Picked by Wine.com vs TastingRoom.com
Not sure which personalized wine subscription you want to join? This page compares Picked by Wine.com and TastingRoom.com side-by-side using my detailed ratings system. The ratings are based on my experiences with each club — including tasting the wine over multiple shipments.
Which is better, Picked by Wine.com or TastingRoom.com?
On every level Picked by Wine.com is far superior to TastingRoom.com. At Picked the personalization is handled by a human being who gets to know your preferences, the range of wine available to you is much greater, and you can choose a price point which works for you. See why.
What are the key differences between Picked by Wine.com and TastingRoom.com?
The biggest differences between Picked by Wine.com and TastingRoom.com are: Cost per shipment, Satisfaction guarantee, Number of bottles per shipment, Quality of wine, Price of wine, Educational materials, Convenience features, Giftworthiness, Delivery frequency
What are the key similarities between Picked by Wine.com and TastingRoom.com?
Picked by Wine.com and TastingRoom.com are quite similar in these areas:
FYI: I find great wine deals so you don’t have to. To keep me on the hunt, I earn a commission when you buy wine based on my recommendations.
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Picked by Wine.com |
TastingRoom.com |
| Do they ship to you? | |
|---|---|
| AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY | AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY |
| Overall rating This rating reflects all of the wine club elements below and is weighted for personalized wine clubs. | |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| 5 stars | 2.3 stars |
| Wine styles | |
| Choose any: Red, white, or a mix | Choose any: Red, white, or mixed with an option to add rosé & sparkling |
| Wine regions | |
| Choose wine from around the world | Choose either or both: USA, International |
| What to know | |
| Picked by Wine.com is a unique personalized wine subscription in that every bottle you receive is handpicked just for you by a human sommelier, not an algorithm. Wine.com has been sitting out the wine subscription business for almost a decade, but when they came back in, they created a thoughtful, human-led product designed for wine lovers, not just wine drinkers. I’d like to see options for bigger (and smaller) shipments, options which include rosé and sparkling wines, and options to spend more than an average of $40 per bottle. |
Firstleaf is an algorithm-based personalized wine club where you have limited ability to intervene in the selection. By delivering a range of wine grapes, regions, and styles, Firstleaf is always a top contender for a personalized wine subscription. One of Firstleaf’s strong suits is their huge breadth of inventory. There are hundreds of different wines available at any time, increasing the odds you’ll get something you like. Firstleaf relies heavily on slick marketing which says their wines all being award-winning, but this isn’t a good measure of a wine club. |
| Best wine clubs The editorial lists where I include this wine club and its ranking on that list. | |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| This wine club is not on any lists | |
| |
| Personalization Rating This rating reflects the degree of personalization available, not how well I think they do at matching wines to my taste preferences. Why? Each service requires a number of shipments before they hone in on your tastes (usually at least 3 shipments) and the quality of the personalization is, well, personal. Some services might be really good at your tasting profile but terrible at mine (and vice versa). This is why I don’t rate the ability of wine clubs to personalize your selection, rather I share my own experiences and let you be the judge. | |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| 5 stars | 4 stars |
| Like other personalized wine subscriptions, your Picked subscription starts with a quiz. This is a much smarter, wine-centric quiz than the other services. It includes detailed preferences and even a write-in section. Once you have input your selections, a professional sommelier will pick wines to suit your stated preferences. As you taste and rate wines they ship you, your sommelier will adjust his/her selections. The more info you provide, the better the service will be. I was impressed with the wines I received based on my quiz results and additional information I provided. The sommelier did not know I am an affiliate marketer, but she definitely paid close attention to my wishes. |
TastingRoom brags about being the first personalized wine subscription, and their initial approach — which was widely panned by customers — is still their approach. They send you a tasting kit with miniature bottles which you rate, so they can get a sense of what you like to drink. Other than the algorithmic personalization tied to your "tasting profile," your ability to further personalize your shipments is limited. I never found my recommended wines matched my palate well. |
| |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| Number of Bottles | |
| 6 | 6 |
| Delivery Frequency | |
| Monthly | Monthly |
| Introductory Offer | |
Deal Save $30 on membership |
You must accept their Tasting Kit for $14.99 as part of your first shipment, but they give you a 33% discount on your first shipment (worth $22.50) |
| |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| Picked by Wine.com (6 bottles) | TastingRoom.com (6 bottles) |
