Buying Wine Online

Selecting a Fine Wine

We've all done it at some time—stared helplessly at a shelf packed with wine bottles at our local wine shop, wondering what the heck to buy. Each wine bottle we pick up tells us something—but what? Why don't they just put stars on the wine bottle labels—one star means you should drink it with your eyes closed—five stars means you can safely buy the bottle as a gift for your sweetheart. Oenophiles would be horrified at the thought!
It's really not that hard to learn to read the labels to understand some characteristics of the wine. Here's a brief overview of the information you will find on wine labels of wine sold in the US. The complete description of the information required by law is fairly complex and in some cases hard for the novice or inexperienced wine purchaser to understand.

It further adds to the confusion that different wine labeling is not regulated by international standards, so there are some differences in the information you will find on French or Italian wines compared to US or Canadian wines. A general understanding is important, so the information below serves as a good starting point.

Reading Wine Labels: Front

Winemaker: Required on all American wines. The words “bottled by” must precede the name and address of the bottler.

Brand Name: A person’s name, such as the name of the owner.

Wine Type or Varietal: wine regulations set rules for the disclosure of which grape varieties went into the making of the wine and the order in which the varieties are to be listed. The grape varieties used in a particular blend must be listed in descending order of their contribution.

Region: this is the region or regions where the grapes were grown. This information, combined with the vintage and the grape varieties, can say a lot about the wine, including its depth of flavour and cellaring prospects.

Volume: the amount of wine in the bottle, measured in milliliters (ml), must be shown on the front label.

Vintage: the year the grapes were harvested.

Medals: the claim must be true and must be stated in accordance with the rules of the particular wine show to which the medal relates—and, the claim must be true for the particular wine in the bottle.

Reading Wine Labels: Back

Wine Description: this may or may not be helpful to the layperson about what the wine will taste like. It may have been written by the winemaker, or as often happens, by the marketing dept.

Storage: often the winemaker will offer a suggestion on whether to drink the wine straight away or, if you wish to cellar it, how long is a reasonable estimate of the time to keep it.

Additives: most wine contains one or more additives. These are preservatives such as sulfur dioxide (number 220) and antioxidants such as ascorbic acid (300).

Alcohol Content: this is shown as a percentage of pure alcohol to volume (% alc/vol).

Appellation of Origin: the label must say which country or countries where the grapes were grown.

Contact: for consumer information.

Shop Online for Fine Wine
Wine sales over the internet have skyrocketed dramatically in the past couple of years. Updates in shipping regulations have opened up a world, literally, of opportunities to expand the selection wines to sample. Many online wine clubs have also been created to offer you an expanded selection of new and acclained wines chosen by wine experts, some offering prices below retail. Check out the wine clubs here.
Online wine shops have established themselves as trusted sources of wine offering quality, expanded selection and excellent customer service—some offer free shipping as well. You will often be able to find wines not available in your local wine shops and the ease of having your wine deliverred to your doorstep may encourage to take that step into becoming a bona fide collector. Check these wine shops online and don't miss out!

Wine.com : Offers a variety of ways to try new wines with their 'Top Rated Wines' and 'Most Popular This Week' selections. You can also shop by region or join one of their wine clubs, including a 'Holiday Gift Club', to send a gift that keeps on giving, or the 'Tour the World of Wine' to taste your way around the world, or for the knowledgeable collector, 'Build Your Cellar' offers ultra-premium, age-worthy wines chosen by wine experts.

My Wine Direct offers free shipping on all wine orders. They provide unique wine packages for you to start your tasting experience including a 'Mixed Tasting Packs', the popular 'Dining Delights Deluxe or the 'Home Tasting Party Pack'. These packages include groupings of reds and whites along with bonuses such as cookbooks, wine tasting supplies or wine guides...a truly unique and rewarding way to try new wines.