Amazon Reveals Plans To Start Selling Wine Online

Would You Buy Booze Online?

March 7, 2008

Amazon is heading up an online shopping territory not terribly well-traveled — the booze train. Yes, that's right, starting pretty soon, Amazon will start selling wine from its behemoth of a shopping site. No, no Amazon-labeled vintages (I'd love to taste the Kindle varietal) — Amazon will basically be directing its "wine traffic" to Wine.com.

The business of selling booze online is pretty murked up and confusing — requirements of a Wine.com order includes things like requiring signatures that can later be verified online and identification checks upon delivery. It would be nice to send a gift to someone of a hard-to-find wine (don't forget, you can buy them a drink online), but for my personal general wine consumption, I prefer to use the heel-toe express from the corner store.

But would you be interested in this? Just remember, don't drink and blog.

32 Comments

classygirl 5 years 5 weeks

Funny I rarely if ever drink but I do like a good Beringer once in a great while. But I would never by online. That just craziness, when I can go down to the store and get it.

classygirl 5 years 5 weeks

Funny I rarely if ever drink but I do like a good Beringer once in a great while. But I would never by online. That just craziness, when I can go down to the store and get it.

grotonmarketguy 5 years 10 weeks

There are many problems with this concept. Yes for some it could be beneficial to get items you may not find locally. There is a good chance however that your local liquor store could special order something like a lemoncello if they don't carry it on their shelves. It usually means that their regular customers aren't as versed in such things. Most stores can order bottles of liquor that are obscure without any upcharge. You just have to ask.Amazon.com has the power to kill the little guy. The brick and mortar store will close down and you will have no one to stand between you and the major corporations, selections will diminish, companies will work with powerful portfolios and the online wine list will consist of wines made in factories. Mom and Pop will have to find something else to do like bag groceries at Walmart and the grape growing farmer will have to sell his wine to the locals again, meaning you will have to go to them if you want some. Fight the Power - Chuck D

grotonmarketguy 5 years 10 weeks

There are many problems with this concept. Yes for some it could be beneficial to get items you may not find locally. There is a good chance however that your local liquor store could special order something like a lemoncello if they don't carry it on their shelves. It usually means that their regular customers aren't as versed in such things. Most stores can order bottles of liquor that are obscure without any upcharge. You just have to ask. Amazon.com has the power to kill the little guy. The brick and mortar store will close down and you will have no one to stand between you and the major corporations, selections will diminish, companies will work with powerful portfolios and the online wine list will consist of wines made in factories. Mom and Pop will have to find something else to do like bag groceries at Walmart and the grape growing farmer will have to sell his wine to the locals again, meaning you will have to go to them if you want some. Fight the Power - Chuck D

shanimalcracker 5 years 10 weeks

The one time that I had an experience with a delivery of alcohol was when I was babysitting for a family before I was 21. The delivery person did ask for my ID because it required someone 21 or over to sign for the package. However, I guess anyone that is over 21 can sign for it. By the way, this is in California (since it seems to matter what state it is to determine if you can have it ships based on the previous comments).

Midnightkiss4u09 5 years 10 weeks

No.

Midnightkiss4u09 5 years 10 weeks

No.

lms 5 years 10 weeks

I have ordered wine online before. I found this winery in Napa that I like and I wanted to buy more after I got home. I ordered a box of it from some different store and didn't have any problems.

kaenai 5 years 10 weeks

I've purchased wine online before. Of course, I don't drink much, so I'm not likely to do it again.I live in MA, and they allow delivery - at least they did 5 or so years ago when I ordered. :(

kaenai 5 years 10 weeks

I've purchased wine online before. Of course, I don't drink much, so I'm not likely to do it again. I live in MA, and they allow delivery - at least they did 5 or so years ago when I ordered. :(

tdamji 5 years 10 weeks

i don't buy any period.

tdamji 5 years 10 weeks

i don't buy any period.

POPSUGAR Tech 5 years 10 weeks

Thanks for finding that list, MandyJoBo!

freegracefrom 5 years 10 weeks

This sounds like such a pain in the butt. I'd rather go to a liquor store, flash my ID and go.

LaLa0428 5 years 10 weeks

Absolutely.

LaLa0428 5 years 10 weeks

Absolutely.

x_juicyfruit 5 years 10 weeks

Hmm, probably not.

x_juicyfruit 5 years 10 weeks

Hmm, probably not.

MandyJoBo 5 years 10 weeks

I just found a list of states that allow alcohol delivery: CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, ID, IL, IA, LA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, SD, OH, OR, SC, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY.

MandyJoBo 5 years 10 weeks

I don't know if my state allows it, but I would most definitely buy wine online. I love trying different types of wine; it could be my very own "wine of the month" club--just pick a random, highly-rated wine every week. :)

jrebeccat 5 years 10 weeks

I already have. wine.woot.com has had some excellent deals from some great vineyards - as long as you live in one of the 28 states that allows it. They ship UPS and you just sign for the box like a regular package. If you want to add your voice to the movement to get shipping laws for your state changed go to www.FreeTheGrapes.org .

jrebeccat 5 years 10 weeks

Morgaine29 5 years 10 weeks

I would definitely buy from the Amazon Wine Store, like mn48335 I am sure they would have wines that are not carried in my area. But Utah I am sure will not allow my it to ship it to myself. :(

mnp 5 years 10 weeks

I would definitely buy it online because I am sure it would be cheaper to buy direct from the company; and, there are a lot of imports that aren't available to me I jsust don't know how they would would avoid selling alcohol to minors. Does the delivery company have to check IDs before signing the package over?

luminousfae 5 years 10 weeks

I have a good big local liquor store near home, with that said, if its hard to find liquor (international) like limoncellio and pisco and it was available online, I would DEFINITELY buy it. Especially since it is so hard to bring foreign liquor inside te country with all the liquid limitation rules at the airports.

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32 Comments

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