Top 5 Online Wine Shops

The Rampant Oenophile loves top 10 lists, but often can't find time to enjoy all 10 entries. "Top 10 Cabernet," "Top 10 New California Wineries," and "Top 10 Food and Wine Pairings" would take far too long to enjoy that I might never get to the top of the list.

The same is true of shopping. How could anyone sample from 10 online wine shops? This Rampant Oenophile enjoys economy of time as well as currency, so enjoy this list of Top 5 Online Wine Shops.

#5 The Cellar Online: Not the most luxurious website in the bunch, but they have wonderful selections and wonderful prices. And the range of wine astounds! On a list of 90+ point wines, you'll find a 2005 Lafite Rothschild for $1,795.00 abutting a 2006 Napa Chardonnay from Darioush for $43.99. Their site has none of the bells and whistles of other more potently enabled sites, and you can't browse bottles and labels easily, but if you know what you are looking for and want to find some terrific deals, take a visit to this wonderful online cellar!

#4 Porthos.com: As friends of the Rampant Oenophile know, I enjoy a good label almost as much as the good wine that it shrouds, so browsing labels makes for a wonderful shopping experience in any wine shop. Porthos makes it easy to view bottles and labels at the click of a mouse. They call themselves the "Wine Insiders," and deliver the ratings from both Robert Parker and The Wine Spectator ratings for virtually all of their wines. Another great feature of Porthos is the sampler packs. No one builds split cases, varietal and vertical tasting cases like Porthos. Among the Rampant's favorites, Napa's Best Undiscovered Cabernets Under $40 - 6-pack for $240, and the Opus One + Napa Big Name Cabernet Pack at $819. For new Oenophiles, Porthos makes it easy to enjoy building and sampling a new collection.

#3 My Wines Direct.com: Another wonderful site for beginners, MyWinesDirect.com offers easy browsing, lots of wine education, and $0 shipping charges on all of its wines. They offer a tremendous selection, and make it easy to find tasty treats. On their Specials page, one finds Member Favorites, Tasting Packs, and split cases suggestions for food pairings like the Grill Ready Reds. I am adding the Grill Ready sampler to my shopping cart today for a holiday bar-b-que with friends this weekend. It includes 6 wines that I can't find locally and that pair well with an outdoor party. With $0 shipping and a great selection for just $90, how can one go wrong?

#2 Beverages and More: Several years ago on a Sunday drive through some new neighborhoods looking at homes, the Rampant Oenophile stumbled upon a Mecca for retail wine shopping. The Best-Buy sized store was just completing its grand opening at a new plaza, and bright signs beckoned visitors into the store with promises of tastings and coupons. Senses overload immediately upon entering BevMo, their better known moniker, and this Rampant Oenophile spent too much time and way too much money before finally heading home. BevMo offers tremendous values, outstanding selections, wonderful education about wine and spirits, and overwhelming sensory rewards for shoppers. You can literally browse for hours. Their Online Store translates the bricks and mortar store experience onto a wonderful virtual shopping experience. You'll find humongous Clearance options, extraordinarily generous values throughout the site, and a terrific loyalty program, ClubBev, that rewards frequent shoppers. Spend a lazy afternoon on the site browsing bottles and bargains, and enjoy the BevMo experience.

#1 Wine.com: This Rampant Oenophile first learned of Wine.com through the too generous gift from a friend. I have remained unabashedly impressed by this site, their selection, and their outstanding customer service ever since. You can scroll through virtual miles of interesting, exotic, and outstanding wines at the click of a mouse. Images of labels or bottles accompany every wine, and the descriptions ensure you'll find something to fit your particular interests. Searching for wines, varietals, regions, and values gives Wine.com their clear edge in the market. I can't think of a different way to search for wine than the marvelous options supplied on Wine.com. Take a virtual stroll through their fabulous shop today and see for yourself.

Online Wine Shopping Tips

The Rampant Oenophile certainly loves browsing his local wine shops for new and exciting finds. Sometimes, however, browsing for a specific wine, vineyard, or varietal can lead to disappointment if your favorite vendor isn't fully stocked.

