The Best Wine Stores

Wednesday, June 7th

2023 Wine Store Reviews

Wired For Wine

• Prices range from $11.99 - $2,490/bottle
• 100% customer satisfaction guarantee
• Over 600 wines available
• Easy shopping experience
• Many additional perks

Wired for Wine is an incredible online wine retailer, and earns our top rating at 5 out of 5 stars. Amidst stiff competition, Wired for Wine appeals to everyone; and is backed by an A- BBB rating, providing buyers with a reasonable guarantee as to the company's product quality and customer care.

100% customer satisfaction guarantee

In business since 2009, Wired for Wine offers a diverse array of wines, in prices ranging from bargain to luxurious. Additionally, they offer other products and services, with an aim to truly meet each prospective customer's every need. The best part? Wired for Wine provides a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, and states they are happy to accept returns for full refunds within 30 days of delivery.

Almost 600 wine products

Wired for Wine offers almost 600 wine products for customers to choose from, all of which can be sorted & searched by wine type, producing region (broken down by country, state, and even region), an expert rating system, food pairing suggestions, wine body, sweet to dry scale, brand, and even brand ownership (woman-owned and black-owned). We love the thought that Wired for Wine put into their website, providing customers guidance in clarifying and focusing on the products that are best for them. Not to mention how impressive it is they have accumulated and laid out all this information, with such a large inventory.

Diverse in wine varieties and regions

Wired for Wine, obviously offers your standard types of wines-- red, white, sparkling, rose, and fortified; but they break down even further to specify such detailed variety as: cabernet sauvignon, bordeaux blends, pinot noir, red blends, malbec, tempranillo, sangiovese, syrah/shiraz, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, riesling, white blends, albarino; champagne, rose champagne, prosecco, sparkling white wine, cava, still & sparkling rose, dessert wine, & port. Not only is there diversity in the types of wines available, but Wired for Wine also made sure to provide customers with a vast array of wine producing regions to choose from, including: US states (CA, WA, NY, OR, & NM), France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Japan, Australia, Portugal, New Zealand, Israel, Germany, Chile, South Africa, Mexico, Lebanon, and Armenia.

Easy shopping experience

Despite so many options available to customers, Wired for Wine's website is anything but overwhelming. The website has a sleek, minimalist, and organized feel, putting the visitor immediately at ease. Aside from the wines sold, there are many other appealing services and products. Wired for Wine offers an extensive Spirits selection including scotch whisky, bourbon, American whiskey & rye, vodka, gin, tequila & mezcal. They are also one of the few companies we reviewed to even sell a variety sake, a common Japanese wine. We appreciate Wired for Wine's expression of multi-cultural representation within their supply. Additionally, there are several wine accessories for sale, guidance on gift ideas sorted by both category and price, as well as options for corporate gifting.

Many additional perks

A few other services worth noting include, Wired for Wine's wine club (delivering 12 highly rated wines every 3 months), free shipping with a purchase of 6+ items, a 10% discount when signing up for their newsletter, and a digital hub on their website called "The Wire" with a vast array of wine-focused content. Wired for Wine's team of in-house sommeliers can even curate the perfect wine tasting, pairing dinner, or virtual event, for private events. Re-focusing on the basics, each standard wine order will include tasting notes, detailed food pairings, and best recommendations for serving the wine.

Confirm their shipping ability

Due to always changing state laws related to the sale and provision of alcohol, acceptable shipping locations may vary. While Wired for Wine is able to ship to most states, we do recommend that you confirm their ability to ship to your location, by entering your delivery address into the website's cart. International shipping is not available.

Highest rated wine retailer

Wired for Wine is our premiere online wine retailer. An easy-going, eye-pleasing website, combined with a boastful array of products and services, offered at competitively marked prices, makes them an easy winner.

Bounty Hunter

• Prices range from $7.95 - $1,000/bottle
• Over 1,000 types of wine
• More than 100 source regions
• Helpful features

Bounty Hunter, founded in Napa Valley, CA, has been in business since 1994, and boasts the motto, "If it's not great, we don't sell it" . With a passion for wine practically coded into the website, Bounty Hunter clearly seeks to provide an exceptional customer experience from the order confirmation on your laptop, to the last sip from your glass.

Over 1,000 types of wine

Offering a selection of over 1,000 types of wine, over 500 types of spirits, and with various clubs and memberships available, Bounty Hunter infuses a genuine, love-of-wine feel into their craft and your delivery. Bounty Hunter is also backed by an A+ BBB rating, guaranteeing themselves as a reliable choice for consumers.

