Vinesse Overview
Vinesse stands firmly in the space between the budget and the super-premium where it finds the best-value reds and white for its members.
What is Vinesse?
Vinesse acts as your guide to find the highest-quality wines at pocket-friendly prices. Started in the 1990s, it knows that such labels exist in the middle ground between low- and high-cost bottles. It offers its exceptional range of reds, whites, rosés, and sparklings in a choice of 14 packages. Plans cover different niches like Pacific Northwest, California, and bubbly so there’s something for every taste and interest.
How Does Vinesse work?
Vinesse is for wine lovers who want access to excellent wines that are representative of their appellations and regions but without the restrictive price tags. This is what Vinesse does best – ferreting out amazing wines from around the world at wallet-friendly prices. It’s also big on variety and has built a catalog of 14 clubs so members can always find a plan that suits them. This club also likes to showcase fabulous little-known wines from small wineries so not only is their range good quality but super interesting.
When you decide on the plan that you like, signing up is straightforward and takes very little time. You have the option of selecting all reds, all whites, or a mix of both. Following this, you can select the bottle count then decide on the timings of deliveries.
How Much Does Vinesse Cost?
When you first sign up to Vinesse, you get an introductory welcome offer which comprises eight bottles for $49.99. This gives you the opportunity to get a sample of the quality the club has to offer. After this initial shipment, you pay $16 per bottle plus shipping fees. Each membership is automatically renewed each month. If you’ve selected six bottles, for example, the monthly rate will be $96.
About the Wine
Vinesse’s portfolio includes reds, whites, bubbly, and rosé wines from all of the world’s main wine regions covering a range of styles although California is its mainstay. The club digs out lesser-known wineries doing great things in order to make your shipments more interesting.
Chalkstone
Renowned for its Chardonnay, this Central Coast winery in Paso Robles benefits from the food science Master's degree level knowledge of its owner. It also boasts wines made from classic aromatic grapes like Viognier and Riesling and produces Pinot Noir.
Gracenote
With vineyards in the fog-cooled areas of Los Carneros in Napa and Russian River Valley in Sonoma, Gracenote winery is famed for its range of Pinot Noir wines.
Ashfield Cellars
Also in California, Ashfield Cellars has vineyards all over the state enabling it to blend fruit from different spots to create wines with layers of flavors and ample body. Its Pinot Noir is one of the favorites at Vinesse!
Lions Peak
Situated in Northern San Luis Obispo County, Lions Peak has been on the go since the 1970s and well known for its classic reds and rosés made from Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.
El Tiburon
Found in California’s Napa Valley, El Tiburon has a stellar reputation for reds like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Malbec. Typical of the region, it also makes a fine Chardonnay.
Vinesse Membership Benefits
The main benefit of Vinesse for members is its value for money. With three decades in the business, it has refined the formula for finding excellent, unique wines at great prices.
Benefit 1
Vinesse has built up a top selection of wines from small, lesser-known producers from iconic wine regions all over the world so there’s a wide choice for members. Everything is tried, tested, and handpicked by experienced tasters.
Benefit 2
The club has 14 different membership plans each focusing on a style of wine or a particular classic region meaning plenty to pick and choose from for members.
Benefit 3
Owing to the network of suppliers it has developed, Vinesse can tap into a source of wines that are excellently priced and pass on these savings to members.
Benefit 4
When you sign up, you can take advantage of a special introductory offer with eight great wines for just under $50. This gives you a taste of fine things to come!
Benefit 5
You get to rate each of your wines which leads to more personalized shipments time after time. In this way, you have a big influence on your case contents. Along the same lines, the club operates a satisfaction guarantee.
Vinesse Membership Programs
Sign up for the plan of your choice out of 14 including a sparkling subscription and regional plans. Choose the shipping frequency and bottle count.
Vinesse Membership Length
Opt for a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly membership plan depending on how much wine you like to have in your “cellar”.
Can I Give Vinesse Membership as A Gift?
Unfortunately, you can’t give Vinesse membership as a gift, but the club does sell gift cards that make nice presents for wine-loving friends and relatives. The club also offers one-off gift packages featuring wine, goodies, and accessories.
Vinesse Winc Packaging
There isn’t a lot of information on how Vinesse shipments are packaged or what comes in each shipment.
Price and Shipping
The cost of shipping is added to each delivery. This works out at an additional cost of about $25 per shipment. Delivery is monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly.
Skip A Month
Yes, you can skip a month/ delay a delivery. This could be because you’re going on vacation, or you have enough wine to last for a bit. You can activate this via your Vinesse account.
Customer Service and contact availability
You can contact Vinesse in a number of ways. The options are phone, email, social media messaging, and website chat. The support team is available to deal with queries on weekdays from 7 am to 4 pm. It also has a FAQ page where you might find the information you need.
Cancellation terms
You can cancel your Vinesse subscription at any time. You need to inform customer service by calling them and letting them know you want to stop your membership plan. You should receive a confirmation email or be issued with a confirmation number.
Disadvantages
The standout disadvantage of joining Vinesse is that, while it sources wines from all over the globe, it has a top-heavy reliance on California producers. This is great if you love wines from this region but if you want variety from other areas, this may not be the club for you. Another downside to this club is you can’t buy a wine-loving friend or family member a gift membership but only a gift card which can be a little impersonal.
Differences from the competitors
Like many other clubs, you get to rate your wines which influences what you receive next time around. However, unlike clubs like Firstleaf and Bright Cellars which both use tasting tech to help personalize each shipment, Vinesse only gives you the choice of reds, whites, or mixed cases. Also, Vinesse focuses on a range of wine styles and regions, but it doesn’t do a deep dive into any particular type which could limit its range. In contrast, a club like Plonk focuses entirely on organic and biodynamic wines so the range is more specialist if you like the “connoisseur” approach to what’s in your rack.
Our Opinion
Vinesse offers high-quality, good-value wines across a range of themes and regions with a special emphasis on California. While it has something to offer to people who are already knowledgeable about wines, it really comes into its own as a good club for newbies. This is because there’s an interesting overview of membership plans at reasonable prices. Its great introductory offer is a real bonus and the fact that you can cancel anytime means you aren’t tied into an unwanted long-term commitment. Ditto for the flexibility the club offers for skipping a shipment. Vinesse is a worthwhile club with a membership plan for all oenophiles.
