Wine is one of the oldest and most popular drinks in the entire world, alongside beer, tea, coffee, and plain water. The Romans and Greeks cultivated it, and many of today’s words for “wine” come from the Latin term for it, vinum. Made of grapes and fermented for alcohol content, wine is a staple drink for fine dining and special occasions, and wine famously varies in age and price. France and Italy are home to most of the major and top-rated brands, and some bottles may go for high prices in auctions. But for the most part, American wine lovers will look for fair wine deals online, and wine online shopping can be fairly easy. Even cheap wine online can be attractive, such as for a casual event, while finer wines can be found in special catalogs. What should a consumer expect from an online wine shop? And when is it time to visit a winery?
Americans and Wine
The United States does not have the same storied history with with that France and Italy do, but still, Americans love this beverage. In fact, it is even more popular with younger consumers than older ones; studies and surveys say that Millennials (born 1982-1995) tend to drink wine more often, and spend more on it, than their Baby Boomer parents. Women in particular enjoy wine, and they often rank it over beer as their favorite alcoholic beverage. What do the surveys show? In a survey of 1,000 Americans, 44% of all women named New Years’ Eve as their favorite holiday for alcohol, and wine is also a fine choice for a birthday or anniversary, not to mention a wedding (such as at an open bar). Also, 71-72% of all Millennials consume liquor, beer, or wine, and statistically, they consume more glasses of wine per sitting than their parents or Generation X’ers do. Many of them are willing to spend $20 or more on a single bottle.
Still, whether young or older, an American can find all kinds of options for wine, including many American-made wine, such as hunting for wine deals online.
Wine Shopping
Some wine lovers would rather find wine deals online; others have local wineries to visit. All 50 American states are home to at least one winery, but Californians get the lion’s share of them. California has the ideal climate for vineyards, and this state alone accounts for 90% of all American wineries. Residents there may find it easy to tour and visit local wineries, and develop brand loyalty to local wine flavors and types. Out-of-state guests can share in this bounty, and find some new, uniquely Californian wines to try.
Many wine lovers can visit these wineries for a tour, and see how this beverage gets made. Not only is this fun and educational, but wineries will have a fully stocked shop with accessories like corkscrews, wine tote bags, and of course, many bottles of locally grown wines. This can be a great chance to experiment with new flavors and brands, and find a new favorite flavor.
In other cases, though, a wine lover lives far away form wineries, or their local winery doesn’t stock something specific that they are looking for. So, wine deals online can be the solution, and many wineries may have a digital catalog to offer. A shopper can narrow down their options based on red and white wines, fruit flavors, or the age or price range of wines, or just look up a specific brand if they want to. Then they can place an order.
Wine is often shipped by truck, and sometimes, it can be delivered right to the customer’s doorstep (and someone must be available to provide a signature). If this isn’t feasible, the wine will be driven to a warehouse close to the customer’s residence, and the buyer will be alerted so they can visit and pick up their order. After all, wine is sensitive to temperature, and it may get ruined if it sits in a semi truck’s hot trailer all day. So, the wine can be placed in coolers inside the warehouse for proper storage until the customer retrieves it.
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