Tips For Selecting Good Quality Wine When Buying Online

These days, it’s really simple to buy a case of wine from an online merchants with just the click of a button. This brings the convenience of having your favourite tipple delivered straight to your door, and it’s possible to source rarer wines that may not be available elsewhere. 

However, how do you know if you are getting a great quality wine that is value for money? Here are some tips to help you make great choices when it comes to buying wine online. 

Check out the reputation and website

It might sound obvious, but your first step is to visit the website and look it up on review sites to check out its reputation. Remember that bigger is not always better: you may be better off with an independent family retailer who handpicks their wines from carefully sourced suppliers, rather than a larger and more generic business with a string of high street stores. 

Does the retailer specialise in the type of wine you are interested in, such as French or Italian wines? Does it look professional and up to date with plenty of helpful information and a clear user-friendly layout, or is it poorly designed, dated or full of gimmicks? 

While the quality of the website isn’t everything, it can give you some useful clues about the calibre of the products on offer. Check out if the merchant supplies local pubs, restaurants and hotels as well as private customers: this is a sure sign that they really know their stuff and can be trusted to stock fine quality wines. 

Check out the product descriptions

A good online wine retailer will write detailed descriptions of each wine on offer, which are written by someone who has actually sampled the wine! This will be more likely with a smaller independent business. The description should include the grape variety, region, tasting notes, and serving suggestions such as food pairings. 

Understand the factors that influence the quality of the wine

There are a wide variety of factors that can influence the overall quality of the wine. These include the vintage (the year the grapes were harvested), the age, and region the wine was produced in. For example, Bordeaux wines are considered to be premium French wines, while Tuscan and Piedmont wines are from highly regarded Italian regions. 

Buy mixed cases of wine

Most merchants will sell mixed cases and give you the option to put together your own. This can be a good way to sample wines in smaller quantities that you may not have tried before, and avoids committing to one particular wine if it turns out to be not to your liking. They also make a great gift for a surprise delivery to a friend or family member. 

Mixed cases are also a great idea if you are having a party, because it can be better value than buying several individual bottles.