Buying Wine via the Internet

[Red Bigot]

From my purchasing records, so far this year 68% of my purchases have been via the internet (56.4% from e-tailers, 11.5% from on-line auctions, mainly Langtons) plus another 27.5% direct from winery orders (internet, fax, snail mail), leaving only about 4% of purchases from local retail.

I'm curious as to how far internet wine-buying has progressed with knowledgable wine-buyers such as you that visit here.

[Gavin Trott]

From my purchasing records, so far this year 68% of my purchases have been via the internet (56.4% from e-tailers, 11.5% from on-line auctions, mainly Langtons) plus another 27.5% direct from winery orders (internet, fax, snail mail), leaving only about 4% of purchases from local retail.

I'm curious as to how far internet wine-buying has progressed with knowledgable wine-buyers such as you that visit here.

I think buying wine over the Internet is THE ONLY way to buy wine, I encourage you all to do it regularly (very).

Not that I'm biased!

[Lincoln]

Very little bought via e-tailers this year, as a very good retailer has opened in Brisbane with a great range of wine. This makes buying tasters easy, and trying wines from all over the world even easier. Also have pretty much given up on mailing lists - typically a winery will only have 1 wine you're interested in, and invariably you end up buying heaps of cr@p that you didn't want just to fill the case. There might a few wines you can only buy by mail order (Rockford, Wendouree, etc.), but I'm honestly over the hype associated with these producers. There's plenty of other good winemakers and good wine out there - we are very much spoiled for choice.

[Rodney]

I see lots of wine I want on the Net but I rarely buy 12 bottles at the same time so I virtually never buy over the Net due to freight considerations.

If I could cost effectively buy 1 - 4 bottles over the Net then I'd buy 75% of my wine that way.

[Broughy]

In Tassie we are the victims of some fairly uncompetitive practises. The big two always charge full recommended retail. occasssional independant discounting in the market place but rarely so. Great wines usually have a premium attached if available at all eg. I won't see a single bottle of st Peter's 03 down this way and 01 sells for about $65!
Most of my purchases are e-tail because it saves me at least 20% including freight and gives me some access to rarer wines. Yes it is painfull to have to buy in doz lots or min $200 to get free freight, but I understand the rationale. Would nice to see an e-tailer do a charge and hold of purchases until doz lot achieved-probably too unwieldy.

[Guest]

If I could cost effectively buy 1 - 4 bottles over the Net then I'd buy 75% of my wine that way.

Agreed! if only they could discount to 6 packs, i know many do the $200 & its free freight deal... but some times i dont wanna spend in excess of $200, so it would be nice for them to go further.

Yes i know im greedy and want too much.

christo

[Red Bigot]

Guys, have you asked e-tailers to hold stuff until you have enough to ship?

I do it all the time, Gavin will hold 6-packs, maybe smaller quantities until you make up a case, several other e-tailers do the same for me from time to time. Doesn't hurt to ask, most of the smaller, personal service places will readily oblige.

[Broughy]

I would probably buy more by e-tail if I could get to try some of the wines before hand. In Tas we get very few tastings and have to buy on spec or track record. This can be very frustraing if you see something you would like to try but need to buy in doz or $200 lots, can be risky and have copped a beating on a couple like this, particularly a not too distant Jimmy winner. Tasting packs of 4 would be a great boon to the e-wine consumer

[TORB]

You guys have some some good points about "quantity" being an issue and thats why Brian and I split so may cases. By doing so, we get more variety, i.e. normally a six pack each but sometimes, when its the expensive stuff, only 3 each.

All you have to do is find someone who has similar tastes; we normally take it in turns to buy and haven't had to exchange any cash for ages. It just balances out in the long run.

[Andrew Jordan]

My initial reaction to this topic was that the biggest percentage of wine bought so far this calendar year would have been over the internet. And I thought definitely my purchases this year over the internet increased on last year. But when I actually look at my records I am quite surprised at my purchasing habits year on year:

2005
Langtons - 16%
Internet - 27%
Direct from Winery - 24%
Direct from Store - 33%

2004
Langtons - 9%
Internet - 27%
Direct from Winery - 43%
Direct from Store - 21%

So in fact my internet purchases have remained the same year on year (% terms), Langtons up a bit probably due to a suppressed secondary market compared to a year ago and therefore a few more bargains out there, Direct winery purchases down this year due to not so many wine region pilgrimages , and direct from store up. Most of the internet purchases are from small/boutique wineries that the large retailers can't get or just don't bother to stock.

AJ

[Adair]

I went 10-25%. 15% probably being about right.

Direct from winery would make up more than 50% of what I spend, while I don't buy at auctions anymore except for cheap quaffers, maybe 10%. retail maybe 10%.

Adair

[Guest]

If I could cost effectively buy 1 - 4 bottles over the Net then I'd buy 75% of my wine that way.

Agreed! if only they could discount to 6 packs, i know many do the $200 & its free freight deal... but some times i dont wanna spend in excess of $200, so it would be nice for them to go further.

