Tasting Room (Lot 18) Wine Club Review
With all of the wine clubs out there it can be tough to make a decision. Luckily Wine Turtle is here to help you wade through the many options and find the club that's best for you. Each club has it's selling points, and those things that detract from it but, as with most things, people may disagree on which are the attractive and unattractive features of a club. We're going through the big clubs and giving you an in depth look so that you can find the best club for you whether you're ordering for yourself or as a gift.
Tasting Room by Lot18 is a wine club that is pretty much unbeatable no matter what you're looking for in a club - from the start of the experience through the deliveries. The club starts by sending the member a small box with six mini bottles of wine. The wines in this initial shipment cover a broad spectrum of styles, mouth feels, aromas and flavors. Members taste along to an online video, following simple instructions. Members click their preferences and a profile of their preferences is built and used to plan their shipments each month.
By far one of the best and economical clubs out there, if it's available where you live we recommend giving it a try!
Header 1 / 1 | How Many? | How Often? | How Much? |
|---|---|---|---|
Membership | 12 | Quarterly | $149* |
* The initial tasting kit is $9.95. Quarterly shipments are $149 with a flat rate of $19.99 for shipping bringing the total to $168.99
About Tasting Room by Lot18
Tasting Room by Lot18 focuses on high quality wine that members will like based on their tasting profile. Four times a year they receive twelve unique bottles selected for the member. The wines are high quality, probably worth more than the per bottle breakdown. They understand wine and palettes and also provide some great education.
Like some other clubs, Tasting Room by Lot18 seeks to send members curated shipments of wines that they will enjoy. Upon signing up, members pay $9.95 and in return receive a shipment of six airplane bottles of wine. When the members have time they log onto a video and taste the wines following on screen and audio instructions. They taste the wines in pairs that are supplied by the video and click on the one they like better. This allows an algorithm to decide what the drinker really likes in wine. For example, someone might say they like Pinot Noir but then taste one they do not like. This is because many things factor how the wine tastes: climate, region, terroir, fermenting, aging, oaking. The wines in the sampler and the paired tastings allow the club to develop a rich understanding of what the drinker seeks in wine and then starts planning the shipments. The best part? Upon completion of the online tasting members are provided with an in depth palette analysis which includes information about their tastes: do they prefer oaked wines? warm or cool climates? floral or spicy? what foods should they eat with the wines they enjoy? This is an impressive and educational tool.
Shipments are simple: quarterly boxes of 12 bottles. And they are always the same price - $149 plus $19.99 shipping which equates to about $14/bottle - a steal!
The selected wines are high quality and meet members' tastes. This is why Tasting Room by Lot18 is highly reviewed all over the internet.
Don't miss our other popular wine club guides:
What Does Membership Get Me?
- Quarterly shipments of 12 wines based on your personal preferences.
Take Note: Take the time to do the online tasting when you have time to devote to it and can devote the time to it. Follow the directions and answer based on your preferences. If you think you hate white but you find you enjoy some of the whites more than reds, be sure to reflect this... you're going to get wines sent based on your palette and you want to have it as accurate as possible. Don't just select the red because you think you like red more. Who knows what they were testing - it could be sweet vs. dry or full bodied vs. light.
Show Me The Money!
We love a club that is transparent about pricing. It doesn't get any more transparent than Tasting Room by Lot18.
- $9.95 initial charge for palette assessment.
- $149/quarterly shipment
- $19.99/quarterly shipment for shipping costs
- No membership or cancellation fees.
What We Love: Everything. Seriously. From the fair prices to the attention to detail and the palette survey? It's an awesome way to understand not only things about wine but about your personal tastes.
Detailed Review of Tasting Room by Lot18
Club W
Price
Quality
Support
Educational Value
We liked
- The palette assessment is amazing.
- Pricing is simple to understand.
- Wines are high quality.
- Excellent customer service.
- No hidden fees!
We didn't like
- No list of where it's available.
- We'd love a 6 bottle option!
Summary: We are being objective, we promise. It might sound too good to be true but it's not. This is a beautifully run, quality-focused, club that curates shipments based on member taste. They are available to answer questions and run an impressive operation without hiccoughs.
Things We Like
The Palette Assessment - How many of know generalities about what we like in a wine? Most of us. But how many of us have ordered a varietal based on usually liking it only to find it's not what we were expecting? Most of us. The palette assessment provided by Tasting Room by Lot 18 doesn't simply help the club decide what to send members, it also educates members as to their preferences that make a difference. You might love warm climate pinot noir but cold climate wines may have something about them you don't like.
Transparent Pricing - It's very easy to understand what you're getting and for how much, and doing the math shows that you're paying about $14/bottle - a steal when it comes to good wines.
High Quality Wine - Tasting Room is known for offering excellent wines and this extends to their wine club. You're not getting plonk, you're getting quality wines that don't disappoint.
Excellent Customer Service - Tasting Room by Lot18 is customer-focused. They are easy to reach and engage with members, and potential members, in a professional, expedient way.
No Hidden Fees! - Tasting Room by Lot18 won't ever charge you unexpectedly. Everything is easy to understand and never changes.
Things We Don't Like
Can I Get It Where I Live? - We'd love the website to include a list of where Tasting Room by Lot18 is available.
A Six Bottle Option Would Be Nice - The price is right for this club but twelve bottles is daunting for some, especially if you only have a 12 bottle wine fridge. A six bottle option would be awesome.
The Verdict
Tasting Room by Lot18 is definitely one of the best internet wine clubs available. From the start through the execution the club is focused on members, understanding, and quality. The experience is unparalleled and definitely a club to try if it's available in your area.
