We couldn’t wait to try our sustainable wines!  SHOP NOW >>

 

How does Winc wine taste?

We tried 8 wines from Winc and dish on all of the details including price and how they tasted.  Read our Winc wine reviews below.

2019 L’Atelier du Sud® Chardonnay

• Price: $17.99 (members), $19.99 (non-members)
• Vegan, low-sugar, organic, sustainable
• Although white wines, Chardonnay’s especially, are not typically my go-to choice of wine, this bright, inviting white from the South of France may have converted me. Produced in the Languedoc in the foothills of the Cévennes Mountains, soft notes of green apple and citrus definitely shine through. We enjoyed it with a steaming bowl of creamy tomato soup and sharp cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches (sublime!).
• SHOP NOW >>

 

2019 Keep It Chill Chillable Red 

• Price: $19.99 (member), $22.99 (non-member)
• Low-sulfur, low-sugar, sustainable
• While this red was a bit too tart and dry for my palate, it was probably my husband’s favorite. We both agreed it would be a lovely alternative to a white or rosé on a hot summer day.
• SHOP NOW >>

 

2019 Far + Wide Zweigelt

• Price: $16.99 (members), $21.99 (non-members)
• Vegan, low-sulfur, low-sugar, sustainable
• Having never enjoyed a Zweigelt grape, I was excited to try this wine from Austria. Although I’m typically a big fan of blackberry and dark plum tasting notes in the wine, my palate did not enjoy this particular vino. Perhaps it was the heavier notes of blueberry and black pepper but I was not a fan of the finish. Conversely, my husband really enjoyed it! 
• SHOP NOW >>

 

2019 Restless Earth Syrah

• Price: $17.99 (members), $19.99 (non-members)
• Low-sulfur, low-sugar, sustainable
• I found this Syrah to be very enjoyable to drink. Perhaps it’s because I’m a fan of pomegranate and red cherries but this wine was my favorite of the four.
• SHOP NOW >>

 

2019 Chop Shop Cabernet Sauvignon

• Price: $14.99 (members), $16.99 (non-members)
• Low-sulfur, sustainable
• This Cab was fruit-forward, slightly earthy, and full-bodied and was one of our favorites.  It went perfectly with our steak dinner.
• SHOP NOW >>

 

2020 Folly of the Beast Pinot Noir

• Price: $16.99 (members), $18.99 (non-members)
• Low-sulfur, low-sugar
• I found this Pinot to be dry and medium-bodied with an oaky finish.  It was lighter than the Chop Shop Cab and perfect for a casual dinner.
• SHOP NOW >>

 

2020 Matchlock Cabernet Sauvignon

• Price: $16.99 (members), $18.99 (non-members)
• Low-sulfur, sustainable
• This cab is full-bodied and dry with notes of black pepper and oaky/wood.  It was our second favorite of the box and also a fan favorite on the Winc website.
• SHOP NOW >>

 

Lost Poet Red Wine Blend

• Price: Not available
• This California blend is a combination of Merlot, Shiraz/Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is dry and bold with notes of black cherry.  Another great bottle!
• SHOP NOW >>

 

Something I noted after tasting all of these wines over the course of a few days is that the hint of a headache I now tend to get the morning after drinking wine was significantly abbreviated or absent altogether, which was very appreciated.

 

Winc Wine Reviews: Sustainable Winemaking and Wine

Winc’s winemaking philosophy is to incorporate as many sustainable farming practices as they can, believing it is the right thing to do for the consumer, for the growers, the vineyards, the community, and the planet.

Here are just a few of the earth-friendly initiatives Winc applies to their winemaking:

• Compostable shipping box and pulp trays: Every Winc wine order is delivered in a fun, funky box. That, as well as the pulp trays used to keep the wines stable and secure within the box, are entirely compostable.
• Bottling and transporting: By transporting their wine in reusable totes to a centralized bottling and distribution facility, Winc is able to significantly lower its carbon impact. They also bottle wine using a just-in-time inventory strategy where the wine travels in bottles for the “final mile” only, directly from their distribution center to your doorstep. This approach reduces its carbon footprint by an estimated 50%.
• Supporting sustainable growers and winemakers: Whenever possible, the Winc team opts for organically grown grapes with minimal intervention in production. They also do whatever they can to leave vineyards in better shape than they found them.
• 1% for the Planet partnership: Winc partners with 1% for the Planet, giving 1% of all their Pacificana® sales toward benefiting and preserving the environment.

 

Winc follows the definition of sustainability set forth by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and works with additional organizations depending on grower affiliations for specific wines.  SHOP NOW >>

 

Winc Wine Reviews: Wine Gifting

Especially with the holidays right around the corner, A Winc gift card is definitely worth considering for your wine-loving family and friends. It’s also a thoughtful gift option for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, or other notable events.

Winc offers three gift card options:

• 1-month subscription: $60
• 2-month subscription: $100
• 3-month subscription: $150
• SHOP NOW >>

 

After selecting your gift card option, you can write a personalized gift note to your recipient and send your gift card via mail or email. Your recipient can then redeem their gift card to experience a taste of a Winc Membership (including getting to take the Palate Profile quiz to see what Winc’s wine experts recommend specifically to their tastes).

NOTE:  When completing a gift card purchase, please note that you’ll be asked to create an account in order to receive an email confirmation. You will not automatically be enrolled in the Winc Membership after purchase.

 

Winc Wine Reviews: Bottom Line

Winc connects you to a world of exclusive, small-lot, sustainable wines from around the world, tailors them to your tastes, and then delivers them right to your door.

We love that Winc focuses on producing organic, low-sugar, low-sulfur wines with sustainability in mind.  We also love the flexibility they offer by giving customers a choice of becoming a member (with discounted pricing) or purchasing wines a la carte.

And while Winc’s wines are affordable and of good quality, they may be on the higher end of the price scale compared to other wine clubs or when buying wine in a grocery store.  We would also like to see a quarterly shipment option vs only a monthly option as a member.

We recommend Winc to anyone looking for a new wine experience, those looking for organic, sustainable, low-sugar, and/or low-sulfur wines, or those who want wine tailored to their tastes and delivered to their door every month.

As someone who cares deeply about the environment and keeping it healthy, I greatly respect Winc’s efforts to champion safe, socially responsible wine growing, making, and delivery practices. Their commitment to increasing organic, sustainable, vegan, low-sugar, and low-sulfur wine options is both commendable and effective.

Winc’s wines are not only very good to drink, but they are also something you can feel good about when drinking. SHOP NOW >>

Cheers!

Looking for more wine?  Check out our Wine & Spirits Directory >>

This post has been reviewed and approved by our dietitian Rebecca Housh, MS, RDN, LDN for nutritional accuracy.

Rebecca Housh is a registered dietitian based in Chicago, IL. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology from Boston University and a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Rebecca is passionate about the idea of food as medicine in both preventative and therapeutic care. Her current professional interests lie in food security, food access, and nutrition for chronic disease.