More than 100 regions to choose from

Bounty Hunter buyers can filter the search for their perfect wine by the wine type, bottle size, region, reviewer, country, and varietal. The range of production regions represented in Bounty Hunter's inventory, climbs well over 100 including, Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa, and so much more. You can also filter for such wines recommended as a gift, and Bounty Hunter offers corporate gifting services. We are also excited that customers can choose between three different clubs (a monthly wine club, a quarterly wine club, and a spirits club), as well as a "Trailblazer" membership ($99.95)- which provides unlimited standard shipping on all purchases and year-round cold wine delivery.

Napa Valley winery

The website is easy to use and conveys just the "boutique" feel you would imagine if you were walking into their Napa Valley winery, where 5,000 - 6,000 wines are tasted each year. The listed directory of employees on the website also lends a professional yet personal feel; and the two brick & mortar restaurant/bar locations give even more of a "face" to the Bounty Hunter name. These physical locations provide Bounty Hunter with the ability to provide an additional service for customers: storage services for your purchases for up to 6 months, at no additional cost.

Nice features

We noticed a couple of other perks on the website, too; for instance, a tab for "on sale" wines, allowing for easy-finding of affordable options. There is also a "blog" tab, which provides detailed information on various wines/spirits, tips & tricks for the best wine tasting experience, food and cooking recommendations, and information in regards to new wine releases.

Most wines are under $100/bottle

With such an elegant feel to the product and experience, one might assume Bounty Hunter to market only to a luxury audience, however the vast majority of available wines fall well under $100/bottle. A customer can also earn $50 off their order, just by referring a friend. We do wish they had more easily accessible information regarding their returns policy

Strong choice

Overall Bounty Hunter is an impressive place to buy your wine. They have an incredible selection of wine and spirits, sourced from all over the globe. When it comes time for you to buy your next bottle of wine, make sure to check out Bounty Hunter.

Wine Insiders

• Prices range from $10.99 - $29.99/bottle
• Customer satisfaction guarantee
• In business more than 40 years
• Themed wine sets

Wine Insiders is another impressive online wine retail store. Between being in business for over 40 years, obtaining an A+ BBB rating and accreditation, and providing a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee - Wine Insiders does an excellent job of communicating their commitment to putting the customer first.

The most affordable wine retailer in our review

At first glance, their website has a warm, comfortable feel; but it's their competitive pricing that really does all the convincing. Even with a respectable inventory of almost 500 various products, prices per bottle only top as high as $29.99. We can say confidently, that this ranked competitor is the most affordable on our list.

Free shipping and club benefits

Aside from such a reasonably priced inventory, Wine Insiders goes even further to help customers save money; at the time of this writing, a 45% off pop-up immediately signals the site viewer. The company also standardizes free shipping on all orders including 6 or more bottles; and the advertised "Wine Insiders Club" delivers 12 expertly-selected wines for just $89 (that's only $5.93/bottle). That exclusive club comes along with free shipping, a comprehensive look at the wines' varietals, producers, and region features; in-depth tasting notes for each wine (flavor profiles, serving tips, pairings); and even free surprise wine accessory gifts included with select shipments.

Wide range of varieties across 14 countries

With such advantageous pricing for customers, one might wonder as to the quality of the product. Wine Insiders offers an impressive variety of wine types, such as: red, white, rose, sparkling, dessert/sweet, canned wine, ready to drink cocktails, and (recent to the time of this writing) a summer wines collection. Production regions range across 14 international countries, including: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, France, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, & the U.S.

Shop for themed sets of wine

Another appealing feature for customers is the ability to shop a variety of wine sets, which include "themed" , or commonly grouped, sets of wine bottles. There is a lot of creativity and uniqueness here, with wine sets having names such as, the Martha Stewart Wine set, the Fairytale Fantasy Wines case, and the Vegan Trio set. Validating the company's quality, they've even managed to partner with celebrities like Geoffrey Zakarian, Martha Stewart, and Ludo Lefebvre. We also love that Wine Insiders was one of the only ranked companies on our list to advertise vegan wine options - another demonstration of putting customer needs first.

