Wine express : is it worth it?
Despite the name, this online shop is perfect to purchase rare wines! You’ll be able to buy old bottles from Yquem for instance.
Name: Wine Express
Overall Rank: 9/10
How Wine Express Works
Wine Express works like any online shop. You choose the wine you want to buy by looking it up in the search bar or choosing among the categories (varietals in the top menu, country in the foot menu).
You add it to your cart and purchase the whole thing when you’re done by any usual credit card.
The shipping process starts!
>> Order your first bottle! <<
Where do they ship and how long does it take?
Bottles usually leave the New York headquarters within 1 to 3 business days after placing your order. Depending on where you live, you will get your wines with 2 to 14 business days.
Take note that shipping is only in the US and in the states where it is legally allowed… (ie no direct delivery to Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah)
Would your order have any issue (breakage, wrong wine), just give them a call (1-800-648-6058) and they’ll sort it out for you. If you’re like me and more of an email kind of girl, you can also use their “contact us” form.
What are the shipping prices?
Shipping is free over $199 or for a purchase of 12 bottles or more (if the shipment goes to the same address). However, free shipping does not apply to gift baskets
Why you should choose Wine Express (the pros)
The issue with buying wine online is that you can’t really taste it before buying. (that being said, even at your local shop, this isn’t always possible).
But Wine Express has come up with the perfect alternative : video tasting! I find them excellent and very well made and it really helps in choosing a wine.
Another customer says : “The video tastings by Josh are fantastic, they provide great details on how to assess wine and whether you will like them. Completely takes the mystery out of ordering and buying wine.”
Another thing I love about wine express is the ability to have rare wines delivered to your doorstep. Most of these wines are difficult to find in France and you are just a click away. (makes me want to move to the USA!)
If you’re not sure about what to buy, you can buy wine samplers at a lesser price. Don’t get me wrong : these are 75cl bottles (ie standard bottles). But it enables to taste several wines at a very good price (it’s actually great value for money) and you don’t have to subscribe to anything : it’s a one-time thing.
Last but not least, I like how they make it easy for you to contact them in case of any issue. If you’re in a hurry, the number to call is very easy to find or you can just send them an email through their contact form.
What you should know about Wine Express (the cons)
Wine Express is a great online shop with very attractive prices. However, I found the searching tool less effective than on other websites (I think the gold medal goes to Wired for Wine).
Then again, seeing as these are rare wines, I guess you usually know the name of the wine you’re looking for so the search bar can be sufficient.
It’s a pity that they only deliver to the USA because I love the concept!
The wine club
If you like having wine to sent to you on a regular basis and without troubling yourself to chose it, sign up to their wine club. They offer 3, 6, 12-month or unlimited length memberships. You can also gift such a membership (that is actually a great gift idea, have been the receiver of such a gift!)
Every shipment includes tasting notes and suggestions for food pairing
The wine club has two categories : bundles under $50 or bundles in a range of $50-$100. I find the prices very reasonable and when you check out the bottles on the online shop, it’s actually great value for money. In my opinion, it’s the best wine club I found so far.
To cancel your subscription, just give them a call (same number as always : 1-800-648-6058)
Conclusion : Is Wine Express worth it?
In my opinion, Wine Express is definitely worth it. It enables you to purchase rare wines that you’ll probably not find at your local shop.
If you have an issue, they make it easy for you to reach them. (I love the part where they give the phone number) And if they make it so easy, I guess they don’t have many issues…
Anyway, if you’re looking for very nice (French, although they have other countries) bottles, this is definitely the place to go.
Let me know how it goes and should you have any question, please leave it in the comments or just send me an email by subscribing to the newsletter!