As the saying goes “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Life, unfortunately, handed us the misfortunes of a pandemic, but with that, we’ve taken advantage of being able to order nearly everything online, including wine. Opening up your favorite pinot has never been easier and can be done with just a few clicks. Read on to learn about how to order wine online.
As Wine Ecommerce Grows, Millennials Enter the Wine Market
Why Buy Wine Online?
Though strolling the aisles of a wine shop can be fun, rarely do we have the time or energy. Particularly in this era, few feelings irk the wine drinker as much as driving out to your nearest wine store only to discover your favourite wine is sold out. Ordering wine online certainly has its fair share of benefits, and many wine drinkers are making the shift. From April 2020 to November 2020, wine e-commerce for the average winery grew from 2% of total sales to 10% of total sales. Many of the major online wine retailers saw staggering growth, with some reporting nearly 10 years of growth condensed into 2020. The three main benefits of buying wine online are convenience, selection and price.
Convenience
Ordering wine online has gotten so convenient that you can do it between zoom calls. We’re now spoiled with speed, as you can go from daydreaming of that delicious Chardonnay to having it arrive on your doorstep the next day, all without leaving your seat. Access to information is another great part of the convenience of purchasing online. Many of the online wine stores also provide reviews, critic scores and tasting notes for every wine, making it that much more efficient and anything not included is just a google search away.
Selection
Without the restrictions of a physical store, this means online wine retailers can carry thousands of wines, which would normally not be possible. Moreover, due to the sheer quantity of wine being purchased, this means online exclusives, special bottlings and hard-to-find wines become easy-to-find. For those in remote areas, this opens consumers up to a vast selection that was once inaccessible.
Price
Typically, the larger overhead and associated costs of physical stores mean wine prices are higher. As e-commerce stores purchase large amounts and work directly with American wineries, importers and wholesalers, there are considerable price advantages for wine lovers!
International Shipping Shares Wine From Around the World
How to Buy Wine Online?
Though each state in the US has its own laws when it comes to shipping alcohol, it is a relatively simple process to work out. There are several options available for purchasing wine online like wine clubs, buying directly from wineries and online wine stores. Most convenient of all is buying wine through an online wine store.
With an online wine store, choosing a wine comes easy. Most shops have dedicated customer service agents to help with your selection, there are consumer ratings and critic scores to help choose, and you can search by grape, region or style as well. If you don’t know much about wine, fear not, descriptions like ‘tastes yummy and smooth’ are accounted for by top wine stores. Even simpler, some online stores have their own wine club to boil the decision down to how many bottles you’d like and how often.
The Logistics
Most states in the US allow some form of direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine sales. These are typically shipped through UPS or FedEx with delivery times varying based on where the online wine store is based. For instance, at buywinesonline.com Midwest delivery is 1-2 business days, East Coast is about 3 days and the West Coast is about 4-5 days. Given that alcohol is a highly regulated product, a signature is required upon delivery, and the buyer and receiver must be 21 years of age.
Some exceptions do exist, as some retailers may not ship to Hawaii and Alaska because of the distance. Other states completely prohibit DTC shipping like Mississippi, Alabama and Utah. However, the complexities of liquor laws are not your problem! A reputable online store will clearly state where they ship and any other important frequently asked questions, like this.
Best Online Wine Stores
With over 650 wines available for purchase, buywinesonline.com has got a massive range of wine for every wine drinker. Often, people can be hesitant to purchase wine online as it may lack the personal touch of brick and mortar. However, buywinesonline prides itself on exceptional customer service with the best prices. Expect quick shipping, frequent discounts and some of the lowest prices out there. For the wine curious, buywinesonline has got its own wine club and a discover section that can help you find your next bottle.
It’s in the name. Wines with unbeatable prices. Even iconic wines like Quilceda Creek, Sassicaia and Caymus have sales on them. On top of that, customer service is there to help you find your perfect wine, there are discounts on shipping and large order quantities and the curated wine cases make your next trip to the virtual wine shop that much quicker.
Wine.com is one of the original online wine stores and has got an extensive inventory and friendly customer service. Though prices are better than brick and mortar, they can’t compare to the affordability of buywinesonline and winesonsale.
One of the top brick and mortar chains in the country, they’ve ventured into the e-commerce space and have got a large selection of wine in both their online and physical stores. However, they are limited in their shipping locations and have higher prices than sites like wineonsale.com