That's why I love online wine shopping, too. I can always find my favorites, even the hard to find type that aren't typically stocked in my local stores.

Online wine shopping can be a blessing or a curse for the uninitiated, so read these helpful hints and visit these online favorites.

Check Shipping: You never know when your state might enact more crazy laws about shipping wine, so check the online store for their shipping rules to your home state. I usually ship wine to my office because I don't want it sitting on my front stoop in the heat, or worse, stuck on a hot truck because no one was home to sign for it. Consider shipping to your office, as long as you don't think someone will run off with your vineyard treasures!!

Consider Cases: Many of the online shippers offer either substantial case discounts or great shipping discounts, so consider stocking up on your favorites by buying a full or split case. It's a great way to complete a cellar, and some shops even allow a mixed case to receive the great discounts.

Call to Confirm: Anytime you are trying something special, call the shop directly to confirm your special needs or requests. Unlike Bricks and Mortar wine cellars, online wine shops don't always have a warehouse for stocking and storing wine. Many depend on the "speed of the Internet" to order from suppliers only as your order gets placed. That's especially true of odd lots, special vintages, and rare wines. If you absolutely positively have to have the wine tomorrow, you should call to confirm that your choices are in stock for immediate delivery.

Search for Clearance Specials: Just like a local shop, online wine sellers often have amazing clearance sales, so check those specials early and often to find the best deals. I love to find the last bottle of a 90+ point wine that retailed for $50, only to be left on a clearance special for just $15. The wine actually tastes better (at least to this Rampant Oenophile) for the bargain. It's like prospecting for gold and finding a big nugget at the end of the trail.

Track your Shipment: Bottled wine certainly doesn't like temperature change and extremes of either variety, so track your shipment and make sure that someone over 21 is available to sign for your package to keep it from sitting on a truck in the heat or snow. Parcel services are old hands at shipping wine now that the wine retailers have been open to nationwide distribution, but you still don't want to take chances. Track your package online and be ready for arrival.

Watch this blog for the Rampant Oenophile's list of the top 5 online wine shops coming this week!

Terrazas Reserva Malbec 2005

The demands of work and family once again dashed the hopes of a summer world tour for this Rampant Oenophile, so I've been trying to drink my way around the globe. So far, I've visited Europe, South Africa, South America, and America's Pacific Coast including Northern California, Washington, and Oregon. But, South America, Chile and Argentina specifically, are earning a special place in my gastronomic heart.

Several Malbec's have delighted my dinner table this summer, and the Terrazas Reserva Malbec 2005 certainly earned high marks for dining and drinking enjoyment.

Malbec, Spanish for "bad grape," which translated means "it's very bad if you can't find more of this grape," typically presents a fruit forward, intense, somewhat spicy bouquet and flavor.

The Terrazas Reserva opens well. Fruit, spice, and leather literally filled my dining room over the weekend even before I poured the first glass. My friends delighted at the intense red and purple tones in the bowl of the glass.

Like the Stella Maris, a deep breath of this wine reveals leather and saddle. I also noticed a light hint of wood, but not the oak that I expected. It's more subtle and mellow, like a warm cedar closet on a cool evening. Very welcoming and safe.

I paired the wine with great steaks and spicy sauces, so the Terrazas couldn't hide among all of those intense flavors. The Reserva surprised my guests with its rich structures. Everyone enjoyed finding different fruits and spices in the wonderful complexity of the wine.

I enjoyed the full body and lavish texture. The leather and saddle of the nose give way to rich fruits and silky caramel on the tongue. Terrazas Reserva finishes with fruits and spice that elevated our meal very well.

At just $15-$18 a bottle, and available in local and online wine shops as well as good grocers, the Terrazas Reserva Malbec 2005 certainly earned a spot in my wine rack. I think that I'll need to extend my trip to Argentina to find more of these excellent bad grapes before the summer ends.