Why You Should Be Getting Your Wine Online— Think Netflix for Wine
Online wine shopping: a privilege of the new millennium. We've all shopped for wine 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 it’s pretty sweet.
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.
Soon thereafter, you’ll receive a 12-bottle case of different wines tailored to match your preferences. The club ships you a case of wine as often as you'd like for about $12/bottle. I opted to receive mine every other month, the default frequency, which you can easily change in your account once you've signed up. 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 fruity 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 awesome team at Tasting Room is extending a special discount just for our readers. Follow this link to get your tasting kit for just $6.95 (originally $39.95)!