Wine Shopping Online

No, that's not a Rose' unfortunately... I've been out of commission for the last week and a half with a nasty cold. I try not to drink while I'm sick, needless to say a depressing prospect for an avid wine drinker.

I wanted to dedicate this post to buying wine online. I've personally been shopping online since the early Nineties, when the Internet was basically AOL and local BBS's. From the very beginning I was hooked! I could comparison shop, find the best prices and at any hour of the day. I've never been a fan of department stores or wading through crowds to find what I need. Occasionally I shop for wine online and have it either drop shipped to my local store (at no charge) or sent directly to my house. From the comfort of your computer chair or couch you can Google just about any wine, it's reviews or visit the Wine Library for a video of a tasting. It really takes the bottle roulette out of picking an affordable, quality wine.

If you're looking to buy wine online, where do you go though? I use Wine Legend, a chain here in NJ for most of my buying, but I frequently use Wine Searcher an excellent comparison shopping engine for just about any wine. Simply plug in the name and year of a wine and it brings up multiple results sorted by price. I get frequent sale emails from Wine Legend touting their low prices. If I see a wine I like, I'll plug it in Wine Searcher, typically resulting in prices $3-$4 cheaper per bottle! Sometimes it's not worth the hassle or shipping expense to shop this way, but it does give you good pricing perspective.

Cheers

Armador Merlot, Chile 2005, $8!

I love Merlot! There was a period several years ago when Merlot was almost a dirty word to the wine elite. Merlot had gotten SO popular many people refused to drink this beautiful varietal. White Zinfandel maybe, but Merlot?? The sentiment was even highlighted in the 2004 hit movie "Sideways". Here's a quote from the movie:

Jack: If they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot.

Miles Raymond: No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!

If you're a Merlot lover like myself but don't like paying too much, you'll love this Chilean beauty. At only $8 a bottle it's an absolute steal. Exhibiting eucalyptus notes and a hint of cinnamon it's a very easy tipple.

Cheers!

One of many reasons...

... you should be drinking more red wine. A new study out today shows moderate consumption of red wine may slash the risk of lung cancer in men by as much as 60 per cent.

More on the article here

Cheers!

Luchador Shiraz, $14, Believe me, it's worth it...

I never knew my Great Grandmother, but my mother tells me she watched pro wrestling on a little black and white TV while eating her lunch. Envisioning this always gave me a smile, so I gave a double-take when I saw this label on the wine isle...

Riddle: What do you get when you take a Mrs. Butterworth Syrup bottle and put a retro wrestling mask on it? Luchador Shiraz! Your mouth will quite literally be slammed against the ropes with flavor with this wine. There is nothing unassuming or demure in this bottle, just a big headlock of fruit and a pile-driving finish. Enjoying all the wrestling language? Ok, perhaps too much... but you get the point!

I would suggest stocking up on this wine for the Winter if you enjoy big, fruit forward wines. The Farmers Almanac is anticipating a colder than unusual season, and this will warm you up nicely at a 15.5% alc!

Cheers!