There are many advantages to buying wine online. For those who enjoy browsing their local wine shop, the online experience should extend the experience. If you are a 'grab and dash' wine shopper, special offers online may suit your needs with the added convenience of not going to the store. The Web provides sites with a multitude of wine reviews, customer ratings and special offers where savings can be found that are not available locally. For those looking for discounts on wine (and often free shipping), here are tips to take with you on your virtual wine-shopping trip.
Shipping Restrictions
Before spending too much time browsing an Internet wine store, check out the shipping restrictions. The laws about shipping wine are involved and factors such as where the wine is being shipped to and from are determining factors. For example, WineMessenger.com and Wine.com service 25 or more states, but some states have zip code restrictions and case limits.
Be Prepared to Prove Your Age
Shoppers may be required to email or fax proof that they are at least 21 years old or provide identification upon delivery of the order.
Order by the Case
Ordering by the half (six bottles) or full case (12 bottles) can be cost effective because most online merchants offer case discounts, sometimes up to 30 percent off. If variety is your spice of life, you can often order different types of wine to fill the case.
Bottom Discounts Could Mean Bottom of the Barrel Wine
Be cautious when shopping wines being sold at drastically reduced prices. A really cheap bottle of wine could be indicative of a really bad wine. Before getting too tempted by price alone, read the reviews and find out what others have to say about your selection. A search for the wine name on search engines like Google will provide ample opinions to help you avoid a bad deal.
Compare Prices
If you have a favorite wine or you are buying a gift and know the type of wine you want to purchase, using price-comparison sites will help you find the best price. Pricegrabber.com compares the price of over 18,776 wines and includes reviews of the merchants written by customers. This will not only help you find the best price, but also help you find an upstanding merchant.
Before You Buy a Gift Certificate
Sending a wine gift certificate to someone is a wonderful gift, but make certain to check the shipping requirements.
