Grab a glass because it’s wine o’clock somewhere!

The 2020 pandemic took a toll on everyone. And this especially goes for shops and small businesses. However, amidst the crisis, people found a solution: door-to-door deliveries. And this is where alcohol delivery took the spotlight.

The Winc wine club is one of these market conquerors. Thanks to 4 people - Brian Smith, Geoff McFarlane, Mark Thomas Lynn, and Xander Oxman - today we can all enjoy a taste of Argentina, South Africa, or other faraway places through a sip.

With Winc’s monthly subscription you can get the best wines that will be specifically tailored to tickle and engage your palate. Just a few minutes on their quiz is all you need to let Winc know what to send. And then you just wait for your care package.

Stick with this story and learn more about the journey these 4 people took to deliver to us a delicious, liquid treat!

The First Steps

Every story has its hero and in this one, we have 4.

From a rebellious spirit and a fanatic for skating and snowboarding - even almost going pro - Brian Smith did a 180-degree change in his career path when he fell in love with winemaking. A part-time job at a local wine shop turned out to be the guiding path to the real meaning of life for Brian.

Geoff McFarlane is the antonym to Brian Smith. He graduated from the University of Denver in real estate and finance, but his whole life he has been driven to the entrepreneurial realm. Slowly, Brian managed to find the meeting point in these two worlds and became a beast in bringing run-down businesses back to life.

Another overly driven enthusiast in this A-team is Mark Thomas Lynn. Born in Ireland, but later relocating his business in LA, this entrepreneur launched his first company at the age of 17. Since then, Mark has faced many ups and downs, but his love for entrepreneurship has stayed alive and kicking.

Last but not least is Xander Oxman. Graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulders, with a degree a Bachelor of Business Administration, Xander was the last piece of this puzzle. His knowledge and experience with entrepreneurship and start-ups made him an unexchangeable part of the team.

And when you add all of this experience and knowledge you get Winc - one of the best wine companies of today!

The Road to Winc

After shifting to the wine realm, Brian knew that this was his calling in life and proceeded to work hard up to the point when he passed the Advanced Sommelier exam. The road to this title wasn’t a piece of cake.

Brian wandered for a while and got back to finance which lead him to open his own brokerage in the Virgin Islands. This big move actually prepared young Brian for realizing his dream, getting the title - sommelier, and opening Winc.

With his abilities to raise companies from the dead, Geoff gladly took a chair at the table in this company. He had dipped his toes in many managerial and leading positions before, so when the time came to open Winc, Geoff didn’t hesitate to embrace the idea. Geoff’s sharp mind modernized the idea of subscription-based delivery of wine - add some questions and people will tell you all they want.

Mark has had his fair share of co-founding, owning, or partnering up to build companies from the ground up. Mark even sits on several boards of big credit card companies. While being part of Winc, Mark also chaired the company Digital Brands Group and created his own business - AMASS.

Prior to Winc, Xander Oxman was a co-founder of WireTrust Payment Gateway. Attending many events with him as a key speaker, Xander spread his knowledge with many peers. Grabbing the chance to show off his skills, Xander left his previous post and jumped on the possibility to co-found this wine company.

Into the Wine Waters

The discovery of an underserved category of customers was the spark that would ignite this company’s flame. Younger people are always on the rise of searching for a new type of wine that would tingle their taste buds. However, a downside to the matter is that people just can’t connect, although the supply side is quite ready to deliver.

Thus, in 2011, Winc emerged on the scene. Originally, Winc was named Club W, and customers could either buy directly from the club or subscribe to their online page and get a monthly package of 3 wines. Using the feedbacks, the founders set off to search for ways in which they could fill in the gaps.

Slowly, Club W began developing wines just for themselves, and in 2016, the company rebranded into the name we know today - Winc. The online membership club still exists, but now Winc turns its attention to producing and selling wines directly to customers.

A shake to the company came when Xander left the company in 2020 to commit fully to his job as a principal in Iron Spark. Xander took on the CEO roll up until 2018 when Geoff switched from CFO and COO to CEO. Until his leave, Xander was a chairman of the board. Despite the many changes, Winc stood strong and never wavered in delivering to their customers.

Financial Stability

In the beginning stage of its development, the founders used their own money to start off Winc. Lucky for them, their friends and family helped them in raising money for their idea.

Deciding to move their business in LA made everyone scratch their heads, but the four founders didn’t give up and pursued their dream. Adding on their seed money was a venture firm - Crosscut Ventures, which since then has grown to be one of the biggest funds in LA. The next couple of years, Brian, Geoff, Mark, and Xander continued their search for investors.

Thus far, Winc has had 11 funding rounds and raised an envious sum of $54.2 million. In the last one, occurring in March 2020, Brian, Geoff, Mark, and Xander managed to secure another $5.3 million from equity funding. Winc’s most substantial funding came in 2016 and reached around $17.5 million.

Winc had the initial idea to hold an IPO in 2021, however, in October 2021, this IPO was postponed.

Winc Today

At this moment in time, this online firm is based in LA. As a wine company that’s selling wine online, their journey has been turbulent. Knowing that Brian, Geoff, Mark, and Xander’s idea was something new to the market, these 4 protagonists managed to build a big name from scratch. Currently, there are around 100 employees at Winc, making absolutely sure the business is booming.

Winc is gradually becoming a sought-after delivery service, but before it pleased the taste buds of many, Winc faced serious competition. Companies like Bright Cellars, Vinebox, and Cellars Wine Club, among others, didn’t make it easy for Winc to attract its clientele. However, quality and innovation made Winc stand out from the rest.

Seeing that their members’ club has skyrocketed in the past few months, the founders decided to take some steps into adapting to this new change. Recently, they have turned to various digital activities as well as hosting some virtual wine tasting sessions.

For the future, Winc has many hidden aces up its sleeve. For a taste of their plans, they’ve mentioned that they would dive into another category - the release of Japanese saké next year is just one of their top products. New styles and formats are also right around the corner.

As a company that starts first with the customer and then goes into production, Winc has easily won the hearts of many. Their fresh idea broke the conventional style on the market and brought vinery into the modern world.

Stop by their user-friendly website, do the quiz and find out the best wine for you. Plus, you can get some tips on which food to pair with your favorite choice. Easy and convenient!

Another glass? Wine not!