Buying wine online can be a tricky business. While shopping online is more popular than ever before, there are some things online shopping can’t do.
Expert online wine services can bring the best of the world’s cellar doors to you, but they can’t bring you to the cellar doors. This means no tasting, no trying, and having to buy blind in what is a deeply personal purchasing experience.
But this doesn’t mean you should give up on buying wine online altogether. In fact, with these 5 simple tips, you can buy wine online confidently and have a satisfying, enjoyable experience every time.
Look for a Trusted Wine Supplier
When you can’t taste the wine you’re buying, you need to be able to trust the supplier who is delivering it. Look for a supplier who can provide you with detailed information about the characteristics of a wine, its history, and the wine region it comes from. If you’re looking for wine from a specific country, search for a supplier who specializes in that country’s wine and can provide you with varieties from a wide range of local regions and cellar doors.
The expertise of a wine supplier will often be obvious from their website. From here, you can critique the information they provide, the way they present it, and their relationship with local wineries. As well as their purported expertise, look for independent reviews and testimonials to support these claims.
Your Supplier Needs to Be an Expert in Delivery, Too!
Your wine supplier can be an enthusiast, an aficionado, or a sommelier, but if they don’t have a track record when it comes to delivery, it could lead to a bad experience. This is especially true if you want to buy wine online from international wine regions.
Every bottle of wine needs to be carefully packed, stored, and shipped to ensure it reaches you in prime condition. This means no broken bottles or wet cardboard, but also no other damage that affects the taste and quality of your wine.
Another factor to consider is speed. If you’re ordering a bold Shiraz from the Barossa Valley in Australia, it’s not going to get to your door overnight. To expedite shipping time as much as possible, partner with a supplier who is located in Australia and offers fast air freight directly to you.
When You Buy Wine Online, go with What You Know
Once you know what to look for in a wine supplier, you still need to buy wine without sampling it first. Comprehensive tasting notes can be useful in this endeavor, but the most foolproof way to buy wine online is to stick with what you know.
If you have a soft spot for a Shiraz, you love a Semillon, or Cabernet Sauvignon is the drop for you, buy these varieties online. Of course, wine varieties will vary in characteristics from winemaker to winemaker and region to region. But if you know what you like in a specific variety, it’s easier to interpret the tasting notes and get what you like out of your purchase.
Another safe bet is to find an international wine that’s similar to something you have at home. This gives you confidence that you will enjoy your wine while also getting to try something new.
For More Wine Inspiration, You Can Always Look to the Pros
If you’re looking to try something other than an old favorite, look to wine authorities who really know their stuff. The internet has made information about wine easier to access than ever.
Search for experts in a specific style of wine, a particular wine region, or even wine from an entire country and you’re sure to find some reliable advice. For example, the Halliday Wine Companion is considered an authority in Australian wine reviews.
When You Buy Wine Online, Sometimes Less Is More
When it comes to buying wine, more isn’t always better. For example, if you find an online wine supplier that provides wine from all around the world, they’re less likely to be experts in all the varieties they supply. On the other hand, someone who supplies wine from just one country is more likely to be located there. This makes delivery easier and gives you confidence that you’re enjoying unique, boutique, genuine local wines.
As well as this, you should be wary of anyone offering you a wine subscription service. You don’t want to be locked into anything, especially before you’ve tried the service. You would be better off finding a supplier who allows you to buy quality wine when you want it with excellent customer service and delivery to match.
Buy Wine Online and Have It Delivered to Your Door
There is a lot to consider when choosing a wine that you like, and even more to think about when you’re buying that wine online. However, these extra considerations can really pay off when you think of the advantages. When you buy wine online, you can get unique, boutique and popular varieties from cellar doors and wine regions across the world. All of this comes with delivery to your door, providing the most convenient way to enjoy international wine.
With the five tips above and the right supplier on your side, you will be enjoying some of the world’s best wine in no time at all.
Layla Flinn is a Sydney based writer and researcher, a regular contributor at Smooth Decorator blog. She writes about décor, gardening, recycling, ecology, and business. She thinks all of these topics fall under the self-improvement category. She believes in the power of sharing ideas and communicating via the internet to achieve betterment.
