That Time I Joined an Online Wine Club - Step 1: What's My Wine Profile?

You guys -- I finally did it.  I joined a wine club.

Even before I started this blog, I would look longingly at the advertisements for the New York Times Wine Club and consider having the wine come to me.  Of course, as a young professional, I haven't quite reached the income level that would allow me to afford the NYT wine club and pay for wine that I may or may not like.  

But, thanks to The Frisky, I learned about The Tasting Room by Lot18, an online wine club that promises to tailor your wine shipments to your palate.  And, again, thanks to The Frisky, I signed up to receive an introductory wine tasting kit at the discounted price of $6.95, instead of the usual $9.95.  

About a week after signing up, my tasting kit arrived.  It included two whites, four reds, and a few materials to help guide the tasting process.

After logging into the Tasting Room's website, I was treated to a short, two-minute video about how to best taste the wine.  Then, I got to rate each of the wines included in my kit.

To be completely honest, I wasn't in love with the two whites I received -- a 2011 sauvignon blanc from Ten Sisters and a chardonnay from Loophole.  (There is a very slim chance that I would drink those bottles again.)  I rated the sauvignon higher, but there wasn't much of a difference.  I was more excited about the reds, which included a pinot noir, a cabernet sauvignon, a bordeaux, and a malbec.   

Following the tasting, the website created my wine profile.  When it comes to white wine, I'm a "Devil-May-Care" consumer who enjoys crisp and refreshing whites -- your rieslings and your pinot grigios. As for red, I like wines with bold, fruity flavors. (Both of these assessments happen to be true, but I would like to get out of my comfort zone.) 

With my wine profile established, the Tasting Room will send a shipment of twelve, full-sized bottles of wine at a price of $84.49 -- just about $7 per bottle.  AMAZING!  After that, I should receive shipments roughly every three months at a price of $150, which seems like a steal.

So far, I'm impressed with the process.  I didn't wait long for my kit, and the website is very easy to use. I'm not sure how long I'll be a member, though.  Part of me is afraid that my apartment is going to become overrun with wine because I won't drink it fast enough (which isn't the worst fate).  Of course, this probably means that I'll be hosting a lot more social gatherings and will always have a ready-to-go host/hostess gift.

More to come once my next shipment arrives!