Wine podcast and blogs

Another neat feature at Wine Insiders is the information and content available on their platform. Advertised is their "Sniff Sip Repeat' podcast, described as, "a monthly podcast featuring lively discussions about varietals, regions, pairings, serving tips, and much more." There is also plenty of reading content on their website that details various wine guides, types of wines and grapes, wine serving tips, "The Insiders Blog" , "All Wine 101" , and "Recipes & Wine Pairings" . Whether you are looking to try something new, explore a themed wine box set, join one of the most bargain wine clubs available, or just learn more about your favorite sips - there's something for almost everyone at Wine Insiders.

Shipping

Note that Wine Insiders does not ship to Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah; nor, do they offer international shipping.

Great place to shop

Wine Insiders has much to offer at very affordable prices, but it does lack a certain luxury and elegance that some buyers might be searching for. We do wish they would include more fine wines and spirits. Still, for those who want inexpensive, quality wine shipped to their door, Wind insiders is a great place to shop.

Wine Access

• Prices range from $13 - $2,000/bottle
• Elite inventory
• Best search and filter system
• Credited wine sommeliers

Wine Access is a notable online wine store, quite worthy of customer consideration. Their eye-catching website reflects Wine Access' appreciation for elegance and high-quality; which, as a Michelin Guide partner, is a value important to communicate.

Fantastic reputation

In business since 2007, Wine Access has earned a successful reputation for their elite inventory, selected by an impressive team of sommeliers and wine industry professionals. For those seeking a high-caliber wine experience, we highly recommend checking out Wine Access.

Extensive variety of wine types and source regions

Offering extensive variety amongst wine types, Wine Access includes red wines, white wines, sparkling wines, rose, sake, and dessert. The production regions of their stock extend well beyond even France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina. On their website, all inventory at Wine Access can be searched and sorted into specific and detailed regions.

Great search filters

We found Wine Access' filtering system to be the most all-encompassing for consumers, out of our entire reviewed wine retailers. In fact, customers can filter to search wines via several identifiers, such as how soon selected items can be shipped; who on the Wine Access team reviewed the selected wine; foods that wines can be paired with (hard/soft cheeses, red/white meats, fish, shellfish, cured meat, vegetables, exotic/spicy, dessert, and so on); price per bottle; the vintage year; optimal drinking window for each bottle; the wine's flavor profile; and specific collections. You can even filter for wines sold in Michelin star restaurants.

Wine clubs, a podcast, and sommelier info

With Wine Access, customers can also have their pick of 5 different Wine Clubs, and the company notes free shipping with all orders over $150. There is plenty of other wine-related content on their website, with information on their exclusive podcast, "Wine Access Unfiltered', advertised to, "take you behind the bottle and into what we really love about wine: the intimate moments, unforgettable occasions, and hilarious stories that the best bottles bring about." As for the expert team curating Wine Access' inventory, the website includes brief biographies on each sommelier, giving customers further insight as to the taste and expertise of those at the helm.

Shipping notes

Note that Wine Access does not sell spirits or other accessories; they also do not provide international shipping, and do not ship to the states Utah, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas.

Great high-end choice

While we could not find any information regarding Wine Access on the BBB website, we did find plenty of positive reviews from other various third-party sources, vouching for their incredible quality and service. Overall, we think Wine Access is an excellent option for wine store customers to consider, particularly those seeking a high-end, luxury sipping experience.

Wine on Sale

• Prices range from $7.95 - $449.95/bottle
• Curated wine "packs"
• Customer satisfaction guarantee
• Extensive inventory

Wine on Sale offers a solid option for customers to consider when shopping for wine online. What this company may lack in their lost opportunity to advertise a particular brand or expressed mission, they make up for with a robust variety, competitive pricing, and reviews noting quality customer service.

Affordable curated wine packs

Wine on Sale's website gives a bit of a "busier" feel compared to some of our higher rated competitors, but it's easy enough to navigate, and easier still to find perhaps their most tempting offer: various curated wine packs in amounts ranging from 6, 12, 15, 18, & 20 - the 20-bottle pack costing only $125.99. With an included 100% customer satisfaction guarantee that says customers have multiple options for returns/refunds for up to 30 days, we think Wine on Sale is a pretty good business for the average customer to consider.

Extensive inventory, modest wine region selection

Wine on Sale carries more than 800 products, providing an extensive inventory, while also featuring several sorting & filtering options to help customers narrow their search. These sorting options include choices such as by best-selling, manual, title, price, and created. The producing regions of Wine on Sale's inventory is modest in span, but still include international nations like France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Argentina, South Africa, and Chile.

