What is Vinos Pingüinos?

Vinos Pingüinos is a full service wine curation experience brought to you by a team that wants to share their passion. Each release includes a box of extraordinary selections based on your appetite for discovery of natural wines from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. Vinos Pingüinos is geared toward people who wish to expand their wine horizons. Our goal is to provide you with an adventurous wine experience. We do the hard work for you of tasting a lot of wine so that we might bring you the absolute best for our releases, at a good value. It is our hope that by demystifying the often overwhelming world of wine, we can make you a more confident drinker and enjoyer of wine on a Tuesday, or any special occasion.

How does it work?

We offer a few tiers of membership. Based on your wine consuming habits, you can have 2, 6, or 12 bottles of wine delivered to you each release, which will adhere to a particular theme. You will also receive notes on the wine, producer, region, personality, etc. to enhance your enjoyment of the wines, and occasional goodies that compliment the experience. Notes will also include food pairing suggestions as well. For more information, options, and pricing - please see our Wine Club page. VP also offers a reasonably pandemic safe wine shopping and delivery experience.

Do I have to live in Seattle?

No, we are now able to offer shipping to Washington, Oregon and California state addresses! Our delivery area is within the greater Seattle area, as far as Burien/Renton, Edmonds/Lynnwood, and Mercer Island. We have a separate delivery and shipping FAQ page. Contact us for additional information.

What is natural wine?

Natural wine is a dynamic concept. Many people have their own definitions. Often these wines are higher in acid, and lower in alcohol. They are idiosyncratic and distinctive. They are fresh and alive. These wines more than anything, exhibit vitality that conventional wines simply could not. A natty wine should almost always be fermented by ambient yeast, meaning from the vineyard - not added at the winery. They should be from sustainably farmed vineyards - practicing or certified organic/biodynamic/regeneratively farmed, etc. Natural wines are often considered “low intervention” which means that a less is more approach was taken in caring for the vines and harvesting, with handling the grapes in the winery, and few additives were given to the wine during its production such as sulfur dioxide and other substances. These wines are often unfined and unfiltered. On occasion, this means there is residue or sediment in the wines, but we promise it won’t hurt you, and may enhance the complexity.

What should I expect from Vinos Pingüinos wines?

We aim to provide a diverse selection each release, but generally these are wines meant to be enjoyed sooner than later. They are fresh and refreshing, fruity, and vibrant wines. These wines skew toward lower alcohol, higher acidity profiles. The wines are craft products made by real people with love, not giant corporations. There’s no template, but we’ll aim to provide a decent mix of reds, whites, skin contact or rosé, wines with bubbles, and occasionally a wild card like cider, vermouth, fortified wine, or aperitif. The goal is to expand horizons so anything goes. You are putting your trust in us to give you an amazing experience, and we do not take that responsibility lightly.

What if I want more wine?

We have a bottle shop! Perhaps you really like a bottle in one of the releases, or something else tickles your fancy. We taste literally hundreds of wines, and can’t help but snag the bottles that blow us away. We’ll keep our store stocked up, and add some other wines we think are fantastic. These bottles may be added to your order at any time, and delivered with the next release. Looking for something in particular? Contact us and we’ll try to find what you’re looking to enjoy.

Do you offer in-person experiences?

We do! We love conducting guided tastings, hosting classes on a variety of wine topics, or helping you select awesome wine for your party or event. Check out our Occasions page for more info. Although we are based in Seattle, we can and are happy to travel!

Can I refer friends?

We highly encourage word-of-mouth. In fact, for every person you may refer that joins Vinos Pingüinos, you’ll receive $20 to use at our store or on your next subscription. Make sure to let us know about the referral.

Why penguins?

Penguins are adorable, friendly, and curious flightless birds who live mostly in Antarctica. Antarctica happens to be the only continent without a wine production region. So penguins are the avatar for you, the adventurous consumer - who looks sharp with a bow tie, and a glass of pétillant naturel.