The verdict up front: Winc has moved on from the monthly-credit model it used to run, and a lot of “wine club” roundups still describe the old version. It is now a two tier membership: 6 bottles shipped every month, or 12 bottles shipped every 12 weeks, either one unlocking a permanent 20 percent discount and free shipping across the whole catalogue. A short palate quiz drives your recommendations, and you can trust the picks or swap in your own choices before each shipment. If you want member pricing on a large catalogue and do not mind a little bit of curation, the appeal is real. If you want the absolute least effort possible, Firstleaf’s box-and-swap model still asks a little less of you.
Getting the model right matters more than any other detail on this page, since Winc has changed it more than once and older reviews are a poor guide.
How Winc actually works
You start with a short Palate Profile quiz, about six questions on the reds, whites and styles you already like. Based on your answers, Winc recommends wines. You can trust those recommendations and check out, or swap in your own picks from the full catalogue. After you drink, you rate what you had, and future recommendations adjust. That quiz, then rate, then repeat loop is close to what it has always been.
What changed is the pricing structure. Winc is no longer a flat monthly fee that converts into credit. It is now a membership: pick a 6-Bottle Membership (6 wines shipped every month) or a 12-Bottle Membership (12 wines shipped every 12 weeks). Either membership unlocks a permanent 20 percent discount on every bottle and pack sitewide, always free shipping, the ability to skip or pause a shipment anytime, and first access to new releases.
| Price | Roughly per bottle | |
|---|---|---|
| 6-Bottle Membership | Averages $115 per order (up to $30 in member savings), shipped monthly | Around $19 |
| 12-Bottle Membership | Averages $220 per order (up to $60 in member savings), shipped every 12 weeks | Around $18 |
| Shipping | Always free for members | n/a |
| Skip or pause | Yes, anytime, online | n/a |
Some third-party reviews still describe a smaller, cheaper 3-bottle option billed around $39 a month. That tier does not appear on Winc’s current membership page as of today, so treat it as an outdated description of an earlier version of the model rather than something you can currently sign up for.
Winc is also a producer, not just a retailer. It creates and curates its own labels, which is how the member pricing works, and the same reason you will not recognize most of the names.
What Winc does well
A real sitewide discount, not just a box price. The 20 percent member discount applies across the whole catalogue, not only your scheduled shipment, so restocking a favorite bottle between deliveries is still discounted.
Genuine choice. You are never stuck with a box someone else assembled if you do not want to be. If you know you dislike oaky Chardonnay, swap it out or buy around it. For people who like browsing, this beats a fully closed box.
Good value once discounted. Member prices land in a reasonable everyday range, and the under $20 section is large. If your wine budget sits around $15 to $20 a bottle, this is well matched to you.
A quiz that actually adjusts. The palate quiz plus the rate-and-repeat loop means recommendations improve the more you engage, similar in spirit to Firstleaf’s model.
Flexibility. Skip or pause a shipment anytime, online, without a phone call.
The honest drawbacks
The 12-bottle plan ships quarterly, not monthly. If “membership” made you assume a monthly delivery no matter which tier, the 12-bottle option actually arrives every 12 weeks. Read the cadence carefully before choosing.
The minimum commitment is bigger than it looks. The smallest membership still ships 6 bottles at a time. If you only drink a bottle every couple of weeks, that is a lot of wine to work through between shipments.
Mostly own labels. Like Firstleaf, most bottles are Winc’s own, so you cannot comparison shop them elsewhere, and retail value claims are hard to verify independently.
A narrowed range at the top end. Reviewers note that Winc has trimmed its premium selection over time to focus on wines it can produce at scale. If you regularly drink above $30 a bottle, this club is not built for you.
Winc’s ownership history, briefly
Worth knowing, because it explains some confusion online. Winc filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2022 and was acquired by Full Glass Wine Co. in 2023. The same company then acquired Bright Cellars in 2024 and merged it into the Winc platform later that year, moving former Bright Cellars members over to Winc accounts.