Large selection of wine varieties

Wine on Sale has a large list of wine varieties they carry. A detailed list of the wines available include: cabernet sauvignon, red blend, pinot noir, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, rose, bordeaux, sparkling, sangiovese, moscato, zinfandel, merlot, pinot grigio, tempranillo, champagne, Malbec, white blend, margarita wine cocktail, prosecco, dessert wine, shiraz, Riesling, Nebbiolo, petite sirah, syrah, rhone blend, montepulciano, chenin blanc, cabernet franc, white zinfandel, primitivo, pink Moscato, bonarda, viognier, vinho tinto, vida blanco, vermouth, valpolicella, tuscan red blend, torrontes, tannat, spumante, pinotage, mourvedre, gruner veltliner, grillo, grenache, garganega, gamay, chardonnay/misket, chardonnay/dimyat, carmenere, brachetto, & barbera.

Our wish list

Such an impressive range of wine varieties gives Wine on Sale a notable wow-factor, although we do wish they offered features such as wine accessories, spirits, or even varied clubs with focused interests. That being said, we do appreciate the ability to explore a selection of fine, high-end wines, including some vintage options from 2013-2020.

Shipping options

A current advertised banner at the time of this writing offers free shipping on all orders containing 6 or more bottles; although the website clarifies this offer as only valid for a limited time. Shipping costs typically seems to range $19-36 per order. Gift wrapping services are also available for extra cost. Regrettably, Wine on Sale does not ship to the states AL, MI, MS, UT, HI, & AK.

Still a good choice

Some mixed reviews from third party companies have reported that the curated wine packs can contain several duplicates of certain bottles in customer orders. While many reviews praise the quality of Wine on Sale's products, a fair amount also criticize their selection. There is currently no association with, or review conducted by, the BBB regarding Wine on Sale. Despite a mix of both pros and cons, we think Wine on Sale is still a good choice to consider when purchasing your next bottle of wine.

Buy Wines Online

• Prices range from $5.75 - $449.95/bottle
• Unique "tasting sets"
• Over 800 bottle inventory
• No spirits or wine accessories

Buy Wines Online is another satisfactory wine retailer to consider. They share some similarities with Wine on Sale, in terms of both the website design, and also their efforts to target the modern, every-day consumer.

Impressive inventory

Buy Wines Online carries an impressive inventory (over 800 bottles available), and the prices are competitive. While we couldn't find any BBB rating or accreditation to back the company, plenty of alternative third-party sites validated quality customer service. With a couple of other neat features expounded on below, we think Buy Wines Online is a fair choice for customers to explore, even if they're not necessarily the most notable competitor on the market.

Unique tasting sets

At the top of the Buy Wines Online website, customers can start to search for their perfect sip by selecting one of the tabs for red wines, white wines, wine gifts, tasting sets, wine regions, and "discover" . While sorting options for the wine variety and recommended gifts are fairly standard on these websites, the advertised "tasting sets" is a unique feature and sets Buy Wines Online apart from the competition. With tasting sets, customers have the option to try multiple types of wine within one order, and without committing to full bottles of each wine. The Buy Wines Online tasting sets are offered at very affordable prices, where customers can order up to 12 different types of wine for just $64.95.

Good search and filter options

At Buy Wines Online, shoppers can also search through fine wines, filtering for recommended wine gifts, celebrity wines, collectible wines, barrel aged wines, green/sustainable wines, & various best sellers. People can even filter through the recommended wine gifts by type of wine, the rating of the wine, and the region it is from (12 international options). Finally, buyers can also filter and sort through the inventory with the identifiers: wines on sale, wines highly rated, and wines significantly discounted due to clearance and/or damaged bottle labels.

Shipping

Orders are shipped quickly within 1-2 business days, and returns/refunds are available to customers on a case-by-case basis Buy Wines Online does not ship to AL, MI, MS, UT, HI, AK or P.O. Boxes.

Good, but could be better

No spirits or wine accessories are sold at Buy Wines Online, and we hope they consider adding other unique features along with the tasting sets, such as wine clubs or personally curated orders. While such elements have the potential to boost Buy Wines Online in our ratings, the company appears reputable and affordable to consumers.

Vivino

• Prices range from $6.67 - $500/bottle
• Largest inventory with over 23,000 products
• International shipping
• Poor BBB rating

Vivino is an online wine store retailer that one could compare to your city's local Walmart. It's big, there's lots to choose from, it's not much to look at, and you're never quite sure how much you can trust the quality of the product.

