Getting drunk for less

TheDailyMeal.com has an article by Colman Andrews about wine sales:

It's sort of like Match.com, except that, instead of hooking you up with some supposed romantic opposite number (and you know how that usually works out), TastingRoom.com uses something called WinePrint™ technology to "scientifically" determine your preferences in both red and white wines, from light and fruity to dry and aged (sort of like the kinds of people you don't want to end up with from that dating site, come to think of it). And while a computer date can turn into a night from hell, a bottle of good wine will never let you down.
Are you a Cool Customer, a Thrill Seeker, or more of a Life of the Party? These are three of the dozen wine "personalities" that TastingRoom.com, which was purchased early in 2013 by the upscale wine flash-sale site Lot18, recognizes and will assign to customers. TastingRoom was launched in 2011 by entrepreneur Tim Bucher, founder of the technology companies Mirra and Zing. The original idea of the site was to sell a wide selection of wines rebottled, with proprietary technology, into single-serving fifty- and hundred-milliliter bottles, allowing customers to taste a wide selection. Under Lot18, the concept has been expanded to use the tasting samples in an innovative way.
The way it works is this: you sign up, for $9.95, and the company will send over six mini-bottles of wine (four red and two white). Taste the wines, then log in to TastingRoom.com to take a quiz that pits the glasses head to head, asking you to rate them based on your personal tastes. With that information, TastingRoom.com will calculate your Wine Profile, for both reds and whites, recommending the regions and grapes you are most likely to enjoy. After that, they'll ship you your first half case of wines that fit your profile, for only $59.95.
Our associate editor Joanna Fantozzi tested out the process. She learned that she was a Golden Child for white wines, meaning that she preferred full-bodied, oak-aged wines like California chardonnay. For red wines, she was a Diplomat, meaning that she preferred "medium-bodied, fruity, subtle and delicate red wines", especially those made from calbec, tempranillo, and sangiovese. You can check out their site to discover your wine personality, which types of wines you find tastiest, and drink them too!
TastingRoom.com is extending an exclusive offer to Daily Meal readers. Follow this link to get an introductory tasting kit for $6.95, three bucks off the usual price.

Rico says his ladyfriend does a pretty good job of supporting the California wine industry... (And they called it Lot18, presumably because Lot 49 involved a lot of crying.)