The shipping season for wine is upon us.  The weather has cooled down and wineries, clubs, and retailers are filling orders their clients placed during the dog days of summer.  Here at San Diego Wine Storage we will receive and sign for 20 to 30 shippers a day at our San Diego and Solana Beach locations.  And the number keeps growing. 

So what’s causing the surge?  While direct shipments from wineries are part of it, the biggest source is the internet.  Simply put, The web has leveled the playing field for consumers seeking greater choice and competitive prices for their favorite wines.  And for those adventurous wine lovers searching for lesser known regions and grape varieties, the internet is often the only place where they will find that bottle of Assyrtico or Mencía. 

Let’s take a look at the players who are making all this possible.

Online wine retailers—The number of online wine retailers has mushroomed over the past five years.  Whereas wine.com and a handful of others once ruled the roost, consumers now have literally hundreds of reliable, high quality online retailers to choose from across the country.  In California think JJ Buckley, Woodland Hills, Benchmark, Premier Cru, and a bunch of others.  Some are also brick and mortar wine shops and draw from their retail stock.  Others specialize in buying and selling private collections and are great resources for older, hard to find vintages of sought after wines. 

Amazon.com—A lot of people were skeptical of Amazon’s third foray into online alcohol sales, given the two false starts that preceded this latest attempt.  But after a year in operation it appears the site has gained traction and, hopefully, is here to stay.  With the recent addition of four new states including New York and Michigan, Amazon Wine now delivers to 20 states plus the District of Columbia.  Wine lovers can purchase wine directly from 700 sellers offering more than 5,000 labels.  And with a flat $9.99 shipping fee for up to six bottles, transportation costs won’t eat you alive.

Wine-searcher.com—If you haven’t bookmarked this site you should do it now.  Look up a wine and see who is selling it in your area or anywhere in the world.  Compare prices and contact sellers directly by just clicking on a link.  Without picking up a phone or leaving your office, you can find the best deal for the wines you want to buy.  And as a source of up-to-date wine information, wine-searcher has become the go-to website for wine enthusiasts and members of the trade.