Winc vs WSJ Wine Club Comparison 2022

About Winc

Winc was established in 2012, the brainchild of wine lovers who had a penchant for small Californian producers. Through their wine club, they spread this love to other fans who already enjoy or want an introduction to this region. A slice of its range is international, but its portfolio mostly showcases artisanal wines from California.

About WSJ Wine Club

WSJ Wine Club (short for Wall Street Journal) was one of the first 12-bottle delivery services on the block and it’s never stopped making bulk beautiful. It has an “A-list” network of big and small wineries in all the famed regions and some. It also has the exclusivity factor with its top-class, exclusive labels.

Winc Main Benefits Overall 

If you love California winemaking and want to explore it with a good guide, Winc has your name on it. It partners with boutique wineries all over the state to bring you a compact experience of the region.

It also knows context is important in the world of wine so has a range from other New and Old-World regions. Winc personalizes your shipments with a tasting quiz, offers its share of member perks, and has a solid customer service team for any quirks or quibbles you might need to discuss. 

WSJ Wine Club Main Benefits Overall 

It was one of the first on the wine club scene and has built up an impressive web of global contacts which can be thanked for its glittering portfolio. This being said, WSJ Wine Club never rests on its laurels.

It keeps its range fresh and offers an excellent introductory case for you to try out before you commit to one of its memberships. This club also has a good customer service team if you need to discuss anything related to your selection and shipments plus has some flexibility around delivery.

Overall Winner

Winc

Winc Wine Selection

You’ll love Winc if all the heady back grapes are your thing because it shines as a red wine club with the Californians takes on your favorites served up every month. It also has an equally fantastic range of whites wines all made in the styles you love plus boasts rosés and bubbles.

One of the appealing features of Winc’s selection is it has more than a few wines that cater to oenophiles who care about the environment and their health. You can enjoy vegan, organic, low-alcohol/ sugar labels plus bottles made through sustainable farming methods. Cin cin!

WSJ Wine Club Wine Selection 

WSJ Wine Club takes the 12-bottle shipment to a whole new level regardless of which membership package you choose. It touches on ionic regions in just about every wine-producing country and much-loved varietals made in all their different glorious styles. What’s more, many of its labels have been top winners in major international awards – and that’s just for the regular club.

If you join the slightly more shishy affair, you can expect top labels from the likes of Bordeaux, Napa, and Tuscany. The amazing thing is WSJ Wine Club manages to make it all so affordable. Cheers!

Wine Selection Winner:

WSJ Wine Club

Winc Subscription Plans

Your membership fee is $59.95 every month which you cash in for a range of wines – usually three to four bottles in each monthly shipment. To get things rolling along, Winc gives you a $20 discount on this first shipment as a thank you for joining the club. Want to stock up?

Winc has a store as well so if you order 12 bottles or more, you get a 10% discount. There’s also a speedy shipping option if you need your wine already. If you get family or friends on board, you benefit from wine credits you can use as you wish.

WSJ Wine Club Subscription Plans 

WSJ Wine Club certainly knows how to treat a new member! You get the pleasure of an introductory shipment of 12 bottles of wine and a bonus gift for $69.99. Working out at $5 a bottle, it’s a great way of getting the idea of what quality you can expect from the club.

After this, shipments are every quarter and you have a choice of two clubs. You can go for the Discovery Club which features 12 bottles at $159.99. You can get reds, whites, or a mix. The Premier Club is $259.99 and includes top, often limited-edition wines. 

Subscription Plans Winner:

WSJ Wine Club

Winc Pricing and Shipping

With Winc you get monthly shipments and, as already mentioned, get three to four bottles in each case for $59.95. With four bottles or more, shipping the club gives you complimentary shipping.

One of the features that makes life easier for Winc subscribers is, with 48 hours’ notice, you can skip a shipment without incurring a penalty or charge. There’s no limit to how long you can do this. This gives you some leeway if you find you have a cash flow problem or have to be away or unexpectedly.

WSJ Wine Club Pricing and Shipping 

When you take out a WSJ Wine Club subscription, you can expect your 12-bottle cases to arrive every quarter whichever membership package you have. The cost ranges from $159 to $259 per quarter as detailed earlier.

Like Winc, this club gives you some flexibility over skipping a shipment but it’s more limited than Winc time-wise only allowing you up to four weeks’ for each delivery. There’s the option to change a delivery date if you’re not going to be home. Shipping is charged on top of your membership fees at WSJ Wine Club and costs $19.99 for both Discovery and Premier.

Pricing and Shipping Winner:

Winc

Winc Customer Service and Guarantee

There are several ways of contacting Winc customer service such as chat and phone in office hours and email. Winc is big on your satisfaction so if there’s something wrong with your shipment whether  its damaged or you don’t like the wines, reach out to the club, and it’ll do what it can to fix it.

The usual way of making you whole is by crediting you the full value of the bottle/s in question to go towards another label that’s more suited to your tastes. The club’s concierge team will guide you to a bottle you like.

WSJ Wine Club Customer Service and Guarantee

WSJ Wine Club doesn’t go to the effort of bringing members exceptional wines to find you won’t be satisfied with your case selection. If you find that one of your wines isn’t what you expected, the club has a 100% money-back guarantee.

It offers live chat during office hours, email, and even snail mail if you’re that way inclined where you can address the problem and get a full refund. You can also go a long way to ensuring you receive what you want by selecting all reds, whites, or a mix via your account. 

Customer Service and Guarantee Winner:

Winc and WSJ Wine Club draw here as they’re both committed to customer service.

Winc Cancellation Terms  

You have the freedom to cancel your Winc subscription at any time whenever you wish by contacting the club through the method mentioned above. The customer service team will have a chat with you about why you want to leave as it may be simply that you’re not using the club in an optimal manner.

It will check if you take advantage of its rating system and delivery skipping option for example. It may be that you don’t want to cancel but just to tweak a few features to improve your experience. If it’s really time to go though, Winc’ll will make it smooth for you.

WSJ Wine Club Cancellation Terms  

Closing your WSJ Wine Club account is straightforward. There’s no hidden commitment so it’s just a matter of letting the customer service team know about your plans. You’re able to reach it via the methods referred to above, explain what you want to do, and the club will facilitate it for you.

It’ll likely want to know why in case it can improve your membership. It could be a matter of switching packages for example. If you’re still sure you want to cancel though, WSJ Wine Club will make it simple for you.

Cancellation Terms Winner:

Winc and WSJ Club are equally easy to deal with over cancellation.

Winc Gifts 

If you’re so impressed with Winc you find you want to spread the word and make a gift of membership or club wines, there’s a handy gift club option. Denominations start at $60 and go up to $600 so there’s enough for your loved one to try membership out for a month otherwise, they can simply shop for favorites in the club site.

The club is quite thoughtful about how to send the gift card. You can do it via email for convenience or send it physically to give the recipient a surprise with an actual card.

WSJ Wine Club Gifts 

Do you know someone who’ll love the gift of WSJ Wine Club membership? You can purchase this online by inputting the address of your friend or family member and checking “Yes” under “Gift Options” at checkout. It’s not just gifts for others you can take advantage of.

WSJ Wine Club also sends you complimentary serving accessories with your own orders which all goes toward making enjoying your shipments more rounded. There are also deals to be had under the ‘Coupons and Deals’ tab on the club website.

Buy as a Gift Winner:

Winc and WSJ each have a lot to offer so it’s another draw.