{"id":2732,"date":"2013-12-09T06:00:14","date_gmt":"2013-12-09T13:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.washingtonwinemaker.com\/blog\/?p=2732"},"modified":"2013-12-09T06:00:14","modified_gmt":"2013-12-09T13:00:14","slug":"buying-wine-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/washingtonwinemaker.com\/blog\/2013\/12\/09\/buying-wine-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Buying Wine Online"},"content":{"rendered":"

First the great news: you can buy wine on the internet from a variety of retailers and have it delivered to your door. This can mean access to wines that just aren’t available in local stores, and because these internet retailers post their prices, it means that comparison shopping is easier than before. Even if you end up buying at a local store, you can still get a better idea of the going rate for your favorite wine.<\/p>\n

What’s the catch?<\/h2>\n

Shipping has got to be the biggest negative. Any liquid in a glass bottle is going to be heavy and breakable, so that will add to the cost. And in the US, each of the fifty states are doing their level best to make it as much of a hassle as possible – many different rules about who can ship what where. An adult signature is generally required, so someone of legal age must be home when the wine is delivered.<\/p>\n

Do a lot of people buy wine online?<\/h2>\n

Not in the US. Online wine sales are only about 2% of the total here. But wine on the web is catching on in Europe where 8% to 10% of sales are over the internet – 15% in the UK.<\/p>\n

But where can I buy wine online?<\/h2>\n

I don’t have direct experience with any particular retailer. But if (when) I buy wine online, these are the names I would start with:<\/p>\n