The online wine industry has drastically changed in the last few years. It’s now become a popular and easy way to discover new wines, find great prices, and benefit from a massive selection. But the online wine world can be overwhelming and difficult to know where to start. Here is a quick guide to help you find your next online wine purchase.
How to Find New Wines Online
With so many different ways to buy wine online, the main issue becomes how to choose a wine to buy. Here are some quick suggestions to get you started:
Direct Through a Winery
One of the easiest ways to find a wine you might like is to think of some of the best organic wine you’ve tasted and look up the winery or Domaine that made them. If you already know you like a certain winery’s winemaking style, you’ll probably enjoy their other wines too. Many domestic wineries have online shops that make it easy to search and order! Some wineries might even keep a large backstock of wine in their cellars and sell rare bottles and vintages that many wine shops wouldn’t have access to.
Join a Wine Club
If hunting through thousands of online wines sounds too daunting, you can sign up for wine clubs that have researched for you. Many of these clubs are subscription services that ask for your wine preferences when you sign up and then they will regularly mail you a few bottles best suited to your palate. Most of these clubs are customizable to allow choice in the number of red, rosé, or white wines you would like in each shipment. Some may even allow you to view your selected wines before shipment giving you the option to veto any unwanted bottles!
From an Online Brick-and-Mortar Shop
During the Covid lockdown, many brick-and-mortar wine retailers switched online and started shipping orders to customers all over the country. If you are looking for a specific category of wine like bio-dynamic, natural, or sulfate-free, you can easily search and shop through a specialized wine shop. These smaller retailers are often a great place to look for rare wines that might otherwise sell out at the larger online-only retailers. Another benefit might be the very knowledgeable staff that is happy to guide you to a wine you’ll love either through an email or phone call.
From an Online-Only Shop
Online-only shops usually have the largest selection of wine, which can be both exciting but also a bit daunting. The benefit of some of these large sites is that many have built-in features to make finding wines easier. For instance, Wine.com is one of the largest online wine shops and offers wine-tasting sets. This allows customers to buy a set of curated bottles based on region, style, varietal, or even winery. These sites also generally buy a large quantity of wine, which sometimes gives them lower prices compared to the smaller shops.
Wine Suggestion Chart
If you are still lost trying to choose your next wine take a look at our suggestion chart to give you a few ideas on what to try next!
| If You Like… | Prosecco | California Chardonnay | New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc | California Cabernet Sauvignon | California Pinot Noir |
| Budget | Cava from Spain | Chardonnay from Chile | Vinho Verde from Portugal | Tinto Douro Red Blend from Portugal | Italian Sangiovese |
| Splurge | Champagne | White Burgundy | Loire Valley Sancerre or Cheverny | Bordeaux | Red Burgundy |
| Unusual | Franciacorta from Italy | Rhône Valley White Blend | Grüner Veltliner from Austria | Rioja from Spain | Spätburgunder from Germany |
In your hunt for the next great wine don’t forget to check out Mai Vino’s online wine shop. All of our wine is organic and packaged in an Eco-conscious wine bag. We offer a variety of wines such as red, white, rosé, and even skin-contact orange wine!
