Last night we went to throw back some wine in honor of the launch of Bottlenotes.
They were pouring 25 of their 150 or so wines currently in stock (soon to jump to close to 500). Our wine correspondent, thought there was a healthy variety offered, which probably speaks to the ability of Bottlenotes to cater, as they say they will, to anyone's personal tastes.
Of course we went home and promptly joined one of the clubs (the Explorers Club). Taking the on-line "personal taste profile" questionnaire was a hoot: not only do they ask questions about your taste in wine, they ask how you take your coffee, if you salt your food, etc. Gives one a feeling their special little vino-algorithim is actually real, although for a couple that likes different wines and takes their coffee differently, we were presented with a few bumps along the way.
Readers of The Kitchen who sign up for any of the Bottlenotes wine clubs between now and April 1st will receive 10% off their first shipment (use code LAUNCH).
Thinking about signing up... Any firsthand experience with this service and quality of wines from anyone out there?
I'm actually a tried-and-true Bottlenotes member. I gotta say, it's kindof amazing. I've always known which wines are supposed to be "best", but have never really understood which wines are best FOR ME. I filled out that personal taste profile, and now every time they send a new shipment I let'em know what I think of each bottle. Even though they only launched a few months ago, I'm already noticing the wines are more consistently to my liking (apparently I'm a fan of "spicy" and "tannic" wine...who knew?). I'm in the Explorer's Club so the wines are coming from all over the world...which is a welcome treat for me, who rarely ventures beyond Sonoma. There's plenty there for a true connoisseur as well, but for those of us who are still struggling to learn, Bottlenotes is the perfect Cliff's Notes. (Careful, though...at dinner parties you may find yourself resentful when others drink your wine. It is, after all, customized to YOUR tastes, not THEIRS...!)
I am also member of the Explorers Club - I have only recieved one shipment so far but I loved both wines. That is a much higher hit rate than when I pick out wines basedd of post-it note descriptions in the wine section of a store. I highly recomend the service and am looking forward to my next shipment.
I signed up for Bottlenotes after a friend hosted an event in Chicago. We just got our first shipment this past week - and both wines were huge hits. And they are wines we would most likely have never tried let alone have bought in a store. We were amazed at how well the short survey we took when we signed up actually was able to match our tastes. Our other friends who signed up - who have very different tastes in wines from us - said their wines matched them perfectly as well. Trying new wines is a great way to get through the winter!
I've been a Bottlenotes subscriber since the "Beta" version was released (I also gave several subscriptions as gifts for Christmas). I absolutely loved the wines I received in my first "Connoisseurs Club" shipment and my wife and I are anxiously awaiting the next installment!
I just can't say enough good things about my Bottlenotes Limited Addictions Club membership. Each shipment has surprised me with a new love. Bottlenotes has changed what I know about wines and rapidly expanded my tastes.