Most people buy wine conventionally: They go to a supermarket or a package store and peruse the shelves, lifting bottles, looking at labels, seeing what’s new, and then making a choice.
Some people are a lot faster at it: They just walk to a shelf, grab a wine with a brand they know, and head for the checkout counter.
Increasingly, however, we are seeing buyers sitting at the computer, searching websites that sell wine. The lure is The Bargain that everyone seems excited about—though once other factors enter the picture (taxes and shipping costs among them), there may not be much of a saving.
Moreover, the people who do most of the internet shopping for wine are those seeking expensive wines at discounts that are deeper than they can get at their local vinous emporia—such as a $70 bottle that a deep-discount wine shop has for $49.99. If you wanted six bottles, you could save roughly $120, which should make up for shipping costs.
It could get even better. Assume you are looking for a case of 2005 Chateau Lynch-Bages, and your local store has the wine for $300 a bottle. But an internet search shows that this wine is available from a distant shop for just $245 a bottle. Buying from the net saves $660, less the shipping cost.
Then, you may ask, why isn’t this being done more than it is?
There are several answers, many of which are complex and include this: It is being done a lot, and savvy buyers are the beneficiaries.
But there are wine collectors who have declined to save money since they’re never sure what shape the wines they order will be in.
Buying wine from internet sources calls for a thorough analysis, and some of the research may result in a wake-up call. Some examples of the issues buyers face:
In your local store, you can pick up the bottle and see if the cork has moved in or out of the bottle, indicating temperature variation, or whether the bottle has leaked a bit. You can’t do this with an internet buy.
Also, if the store you buy from has fluorescent lighting and the bottles are clear glass and were exposed to that light, the wine might have been affected. (Case purchases are safe; there’s no threat of light damage.)
Moreover, shipping wine great distances is tricky, especially in hot weather. The wine could be harmed by days in a truck. (Air freight is best, but it’s a lot more expensive.)
Do you know the wine? One good strategy before you buy more from a distant purveyor is to go to your local shop, buy a bottle, and try it to see if you like it. Someone else’s recommendation might not suit your palate.
There are other issues that can make ordering wine from distant locations tricky. I have had a lot of wine shipped to me from as far away as Australia and rarely had problems.
