Precautions to Take When Buying Wine Online

There are many online stores that sell wine and deliver it straight to your door for convenience. Many online wine shops are fantastic; you can purchase a vast array of wine that you will struggle to find anywhere else. However, when searching for and buying wine, there are some precautions you should take to avoid paying too much or buying from an illegitimate website. In this article, we take a look at several precautions you should take when buying wine online. 

Find a reputable website 

Do your homework to make sure you’re buying wine from a reputable website; you should avoid buying wine from the first and cheapest website you come across unless you’ve researched them first. Online reviews and recommendations can be helpful for you to decide whether the website is legitimate and will provide you with a good level of service. You can also speak to other wine enthusiasts through forums or in-person to determine the authenticity of a particular website. Other things to look for are how easy it is to use the website and the certifications and payment options they have in place; a reputable website will often allow you to pay through trusted payment providers such as PayPal. 

Read what you’re buying carefully 

Buying wine online when you’ve had a few glasses probably isn’t the best idea. You need to understand what you’re buying and signing up for clearly. Many websites will sell wine at a good price if you sign up for their monthly subscription service. If you overlook this information, you could end up with a yearly subscription rather than the one or two bottles of wine you intended to purchase. Always read what you’re buying carefully, and only start drinking your wine once you’ve placed your order.

Make sure you’re going to be home

When you have a delivery of wine, you may need to sign for the parcel and prove you're over the age of 18. If you’re not home, the wine may be taken back, and an attempt to redeliver made on a different day. Before placing your order read the delivery information on the website to ensure you will be able to accept the delivery. Many people choose to get their wine delivered to a workplace or office address where there will always be someone on hand to take the package. Again you will need to check that this is possible before you make your order; you won’t want to delay your favourite Pingus wine delivery. 

Make use of online wine experts

Many websites have online wine experts that you can contact using a chat system; they will be able to advise you on the best type of wine for your tastes and needs. Don’t be afraid to use the services of wine experts; they can help you get the best possible wine for your budget. This is one of the great advantages of buying wine online or from a specialist wine shop; you don’t need to pick a wine mindlessly and hope for the best. If there is no expert on hand, take your time and read through the descriptions of each bottle of wine before placing your order.

Let your wine rest before opening

When your wine is shipped, it will be moved around, which can impact the wine's flavour and disturb the sediment. The best way to fully appreciate the wine you’ve purchased is to allow it to rest before opening the bottle. Ideally, you should let it rest for a week or two, but a few days can be fine, depending on the wine. Ordering well in advance of the date you need your wine will ensure you have enough time to rest it before opening. Here’s some more advice about storing wine. 

Buying wine online can be easy and hassle-free if you follow the tips in this article. Remember, find a reputable website, make sure you’re going to be home, read what you’re buying carefully, make use of wine experts and let your wine rest before opening. It can also be useful to read and familiarise yourself with the returns and damages policy of the website just in case you need to send any bottles back or they arrive damaged.