Yes i know im greedy and want too much.

christo

I will sometimes spend over $200 on 2 bottles and occasionaly even 1, problem is e-tailers still want your order to be in 6's,generally. Problem is you either have to buy 6 of what you want which I just dont buy $100 bottles in 6 packs or if you chuck in some cheapies its ok but after a few orders its a pain.

[Wizz]

Very little bought via e-tailers this year, as a very good retailer has opened in Brisbane with a great range of wine. This makes buying tasters easy, and trying wines from all over the world even easier. Also have pretty much given up on mailing lists - typically a winery will only have 1 wine you're interested in, and invariably you end up buying heaps of cr@p that you didn't want just to fill the case. There might a few wines you can only buy by mail order (Rockford, Wendouree, etc.), but I'm honestly over the hype associated with these producers. There's plenty of other good winemakers and good wine out there - we are very much spoiled for choice.

Dittto. Same city, same local retailer, same issue. I've been burned many times not tasting wine before I buy, and I have a cellar full of stuff I dont like any more. I'm now buying about 15% online, was a bit over 20% before a year ago. Without checking I would have guessed it was higher than this. The big switch has been away from cellar door and toward the same local retailer Linc mentions and for the same reasons. BUT this has coincided with some change in preferred wine style as well, Im looking internationally much more of the time these days for wine styles,

AB

[Guest]

There might a few wines you can only buy by mail order (Rockford, Wendouree, etc.), but I'm honestly over the hype associated with these producers. There's plenty of other good winemakers and good wine out there - we are very much spoiled for choice.

Never more true words spoken! I have been dissapointed with so many Rockfords in recent times that I wont be buying on hype without trying anymore.

[Gianna]

100% of my purchases are via either e-mail or the internet.

Occassionally I will drop in to my local DM just for a sticky-beak at the prices.

[KMP]

Just got 14 bottles of good Aussie plonk in the mail this week. Twelve in one box and a late order of two in a smaller box. S and H for the smaller box probably 4 times the larger box/bottle.

Two years ago I was buying nothing on-line, now its probably up to 20-25%. The main reason is that in the past I have bought over 90% of my wine from one store because their prices are so good, and I can taste before I buy. But some on-line retailers here in the US offer good value and have wines that the local store just does not carry and can find hard to source.

Mike

[Lincoln]

The big switch has been away from cellar door and toward the same local retailer Linc mentions and for the same reasons. BUT this has coincided with some change in preferred wine style as well, Im looking internationally much more of the time these days for wine styles,

Very important "BUT". If only Rousseau and Fourrier had a mailing list....

[Wizz]

The big switch has been away from cellar door and toward the same local retailer Linc mentions and for the same reasons. BUT this has coincided with some change in preferred wine style as well, Im looking internationally much more of the time these days for wine styles,

Very important "BUT". If only Rousseau and Fourrier had a mailing list....

I'm kinda glad they dont...

$$$$$

[Guest]

I am intrigued at this idea of 'filling out a case' when ordering via cellar door. Can't say i have ever done that. If I only want 3 bottles then I buy 3 bottles only, and pay the freight on that. If I only want ten bottles than I only buy 10 bottles. The per bottle freight price goes up, but that is nothing to the money I would waste if I started buying wine that I didn't actually want. Why would you do that? I'm not having a go, not at all, I'm just perplexed.

I buy almost everything via email/fax/online, both Aus and imports.

Jeff.

[Jersey]

Totaly price dependent for me. Typicaly research the internet for best prices via 'wine-searcher' then go pick up, always try to build a case for 20% discount. If I call ahead I can usually get 6 at the 20% discount with a little persuasion. The idea of mail scares me for cooking wines, this summer being the hottest on record aswell makes it worse. Will probably order via internet / UPS through the cooler periods but then can have freezing isues in winter. Being in the US it's at times a neccessity to internet shopping due to availability, california seems to have great variety but the East Coast you really have to shop around. (note I'm referring to Australian wines). Depends how far the wine shop / retailor is, will drive up to 1 hour each way.
So internet shopping about 95%, delivered about 2% (Wolf Blass platinum, Pens 707, Cullen etc finding somthing with a heavy discount at those price ranges is just a no brainer).
Well still Sunday lunch time, off to the Scandinavian festival, don't think they make much wine there more a Vodka area bt a Wine festival coming up in a couple of weeks in Cape May New Jersey so will write some tasting notes later possibly.
Mick.

[Ian S]

Dozens from e-tailers, but rarely stick to the same one (there is great choice here). c. 60% of wine bought

1-3 bottles from a smattering of local & not very local merchants. c. 25% of wine bought

5-6 bottles from each holiday to Italy or other destination! c. 15% of wine bought.

Ian

[michaelw]

The vast majority of my purchases these days are direct from wineries. Occasionally this involves an email, but for the most part it's the fax machine, phone or (very rarely) snail mail.

These purchases are the tried and true that I buy year in year out. Beyond that I find it hard to justify extra discretionary spending to the Minister for Fun and Finance!