Largest inventory of wine products

Vivino provides the largest inventory of all our ranked online wine retailers. However they offer no specialized services like clubs, themed sets, corporate gifting, or tasting sets. Their website is plain and simple, but not complicated to use.

Poor reviews lead to quality questions

Contradictory to their name brand recognition (due to plenty of published articles lauding the company), Vivino has a poor BBB rating, a disappointing D-. The Better Business Bureau findings cast serious doubt in regards to the validity of Vivino's product and customer service quality.

Useful sorting tools

In utilizing the actual website, there are some useful sorting tools. Customers can filter by average ratings of bottles, to "on sale" wines (categorized into, <$20, $20-30, $30-40, $40<), to recommended food pairings (specified meats, fish, cheeses, and pasta). An international variety of wines is also available within Vivino's inventory, and website visitors can filter by region, as well. The website, while perhaps too simplistic, is user friendly, and is affiliated with an app that customers can download to their smartphones.

International shipping available

Maybe most notably, Vivino provides international shipping options to customers - a feature not many online wine retailers can boast due to ever-changing state laws around the sale and provision of alcohol. Vivino's returns/refunds policy is conservative, though existent, and customers have a 14-day window to return damaged or wrong bottles, and cooked or uncorked wines.

Mixed reviews

Overall, we found it quite curious to compare the links on Vivino's website which reference several positive press articles, with other more critical customer feedback and the BBB's D- rating. Our findings indicated a particular theme and pattern with shipping mishaps and policies.

Better choices available

Ultimately, while Vivino was not the worst company we reviewed, their lackluster services & products, combined with a red-flag of a BBB rating, leaves something to be desired. Clearly we feel there are better wine retailers you can choose from.

Wine

• Prices range from $5.99 - $1,000+/bottle
• Over 3,000 bottles to choose from
• Crowded shopping experience
• Mixed reviews

Despite some thoughtful and creative services advertised, Wine finds itself lacking in quality for online wine shoppers. The Better Business Bureau assessed a D- BBB rating for Wine, and plenty of third-party reviewers validated that evaluation with critical reviews - far more than any other company we reviewed. While some of the website features and products seem like promising ideas, Wine has a way to go until the actual quality of the product makes those services worthwhile.

Busy and crowded shopping experience

At first glance, Wine's website is busy and overcrowded, though straightforward enough to use. A pop-up arises immediately when a visitor enters the homepage, with a customer service agent offering to help the visitor with any questions - a helpful feature.

Over 3,000 bottles to choose from

The website includes over 3,000 bottles of wine, including ratings for each. Inventory includes red wines, white wines, rose, champagne and sparkling wines. Production regions of their supply, include: regions in the U.S., France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Greece; and other international regions ranging from the Middle East, to Africa, to New Zealand. An advertised sale offers $30 off a customer's order by referring a friend, and joining the "stewardship membership" for $59/year provides free shipping, exclusive deals, allocated products, & special events. Corporate gifting services, gift baskets, glassware, and accessories, are additional products available.

Promising wine club

A feature that holds particular promise at Wine, is their wine club, which is personalized to consumer tastes, preferences, and budget. Each shipment includes 6 bottles, with a personalized note explaining why each wine was chosen. We really like the idea of a personalized wine club (which was not featured amongst many of their competitors), though even this is a bit pricey for folks, starting at $120 per box.

Positive reviews...

Wine's website provides links to a somewhat suspicious amount of positive mentions in the press. It was actually voted Wine Enthusiast's Retailer of the Year, in 2019. Regarding returns and refunds, the website also encourages customers to reach out if their package is missing wine, if customers receive the wrong wine, and/or if customers receive the wrong vintage, so customer service may "correct" the mistake (details unspecified).

...but a lot of negative reviews as well

Unfortunately, not all customer reviews were positive. In fact, we found more negative reviews for Wine than for any other company we reviewed. Both the product quality and customer service at Wine were victims of failed expectations. Combined with the low BBB rating, this is an obvious area where Wine need to improve.

Shipping

Wine does not ship to the states AL, DE, ME, MI, MS, MT, TN, UT, & SD, nor do they ship internationally.

Peek behind the curtain

Wine has some good ideas and promising possibilities - and at face value they might seem like a fine enough option for customers. A peek behind the curtain, however, reveals that Wine has earned a hefty amount of skepticism. Fancy service offers are ultimately meaningless if the delivery or product is sub-par. We recommend checking out some of our higher ranked competitors for your online wine store shopping needs.