Where to Find the Best Online Wine Deals
Over the years I’ve become a convert to buying wine online, particularly if I can find great deals. There are a lot of wine deal sites out there, but not all are created equal. I’ve tried a few more sites since the last time I wrote and have some new favorites.
It’s an Obsession: Last Bottle Wines
This is a recent discovery and I’ve fallen in love. They offer one heavily discounted wine at a time, usually once a day, typically from smaller, boutique wineries in Napa and Europe. Free shipping with the purchase of 3-6 bottles depending on the wine, a 2% credit on all purchases, and the fun addition of getting a $50 credit if you happen to purchase the actual last bottle that day. Â They have excellent customer service and I’ve discovered several great wines as inexpensive as $10. If you sign up with my link, you’ll get $10 towards your first purchase.
Tied for Favorite: WTSO (Wines Til Sold Out)
WTSO was one of my original addictions and they operate just as their name suggests. They sell one wine at a time until they sell out, then they put up another one, usually multiple options in a day. WTSOÂ only offer wines that are ranked 90 points per higher and usually offer at least 30% off the current retail price. They tend to have a fairly interesting selection — usually California or France, but eventually other countries show up. What I love most is their shipping option. Free shipping with the purchase of 3 or 4 bottles. Their customer service is excellent. I’ve only had two bottles that were bad and they were quick to solve the problem with few questions asked.
Jury is Still Out: Underground Cellar
Very intrigued by Underground Cellar’s concept. You pay winery price for a bottle and are guaranteed a certain percentage of upgrades to a selection of nicer bottles. For example, I paid $17 each for 6 bottles of Prosecco and was guaranteed that at least 4 of them would be upgraded. Most of the bottles were in the $18-$30 range, but one of the options was a $150 bottle of champagne. Of course all of my upgrades were to the cheaper bottles, but it was a fun gamble. Shipping is free with 12 bottles, $5 for 6 and you can store your wine indefinitely for free til you’re ready to ship. It’s not as big a discount as other wine sites (unless you get lucky with one of the top upgrades) but as long as you’re happy with all possible options it’s an interesting approach. Sign up via my link and we’ll both get $20 towards our next purchase.
Decent, Almost Free Wine: Lot18
Lot18 was first introduced to me by Le Chic Geek. Their selection is not as varied as WTSO, but they often have pretty good deals because they frequently offer promo credits and free shipping sales. And you can use your credits towards the $12.99 shipping fee for orders under $150. Two days after I first signed up they randomly gave me $15 in credit in addition to the $10 I got for having Jeanne refer me. If you’d like to sign up with my link, you’ll get $10 credit to start and I’ll get $25 to put towards my wine habit. 🙂
Wasn’t For Me: Garagiste
I was sharing notes with fellow wine tasters out in Portland and one person claimed Garagiste was even better than WTSO. I signed up and enjoyed the daily emails with JÂ Peterman-esque stories of the carefully chosen boutique wines for while, but then the volume got to be too much, as did the order via email system and I unsubscribed. Subsequently I heard mixed reviews from folks who had to wait a year or more to get their wines.
When I have specific wines in mind, my first go-to is Wine-Searcher.com which will search your area or nationwide for available bottles at the best prices, including B-21 Wines, K&L Wines and Wine.com.
Note:Â There are many great online wine shops that offer access to rare or unique wines, but for the purpose of this article I focused on the ones providing the best deals.
Hi Keri – What are your views on online wine clubs like WSJ Wine, Naked Wines, Lathvaite Wines, etc?