The Tasting Room

Online wine shopping: a privilege of the new millennium. We’ve all
at liquor stores in the past, but the nearest one doesn’t always have the best selection,
or the best prices for that matter. They have limited shelf space, and store employees
don’t always recommend bottles we’ll enjoy. Liquor stores are focused on volume and
margin (it’s not their fault rent is expensive) so many of us pay a premium and still end
up choosing the yellow-labeled bottle with the kangaroo in the front of the store. But
Tasting Room seeks to change that.

I joined Tasting Room, the fastest growing wine club in the nation, after reading about it
on Huff Post. The innovative service provides access to more fine wines, educates
you about the wines you like best, and sends you wine they know you’ll enjoy based on
your experiences with each bottle. It’s kind of like Netflix, i.e. “because you chose light
citrus dry whites, here’s a bottle of Gruner Vetliner you’re likely to enjoy,” and their
recommendations are on point.

To discover which wines are best suited for you, Tasting Room sends over mini tasting-
size bottles of wine, which is when the fun begins. After receiving your tasting kit, log on
to the site and you’re guided through a fun and interactive survey, which pits the wines
against one another. Just select the wines you like best, and Tasting Room will generate
your Wine Profile which acts as a guide to tell you which wines you tend to gravitate
towards (in both red and white categories) as well as the regions they come from and
the foods with which they pair well.

The profiles are fun and packed with useful information, but the best part is the wine that
follows! You’ll receive a 12-bottle case of different wines tailored to match your
preferences every three months for about $12 a bottle. I drink more than 1.5 bottles a
week so I customize the frequency, which you can also do on their site. You can also
customize your shipment size, and contents (all reds, all whites, or just select your
favorite bottles). I just keep rating subsequent shipments, and they automatically send
me a mix of light dry whites and bold earthy reds because that’s what I like according to
my Wine Profile (and my taste buds). I have yet to receive a bottle I did not enjoy.

Not to mention, every bottle comes with a satisfaction guarantee so if you ever receive a
bottle that doesn’t suit your palate, they’ll issue you a wine credit with which you can
purchase another bottle from the extensive (and yummy) collection on their website. Just
under 10 bucks to join (that gets you your tasting kit) and you can cancel at anytime.
UPDATE: The folks at Tasting Room are extending a special discount just for our
readers. Follow this link to get your tasting kit for just $6.95 (originally $39.95)!