Vinebox

 

With wine samplers growing in popularity, the folks over at Vinebox got in contact with me to ask if I’d like to receive a sample of their product.  Not one to say no to free wine, and very curious about seeing their packing methods, I decided to give it a shot.

The concept is simple, Vinebox curates wines from small to medium sized European producers, and then send out samples of the wines to members of the subscription service.  The samples aren’t full sized though, rather they’re the size of a glass.  These wines are aimed to be both unique and unseen by many consumers, and of exceptional quality.  Prices for a subscription start at $35 a month, and go down to $30/month for an annual subscription.

How Does This Wine by the Glass Thing Normally Work?

If your local restaurant is anything like most, the pricing system most commonly works as follows:

• A bottle of wine is picked up around the market price (depending on how much the distributor takes off)
• The restaurant takes the price of the bottle and marks it up by 3-5 times for their wine list.
• If they happen to be selling that bottle by the glass, they divide the price by 5, the assumed number of glasses in a bottle.

So let’s do some math.  This means that a standard pour of wine is 150ml (or roughly 5 oz).  This means that if a glass of it cost you say, $7, then the bottle is worth $35.  Coincidentally, $35  is the price of Vinebox.

[A quick note here, some restaurants will use the division of 4, assuming that they won’t be able to sell the last glass either due to slow turnover, over pours, etc.]

The Vinebox Value Proposition

Since First Pour Wine is a site dedicated to bottles of wine around $10, a $35 sampler of wine is a bit of a questionable thing.  When you consider that in the past, I’d take a magnum and divide the price by the volume over a standard bottle (that’d be 2, or 1.5L/750ml) it fits even less.  On the value index, Vinebox only includes 300ml of wine, of slightly less than half of a normal bottle.  If I were to apply the same logic of a magnum to Vinebox, it would place the value of the wine at close to $90. So does it deliver all that value?

Well, as with any sampler, the answer is more, it depends.

The Packaging

When I first got the Vinebox, I was expecting a slightly larger box.  The plain, brown box with the logo left no question of what it was, but I couldn’t help feeling disappointed at their shipping container.  Until I opened it.

Inside is a beautifully composed black box branded with their logo.  There’s a svelte quality to it that’s almost sexy, a theme that continues throughout, which beckons one to open it.  Inside, the presentation is just as flawless.  What looks like a note just for you, waits on top of 3 sample sized bottles, perfectly nestled in their foam shipping homes.  The glass packaging makes them look especially elegant, gives a charmed weight to them when you pick them up.

Inside the envelop, are amazingly well put together tasting cards, listing details of the wine, pairing suggestions, and fun quotes.  Again, the materials used here are impressive and flawless.  The entire execution of the box itself is, in a word, perfect.

The Wine

However, not everything is paradise here.  The wine sample sizes of 100ml are about an oz larger than a 2oz tasting portion, and for the price, this is asking for a lot.  When you add up the box itself, there’s slightly less than 2 glasses for $35.  Given these samples are on par with say, Vino Volo’s Sommelier Series, that’s not to shabby, but don’t expect a full glass of each sample.

That said, the wines themselves are very good, and sourced from great regions.  My box contained a Chardonnay from Jura (France), a Rosé from Provence, and a red blend from Languedoc-Roussillon, all of which were perfect for summer.  Keep in mind, all of these are from medium to small producers, and currently sourced only from Europe, so don’t expect Napa or anything from down under.

The Verdict

As samples go, Vinebox’s process of sending smaller versions of medium and small sized vineyard’s wines is charming.   It’s also not to be understated how seriously Vinebox could have easily screwed this up, but their process of transferring larger bottles to their sample sizes is impeccably executed.  Also, have I mentioned how amazing the packaging is?

For most folks new in their wine journey, the price is too steep given the volume, and they’d be better off served getting a few friends, and buying a mixed case for $150-250 to share at a party. That’s not to say it isn’t worth it; seasoned wine enthusiasts are going to get more value from Vinebox than a regular joe.   This means folks who’ve toured some vineyards, have some wine books, wine education, or just want to reach off the beat path could have a real opportunity here.  The smaller sourcing is a great idea, and I think it will be fun to see how Vinebox can capitalize off their unique position.  If you fall into this camp, and want to try it at a discount, you can head over to Vinebox, and use the code WINEBETTER1 for a $10 discount.