Vinebox vs Winc Comparison 2022

Welcome once again to our wine club reviews. The aim of each is to help you compare different membership packages point by point and select the best wine club for you. Whatever you expect from a subscription, by the time you finish reading this, you’ll know if Vinebox or Winc floats your boat.

Vinebox vs Winc Comparison

About Vinebox  

Vinebox operates on the premise that members should have full control over what’s in their wine rack. As such, it offers a unique model where you receive a set of tasting vials and, if you like one (or more!), can order a full bottle and the club will arrange it.


vinebox

About Winc  

Winc was launched by three wine-loving friends in 2012 who wanted to share the joy of boutique Californian wineries with fellow fans of the Golden State. While it offers bottles from other world regions like France, Italy, and Argentinean, its portfolio is full of limited-edition and customized wines from California.

winc

Main Differences Between Vinebox vs Winc

The main difference between Vinebox and Winc comes down to each club’s unique selling point. Vinebox focuses on really bringing members exactly what they want by offering them a means of tasting reds and whites at home then homing in on preferred labels. Winc on the other hand sends subscribers wines based on an individual palate profile so there’s some sense of what you’ll like but you have to “sip it and see”. It depends on if you like to know what’s in a bottle or enjoy some element of surprise. Also, both clubs focus on different regions.

Main Benefits Overall Comparison 

While Vinebox offers the opportunity for wine lovers to only order a full bottle of what they enjoy, Winc’s calling card is its showcasing of artisanal wines from California and other major regions.

Vinebox Main Benefits Overall 

The big selling point for Vinebox is it puts you in charge of what’s in your “cellar”. This possibly has more appeal for those who know a little bit about wine already, feel confident that they can select labels that suit their tastes, and don’t want to leave the choice to chance or an algorithm.

Vinebox tends to partner with iconic European regions so if you have a thing for Old World styles, you’re in luck. The club will facilitate getting hold of a full bottle for you plus arrange delivery and you know your money’s well spent.

Winc Main Benefits Overall 

If you’re a fan of all reds and whites Californian, Winc is the ideal club for you. It’s known for its range of artisanal labels from handpicked wineries around the Golden State. Not only can you expect pre-existing bottles of reds, whites, and rosés made by these producers, there’s also a steady flow of bespoke labels made especially with subscribers’ tastes in mind.It also works in the same way with similar operations in other major regions, so you have the choice of variety from across the Old and New Worlds. What’s more, it personalizes your cases with a palate quiz. 

Overall Winner

Vinebox

Wine Selection 

Vinebox Wine Selection 

This is an excellent white wine club because it works exclusively with independent producers largely dotted around classic European regions and we all know there’s plenty of good Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling in these parts!

It naturally also brings you a top selection of reds as well with all varietals handcrafted with skill and passion. Vinebox is dedicated to keeping things fresh so is regularly updating its choice for your vials. It also sends information on each label’s provenance, tasting notes with each, and food pairing tips to enhance your experience.

Winc Wine Selection 

The majority of Winc’s selection hails from a network of top boutique California vintners making it a top red wine club. You can expect all the delicious Zinfandels and red blends that the Golden State is famous for.

This neck of the woods is also renowned for its whites produced in a local style so there is a good array of varietals that tick that box as well. Winc’s range is wide enough to be interesting but sufficiently compact for it to be manageable and the club is always updating its portfolio, so things never get tired.

Wine Selection Winner:

Vinebox

You may also like the following comparisonVineBox VS Bright Cellars

Subscription Plans

Vinebox Wine Subscription Plans 

With a standard Vinebox subscription, you receive nine glass-sized servings of reds and whites (and sometimes rosés) every quarter. The quantity of each is 100ml which is enough for a proper swirl and taste to enable you to make a decision.

It’s also worth noting that the vials arrive as fresh as if they’ve just been poured from the bottle. This is because the subscription covers advanced fractioning which seals in flavors and aromas, so you don’t need to worry about anything arriving stale or oxidized. You can pay quarterly or annually with the latter working out cheaper. You also may have to join a waiting list.

Winc Wine Subscription Plans 

With this club, you receive your cases every month and they include three to four bottles each. When you hit four bottles or above, Winc throws in free shipping. You can take advantage of a fair bit of flexibility with Winc.

The impression is it’s worked out a system that reflects subscribes real lives and it wants to accommodate this. To this end, if you have to skip a delivery every so often, you can do so without incurring any penalty plus, you can carry on skipping for as many months as you need to. All you have to do is give Winc 48 hours’ notice.

