Winc has popped up on blogs, in my inbox, and on social media.  So when a friend (who has kept me in wine at many Happy Hours) told me that he earned $30 for each new person he signed up, I decided to give it a try.  Because how often do you get to help out a friend by drinking wine?

Winc is a wine subscription service that recommends new, seasonal wines to suit your palate.  They work with winemakers across the globe to create smaller batch wines for their customers.  It’s essentially a modern wine of the month club.

The service asks you about your palette — your flavor likes and dislikes — and then recommends a selection of wines.  Members can choose how many reds and how many whites they want to receive each month.  And if you don’t like a wine that was selected for you, you’re reimbursed.  The service also offers wine gifts you can send to friends.

Now, if you follow me on Instagram, you know that I don’t drink a lot of wine.  Partially because it seems like there is so much to learn about wine.  And that knowledge level intimidates me into sticking with he simplicity of vodka.  But the idea of a service that could cater to my tastes appealed to me.

I decided to order four bottles in my first box — two red, two white.  The service selected them for me based on their palette test.  After they arrived, I invited a few colleagues over to help me taste test the wine.

The two bottles of white were the Outer Sounds Sauvignon Blanc and the Au-Dela Semillon.  We cracked both bottles and quickly pronounced the Semillon too sweet, verging on undrinkable.  The Outer Sounds was definitely better.  A good wine to drink with friends.

The two reds were the Lost Poet Red Blend and the Mercana Malbec.  My guests really enjoyed both wines.  In fact, two went home and bought bottles of the Lost Poet (which non-members can do for a slightly increased price per bottle).

Since we all disliked the Semillon, I decided to ask for a rebate.  I sent an e-mail to customer service, and two days later, a credit for the price of that bottle showed up in my account.  If you really like trying new wines, this rebate makes it possible to try something outside of your comfort zone without fear.

All in all, I enjoyed Winc.  The service was reliable, shipping was fast, and the customer service was excellent.  I’m going to get one more box of wine and then decide whether to keep the subscription going.  I simply don’t drink enough wine to enjoy the subscription to its fullest.  But for those who enjoy wine, I think it would be a good option to keep a few bottles on hand or try new things.

**A reader mentioned that I forgot to discuss the cost.  Not important information at all. ????‍♀️  I paid $58 for my first month, not including the $20 that you receive off your first order if you sign up for a membership.  Memberships start at $39 for basic wines and go up from there.  Shipping is $9, unless you order four bottles or more, and then it’s free.

I purchased the Winc subscription with my own cash, and tried all of the wines myself.  Even the sweet as candy Semillon.  No gifts were solicited or accepted, and no monetary benefit is generated by this post.