So if you are searching for Bright Cellars, Winc is where it went. And if you read older reviews describing a fixed four bottle box, they predate the current membership model.
Who Winc is for
Join if you like having a sitewide discount and a big catalogue to browse, are comfortable committing to 6 or 12 bottles per shipment, want good value around the $18 to $19 mark, and appreciate red, white, rosé and sparkling all in one place with organic, sustainable and vegan filters.
Skip it if you want someone else to curate a smaller box for you (choose Firstleaf), you drink less than a bottle a week, you regularly buy wine above $30, or you want recognizable labels from real independent wineries (choose The California Wine Club).
Our best wine clubs guide ranks every option by reader type.
Winc compared
| Winc | Firstleaf | California Wine Club | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Membership: 20% off sitewide, quiz plus swap | Curated box, quiz plus swap | Curated box |
| Roughly per shipment | ~$115 for 6 bottles monthly, or ~$220 for 12 bottles every 12 weeks | ~$90 for 6 bottles | From ~$45 |
| Decision effort | Quiz picks for you, swap if you want | Mostly done for you | Done for you |
| Own labels or real wineries? | Mostly own labels | Mostly own labels | Real small wineries |
| Best for | Sitewide discount and catalogue breadth | Value plus personalization | Boutique discovery |
Not sure a club suits you at all?
Before subscribing to anything, it helps to know which wines actually fit your palate, because a club matched to the wrong taste is just an expensive way to be disappointed.
Our free quiz takes 60 seconds: seven questions about coffee, chocolate and dinner, no wine knowledge needed, and you get your wine profile with the club that matches it.
FAQ
How does the Winc membership actually work?
It is a two tier membership, not a credit account. Choose a 6-Bottle Membership, shipped monthly, or a 12-Bottle Membership, shipped every 12 weeks. Either one unlocks a permanent 20 percent discount, free shipping, and the ability to skip or pause anytime. A palate quiz drives your recommendations, which you can accept or swap.
How much does Winc cost per bottle?
Members average around $19 a bottle on the 6-bottle plan and around $18 a bottle on the 12-bottle plan, both already reflecting the 20 percent member discount.
Is Winc good for beginners?
Reasonably, though Firstleaf still asks less of you. Winc’s quiz picks wines for you and you can simply accept them, but the catalogue and the sitewide discount reward people willing to browse a little. A complete beginner who wants the absolute least effort is still better served by Firstleaf’s smaller box.
Can you cancel Winc anytime?
Yes, you can skip a shipment, pause, or cancel online. Since this is now a membership rather than a credit account, there is no leftover credit balance to worry about the way older versions of Winc worked.
What happened to Bright Cellars?
Bright Cellars was acquired by Full Glass Wine Co. in 2024 and merged into Winc, which the same company had bought the year before. Former members were transitioned to Winc accounts.
Does Winc ship to my state?
Winc’s checkout lets you select any of the 50 states plus Washington D.C., but individual bottles can still be blocked for specific states and ZIP codes depending on local alcohol shipping rules, since availability is checked per item, not just per state. Confirm at checkout before assuming a bottle will ship.
Winc or Firstleaf?
Firstleaf if you want the smaller box and the least effort. Winc if you want a sitewide discount, a bigger catalogue, and do not mind a 6 or 12 bottle commitment per shipment.
The bottom line
Winc has quietly become a more conventional membership than the credit account it used to be. Join for 6 bottles a month or 12 every 12 weeks, get 20 percent off everything sitewide, and let the quiz do most of the work unless you want to override it.
For people happy to commit to a 6 or 12 bottle shipment and who want a sitewide discount to lean on, it works well. For anyone who wants the smallest possible box and the least possible effort, Firstleaf still asks less of you.
Compare every option in our best wine clubs guide, or let the quiz narrow it down.
Please drink responsibly. This site is intended for adults 21 and over.