Subscription Plans Winner:

Winc

Pricing and Shipping

Vinebox Pricing and Shipping 

If you opt to pay for Vinebox membership on a quarterly basis, the cost is $79. If you want to receive a double-up of the shipments, you can do so with a 10% discount. On the other hand, if you decide to pay upfront for a whole year, it works out at $288 so offers a substantial saving.

If you go for the latter and carry on your subscription for the following year, you will be charged quarterly at a reduced rate of $72. Your Vinebox shipment arrives about five days after your membership starts or renews. If you need to change a date, the club will do what they can to help. Delivery is free.

Winc Pricing and Shipping 

The Winc membership fee is $59.95 each month which you can use for three to four bottles depending on what you go for. You get a “welcome gift”  $20 discount off your first delivery and, when you order up to 12 bottles, you automatically get 10% off.

There is no added shipping fee for any orders over $50 which ties in well with the membership fee. Winc can also fit in with your plans with extra shipping options like overnight delivery if you need your case quickly or a 2-day option if you can hang on a little but still don’t want to wait for the standard three-to-seven-day shipment.

Pricing and Shipping Winner:

Vinebox

Customer Service and Guarantee

Vinebox Customer Service and Guarantee 

Vinebox stresses that its team spends a lot of time tasting and sourcing labels in order to bring members unique, good-quality finds. That being said, it also knows that wine preferences are very personal. If you aren’t satisfied with your vials, the club can’t accept returns owing to alcohol shipping laws.If the shipment was damaged or compromised while in transit, you’re invited to get in touch via email with a photograph showing the problem. Vinebox will arrange a refund or re-ship the damaged bottle free of charge. It looks like the only way of getting in touch is by email and via social media accounts.

Winc Customer Service and Guarantee

You can get in touch with Winc with live chat and phone in office hours as well as by email. The club is big on customer satisfaction, so if you’re less than impressed with any of the labels in your shipment for any reason, get in touch, and it’ll hear you out and fix the problem. Normally, it makes things whole by crediting you the full value of the bottle or bottles in question you can use for one that suits your preferences more. Its concierge team is at hand to help you make the perfect choice.

Customer Service and Guarantee Winner:

Winc

You may also like the following comparisonWinc vs WSJ Wine

Cancellation Terms

Vinebox Cancellation Terms  

You’re free to cancel your subscription at any time via email but if you’ve already paid your membership fee for an upcoming shipment, Vinebox can’t refund this. Your cancellation will take effect for the following shipment.

This applies to the annual package as well, so you’ll need to wait for the year to come to an end before any cancellation comes into being. Vinebox is flexible about you skipping a box if needs be. This works in exactly the same way as cancellation. It simply needs to be done in a timely fashion.

Winc Cancellation Terms  

Canceling your Winc membership is painless. You contact the club through one of its different communication options, let it know you’d like to stop your membership, and you can consider the deed done. However, being concerned about member satisfaction, the customer service team will point out several options that could offer an alternative to outright cancellation.

You’re able to skip a month indefinitely with no penalty and no questions asked. If it’s simply a matter of canceling a particular order that’s already on its way but not full membership, Winc will do its best to accommodate you. 

Cancellation Terms Winner:

Winc

Buy as a Gift

Vinebox Wine Gifts 

Vinebox offers a couple of pretty good gift options that are a great way of remembering a wine lover’s birthday or another special occasion. The first option is to send credit via email to the tune of $158 for two boxes over six months or $288 for double the quantity.

The recipient can pick and choose gift options themselves and also gets to stock up on wine credits just like members do. If you want to send a physical box, no problem, Vinebox can help with that as well. There are discounts for gifting two people and are also corporate gift options.

Winc Gifts 

If you know a friend or family member who would love a taste of Californian artisanal wine, Winc has two ways of spreading the love. Firstly, there’s an email gift card option starting at $60 and rising to denominations of $600.

Your loved one can use it for a range of purchases including Winc membership. Secondly, there’s the postal option. You can send the same present by mail giving your recipient that extra special buzz of having received an actual card!

Buy as a Gift Winner:

Vinebox

Our Winner- Winc!

Winc

It’s hard to choose one club over another when their philosophies differ so widely. Both Vinebox and Winc offer truckloads of value to wine lovers looking or what the particular product each has to offer.  They each have a range of wine club deals with discounts for bigger quantities and credits for extra bottles. They’re both exceptional clubs; we can’t really fault either on product quality and shipping options. However, we’re giving the prize to Winc for its customer service. It seems to be that bit more accessible and well-oiled than Vinebox. Also, the fact that the latter has a waiting list could be frustrating. Cheers!

WINC Full ReviewVinebox Full Review


Other Wine Subscription Options

If neither Vinebox nor Winc fit the bill for you, no problem. Carry on reading our reviews and you’ll soon land the perfect wine club.