Page 55 - Wine Spectator (January 2020)

HOW TO BUY WINE

retailer’s website al- region and producer; producer and region profiles; staff tasting notes

lows you to search us- as well as scores and reviews from reputable wine publications like
ing those parameters. Wine Spectator; and sometimes even broader educational content.

Some online sellers “This category is so filled with information, it’s so much more than
also offer searches what a producer can put on their front label and the little bit on
that are set up to emu- the back label,” says Osborn.

late the experience If you really like a retailer, subscribe to their marketing emails.
that a customer might They will inform you of special deals and new arrivals; retailers

have with a live with more robust digital operations can tailor these emails to your
staffer or a special dis- preferences. Last but not least, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone.
play in a wineshop Retailers have customer-service lines, so if you really need to speak

aisle. At Wine.com, with someone, call them.
for example, “Our sort

order of ‘most inter- The lowdown on shipping
esting’ is a way to try Unfortunately, it’s not an equal playing field when it comes to
to get around the In- getting wine delivered to your door, as each state has different

ternet’s bias toward regulations for what it allows to come in (see map below). If you
popularity,” explains live in one of the 12 states that allow out-of-state retailers to ship
founder Michael Os- to its residents, or Washington, D.C., which allows the same,

born. “We almost al- you’re in luck. Another three states allow reciprocal shipping, al-
ways sort everything by what wines, what product, is popular, but lowing only retailers from the aforementioned states to ship in.
then what happens is a popular wine stays popular and a consumer If you live in one of the other 35 states, you are limited to the

doesn’t get a chance to see the bottle of Xinomavro.” retailers in your own state only. It’s not so much of a problem in
states like New York, where there are plenty of wine options, but
Build a virtual relationship other areas of the country are not so fortunate.

Shopping for wine online can’t be the same as having an interac- Most retailers will have a “where we ship” page on their website
tion with a person in a retail shop and building a relationship with that you can check—do this before you even start searching, so

them. However, there are things you can do to get the most out of you don’t waste your time finding that perfect bottle and getting
your online shopping experience. “We look at our online and digi- excited about it only to find out they can’t ship to you. Retailers

tal programs as being extensions of our company and our brick-and- and common carriers take these laws seriously, and it’s ill-advised
mortar operation, and we try to bring the personalities of our staff to try to circumvent them.
and bring that life online,” says Brian Zucker, vice president of K&L Michael Sands, president of retailer Calvert Woodley in Wash-

Wine Merchants, which has three locations in California. ington, D.C., says they are very careful about where they are and
Good retailers will provide a lot of information on their websites are not allowed to ship. His advice to wine buyers? “Write your

about wines you are considering buying. This can include technical local congressman. Consumers have more power than we do in
sheets for a particular wine with information on the winemaking, terms of lobbying.”

Shipping
WA ND
MT MN

ME at a Glance
SD WI
OR VT Laws governing direct-to-con-
ID MI NH
WY NY sumer wine shipping vary from
IA MA
NE CT state to state. Wine Spectator
PA NJ RI
IL IN OH keeps readers abreast as legisla-
NV MD
UT CO DE
KS MO WV tion changes; the map at left
VA
CA KY represents the current state of
D.C.
OK TN NC the union. Presently, wineries
AR
AZ NM can ship directly to consumers
SC
MS AL GA in most states. And while 35
TX LA
states allow only in-state retail-
ers to ship, and three more allow
shipping only from states that
FL
reciprocate that practice, many
online wine retailers maintain
Alaska
Hawaii warehouses in states where out-
Out-of-State Retailer Shipping Permitted
of-state shipping is prohibited,
Reciprocal Retailer Shipping Only which allows them to legally sell
Out-of-State Retailer Shipping Prohibited wine to those states’ residents.
Winery-Direct Shipping Limited or Prohibited

JAN. 31 – FEB. 29, 2020 • WINE SPECTATOR 51