Winc

I signed up to Club W and got my first shipment today. I decided to try one of the wines that came today, even though I have quite a few bottles waiting to be opened. The wine was a blend of Cabernet and Syrah. It was absolutely fantastic - easily worth the approximately $16 price tag. But I did notice something odd. I wanted to lookup reviews for that wine, and couldn't find any reference to the "Upswell" winery. But Google does tell me that the trademark is owned by Club W. So they are maximizing their profits by selling their own wine - no doubt bought in bulk from suppliers at rock bottom prices. So that's a red flag to me. It's also a red flag that you have to call them to cancel the service. But I have to tell you, it was one delicious bottle of wine. I don't think Club W is a scam. Time will tell if its worth it, if they are just selling their white-label brands then I won't stick with it.

Oh it was nice that the wine also came with a recipe. It was a delicious chicken recipe that I went ahead and cooked. In fact it was these recipes that made me choose Club W over a couple competitors. So I have to say, it's a good experience so far. I'll stick with it to see if it works for me long term or not. But its not a scam. That Upswell 2012 was simply delicious.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Apparently, most of the negative reviewers below can't read (or didn't bother to) because it's VERY clear when you place the first order that you're enrolling in a monthly delivery club.

I love that they give suggestions on wines I'd like (which have only gotten better as I've rated what they've sent me).

It's VERY easy to skip a month (or two, or three). And if you want to cancel, just PICK UP THE PHONE and call.

Definitely not a scam. The company delivers what they say they will, on time, and the website couldn't be more clear when your next box is going to be sent. Emails let you know when they are getting ready to pack the box so you can cancel for a month if you need to.

As far as wine quality, I've discovered that a lot of the red wines do require some decanting and rest before they taste their best (though most reds and even whites do). These are wines that are very acceptable and drinkable for their price point.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I tried Club W for about 6 months and then quit because I realized 1) I couldn't taste a huge difference between these wines and ones I found at the grocery store for $8; and 2) getting wines shipped to me was much less convenient than just getting them from the store. If you have a rich palette and find stores less convenient, you may like this wine service.

The wine picking and recommendations were fun, I'm a sucker for bottle design and really enjoyed the wines I did get. However, each one wasn't more magical tasting than the store. I was expecting to really taste big punches of the flavors in the wine, but inevitable all the red wines I got ended up tasting like "red wine taste" to my tongue. To save on shipping, I got 12 wines for the first order, and that box is SO heavy! In the end, I'd much rather pick up an $8-16 bottle of wine from the store without the shipping charge and without the big heavy box.

It was a fun experience, overall. Canceling took less than 5 minutes, with no pressure to keep you enrolled.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I've been a member for 3 months. It is clear that you will be enrolled in a club by the name of the website, the terms and conditions, and it's literally everywhere. I like most of the wines, but of course this can vary from customer to customer. I have no intentions of cancelling any time soon.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Pros: They give you enough information to learn a thing or two about wine if you're absolutely new to it. Their online interface is pleasing and the amount you get is convenient. Good shipping and packaging.

Cons: If you aren't in big city, then the prices actually aren't that great. They make it a bit of a pain to unsubscribe (but it still only takes several minutes by phone).

I would recommend it to a friend because there are opportunities to get "free" bottles when friends are referred. Everyone just needs to be aware regarding subscriptions and what it takes to unsubscribe.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I recently joined the Club W (now rebranded as Winc), got my 3 bottles of wine during new customer promotion, signed up for 3 free bottles, you pay tax and 9 dollars of shipping, cost me around 11.89 for three bottles, not bad at all.

I bring those wines to my family members who own a well-known vineyard and wine making company up in Napa and ask them to taste the wine without seeing the bottle (I pour the wine instead of them holding and checking out the bottle), the results are...

2015 Chenin Blanc Vinyasa - 3 stars

2015 Wayward Wine Co. Clarksburg Chardonnay - 3 stars

2015 Albarino Ye`Ye` Vino de Espana - 2 stars

After the conclusions from all 23 members of family and friends, all three wines are rated below average with the price tag. Those wines actually cost 13 dollars per bottle without tax, but they taste similar to a 4-dollar bottle wine, 2015 Barefoot white wine, sold at Safeway.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Wine is average to below average. It's nice (I guess) to customize orders and put off an order for a month, but that was not that important to me. My first shipment came with bottles falling out of the cardboard compartments, but the wine was not damaged. Second shipment had no issues. Our second order had one of the bottles corked, the wine was vinegary and not drinkable. We have not had the other bottles yet. Their solution was to give two credits to my account, although I doubt I'll use them since I have no desire to get any more of their wine. The Ohio taxes along with shipping make this cost- wise a disadvantage, and I'm not doing that for sub-par wine.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Website is fine, wine is just o.k., you can do better just going to a decent wine store. You have to be home to sign for the order, or you have to pick it up elsewhere, which can be a hassle. They will not let you cancel via a link, or by email, you must call them. They list a couple of lame reasons why this is the case, but to me it shows they have no confidence in their operation, and want to give you the hard sell when you call. I recommend you avoid this company.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

The website is attractive and easy to navigate. It draws the user in immediately due to the ability to create your own wine type based on your answers to simple questions. The problem came after I placed my order for three bottles of wine. Only after my credit card was charged did I realize I was signing up for a monthly automatic shipment and it would continue to be charged. I read the terms and conditions and there was no indication of automated future shipments/charges. It was difficult to locate their phone number and even more difficult to cancel.

I asked for a confirmation number upon cancelling and the lady was not able to provide one. I hung up unsure if the "membership" is even truly canceled. I will be watching my credit card statement very closely next month.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

They have a very poor disclosure about automatically being enrolled into a program where they will ship you three bottles of wine monthly and charge your credit card that they maintain on file.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I tried it for 3 months and the wines are mediocre. The company has a fun premise and makes buying wine fun, accessible and unintimidating, but it's not for someone who really cares about good wine. The orders come via FedEx and the last two times, the wines have arrived very warm, well past the temperature in which they should be stored. All this makes already cheap wine taste even cheaper.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend