Buying Wine Online

Although buying wine online where you really can’t get advice or taste sounds like an exercise in failure, but it may be a better experience than you think. Not only can you learn by reading some of the articles on a wine sellers website, you can even buy by the case, get your favorites that you may not be able to get easily at local stores, and have the wine shipped right to your door. You can also buy in bulk, depending on the online wine merchant.

However, there are some special considerations for buying wine online that you would not have with other merchandise. Here is a short list and a brief explanation of the most important ones.

Shipping Restrictions

Many merchants have shipping restrictions for certain states. For instance, some will only ship to certain states, and still others will only ship within their state’s limits. Comb the website to make sure your area is including in their shipping vicinity, and if it’s not clear, call or send them an email to make sure.

Specialty Wines

If you are looking for wine from a particular place or have other special considerations, include that in your online search. For example, if you want a Bordeaux wine, you might try “

Bordeaux wine online” or something like that.

Price Doesn’t Count for Everything

Remember that sometimes expensive wines are just not going to be to your taste, and some of the cheaper wines may serve just fine. Don’t buy a wine just because your uncle used to love it and it costs a lot. If you need assistance, go to a wine tasting. You might also have some friends who know a lot about wine—they would probably be flattered that you asked their advice, so go ahead and ask.

Wine Outlets vs. Wine Makers

Some wine producers have their own websites and you can buy wine online directly from them. This can be advantageous especially if you have been to their facilities and tasted the wines. Others are more like general distributors. This is fine if you don’t know which wine maker you would prefer, or if the prices are better.

Membership Clubs

There are some very good clubs out there where you join for an annual fee and have the company ship a “wine of the month” to you. You are often permitted to choose the size of your shipment, and general variety. This enables you to order other wines through them at discounted prices, and get notice of specials and new wines when they begin carrying them. This can make buying wine online a much easier experience.

Articles

Most of the online wine merchants have article posted about certain wines and about wine in general. A few of the membership clubs restrict those to members, but most don’t. Read those articles carefully—they are very descriptive, sometimes artfully so, about the wines in their selections.

Other tips:

Try buying wine online by the case whenever possible—it can save you money

If you are just learning about wines, read articles and blogs

When buying wine online for a gift, it’s best to check with someone close to the person to see what they like in general