| Total Price per Shipment | |
| $120-240, variable based on which settings you choose | $94.99 |
| Price per Bottle Including Shipping | |
| $20-40, variable based on which settings you choose | $15.83 |
| Price per Shipment | |
| $120-240, variable based on which settings you choose | $75.00 |
| Shipping Cost | |
| Shipping is included | $19.99 |
| Price per Bottle Before Shipping | |
| $20-40, variable based on which settings you choose | $12.50 |
| |
| Picked by Wine.com Wine Review | TastingRoom.com Wine Review |
| Quality of Wine This rating reflects how the wine is sourced and produced, as well as how it compares to similar wine clubs. | |
| 4 stars | 3 stars |
| Wine quality varies widely around the world and by grape variety or blend. Because Wine.com’s sommeliers have their pick of their huge inventory, and sommeliers are specially trained to spot great wine values, you can expect good quality wine at any price setting | Over the years I’ve tried many wines from TastingRoom.com and I almost always find them to be of average quality. They tend to taste too similar to me (meaning they don’t taste like the grapes on their labels). |
| Price of Wine | |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| 4.5 stars | 2.5 stars |
| Wine.com generally charges below retail and you are paying Wine.com’s listed prices for the wine in your shipment. | As the wines from TastingRoom.com are all private label, there is no way to verify if their prices are fair. From a quality perspective, I find their wines a bit overpriced for what you get. |
| |
| Satisfaction Guarantee This rating reflects the quality of the club’s satisfaction guarantee, not my guarantee of your satisfaction. | |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| 5 stars | 5 stars |
| If you don’t like a wine you receive, you can contact customer service to get a credit applied to your account. "If any bottle misses the mark, we’ll give you a full credit to apply to a new bottle." |
If you don’t like a wine you receive, you can contact customer service to get a credit applied to your account. "Everyone’s palate can be different, and we want to be sure that the premium wines we send delight you. So, if a wine doesn’t meet your expectations, please let us know and we’ll give you full credit toward your next retail purchase in our Bottle Shop." |
| Customer Service Record This rating is a mix of my own experiences with their customer service team and general ratings from across the web over time. | |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| 4 stars | 1 stars |
| Wine.com has an impressive customer service record as recorded online. In my past dealings with Wine.com, their customer service team has been top notch. None of my customer service interactions were related to Picked. | TastingRoom.com has an abysmal online customer service record. This frequently stems from people who ordered the tasting kit and didn’t know they were signing up for a membership. Their new website makes it clear you are joining a wine club and they automatically add the tasting kit to your first order. |
| Educational Materials This rating reflects how much information you get about the wine you receive. | |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| 3.5 stars | 2 stars |
| The wine information for Wine.com wines is all online. The amount of information they provide varies widely from detailed tasting notes and background information about the winery to basic info to describe the wine. | The tasting notes for TastingRoom.com are all online. The new website just launched and there is very little info about each wine. Definitely not enough to help you learn about the wine you’re drinking. |
| Convenience A subscription should be easier than shopping at the store. That means you have control over when and where deliveries occur and that it is easy to make changes to your account online. | |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| 5 stars | 3 stars |
| Choose a delivery date? | |
| Yes, you only get wine when you place an order | Yes |
| Skip a shipment any time? | |
| You decide when you want wine, so no need to skip shipments. You can pause deposits if needed. | Yes, skip shipments whenever you want |
| Fully manage account online | |
| Yes | Yes |
| Cancel online | |
| Yes | No |
| Choose alternate delivery location | |
| Yes | No |
| Get SMS delivery updates from the club | |
| No | No |
| Get email delivery updates from the club | |
| Yes | Yes |
| Email reminders before card is charged | |
| Yes | Yes |
| |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| Upgrade to 12 bottles | |
| n/a | Get 12 bottles for $150 (2 each of 6 different wines) |
| Switch delivery frequency | |
| n/a | Switch to deliveries every other month or quarterly, in addition to delivery on demand |
Good for Gifts? | |
| Picked by Wine.com | TastingRoom.com |
| Giftworthiness | |
| 2.5 stars | 2.5 stars |
| Gift options? | |
| Yes | Yes |
| Gift format | |
| Electronic gift card | Electronic gift card |
| Gift wrap | |
| No | No |
| Gift notification | |
| Yes, an email is sent at time of purchase | Yes, an email is sent at time of purchase |
Review by: Jessyca Frederick |
After 15+ years trying 1000s of bottles from 100+ different wine clubs, I know what it means to be a wine club worth joining. My reviews can help you find a great wine club for you and the best wine club gifts for any budget and for any wine preference.
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