Category: Best Flash Sales sites

sites with hourly or daily wine deals

Holiday Wine Sales: Budget-Friendly Tips for Shoppers

Now with the crazy days of holiday shopping hype coming at us from every direction, the major online wine retailers and wine merchants are also doing their best to get our attention. 

Although these Prime, Cyber, Black Friday and what have you holiday sales are now an annual event, lots of circumstances have changed over the last 2 years. People in general are much more focused on soaring prices of eggs and gasoline, or whatever their reference point may be. 

The phrase “sticking to a budget” is now heard in so many circles.

Because wine sales have trailed off over the last 2 years or so, these holiday sales will be closely watched. As of now, wine prices haven’t spiraled because tariffs haven’t made an impact on prices. 

The fact is that there is a glut or over-supply of wines and we have seen the number of wine producers entering the discount world increase as many once solid wineries feel the need to reduce prices to move inventory.

Wine is different from eggs and gas because it is a discretionary product, meaning not vital or necessary. Well, to all but a few of us. If there has been a lesson those in the wine biz should have learned over the last two years as wine sales dipped, it is that non-snobby wine lovers are really no different than other consumers and now realize a need to be extra careful about sticking to a  wine budget. That often means having a target maximum price or price point when buying wine. 

What’s Going on in Online Wine Sales

When previewing t several of the Black Friday deals, I can’t help but notice the many luxury or cult wines that are over $100 a bottle are now being offered at deep discounts. Online seller winespies.com offered the 2020 Caymus Special Selection at $147 ($225 regular price), vivino.com announced a culty Chardonnay for $34.99, regular price $90, while lastbottle.com featured a Pouilly-Fuise for $34, regularly $100.  Another site had the 2018 Beringer Reserve Cabernet at $87.50, roughly 50% off. Earlier this week there was a “sale” of the 2022 Joseph Phelps Insignia, which retails for $350-$400 at $195 a bottle. 

Don’t know about you, but to me even these discounted prices still are not budget-friendly. High ratings and non-stop hype are behind so many of these exorbitant prices.  Some might argue that many wines priced in the 3 digit range are on allocation or enjoy a cult following. Then one wonders why some are offered online to begin with and often at deep discounts. We’ll probably never get a consistent explanation, but that shouldn’t stop us from shopping the sales.

Insider Tips for Savvy Wine Shoppers

One great website to find truly fine and reasonably priced wines is wtso.com  What stood out to me is that its Black Friday sales on November 28-29 has an end of the year Clearance Sale. While it continues with its daily flash sale, wtso has many attractive, highly rated wines in its clearance sale. With a few bottles priced at $11.99, the list is heavy in Italian wines but also has something for every wine drinker. At $19.99 a bottle, you can buy the 2024 Calculated Risk Cabernet, the 2021 Havens Cellars Red Blend, and the 2022 Left Coast Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. An Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel topped the list of the $11.99  specials.

Wine Access is another website that has dozens of great wines for the budget minded Black Friday shopper. At wineaccess.com  the sale works by knocking an extra 20% off their already discounted prices. For example the 2022 Zinfandel from Marietta Cellars is listed for $25, but with the added discount sells for $20 a bottle.THe extra discount is applied at check out.

 Those wines that stood out to me before the discounts are the Three Wine Company Old Vine Field Blend ($28), Meeker 2022 Grenache ($22), 2023 Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc ($29), 2022 La Vigne Paso Robles Merlot ($21) and a San Luis Obispo Chardonnay from Oceano Vineyards( $18). Others are the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Oregon’s Solena Estate. And if you like wines from Australia, Argentina, and France, wineaccess.com has something for you at Black Friday prices.

Another site pushing its Black Friday sales also with a large inventory is wineexpress.com A few caught my attention, especially the J. Dusi Cabernet “The Don” from Paso at $22.49. J. Dusi is a favorite of mine. Also, there’s the Rutherford Ranch Chardonnay for $13.47 and a Reverdy 2021 Cotes du Rhone for $7.47. 

The California Wine Club, one of the oldest, has announced its Black Friday 50% off sale. The sale will continue through Sunday. At $12.50 the 2022 Armida Zinfandel from Dry Creek and the Eden Rift Sauvignon Blanc, also at $12.50 are excellent deals. The full list is worth checking out at cawineclub.com 

When the Dust Settles

These holiday sales will likely be extended way beyond the holidays, but they will end. Most of these are flash sales, daily deals or one-time only sales which not everyone is comfortable with because of the need to act quickly.

Savvy Wine Shoppers: Start Your Engines

Exciting online wine deals and steals are really happening.  They are not the typical, over-hyped discounted wines that have been offered over the last year or two.  It strikes me as a new beginning, a fresh start to Spring. 

The real deal door began to swing open around April 1st and by the day of the eclipse, it was no illusion, no April Fool’s prank.

 And the wines that signaled this change  were excellent, time-proven Cabernets, Pinot Noirs,  Chardonnays, a few imports and, well, many others. What was different was the appearance of so many authentic wines from real producers instead of made up private labels and brands. And often, new vintages, newly released wines, not leftovers.

Before getting to the reasons behind this development, let me lists those deals offered online  that caught my attention:

2021 Peju Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, regularly $70, offered at $26 

2021 Daou Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles $65 to $39.99

2018 Whitehall Lane Estate Cabernet, Napa Valley $90 to $59

2020 Beringer Vineyards Knights Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $32 to $23.99

2019 Handley Cellars Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, $37 to $19.

2018 Ketcham Estate Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley $45 to $19.95

2022 Long Meadow Ranch Rose of Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley $32 to $12

2022 Caymus Vineyards, California Cabernet Sauvignon, $75 to $49

These are top names and the reason the last two are cited is to reinforce the fact that new vintages, not old stuff getting dusty in warehouses, are showing up as real deals! That’s a spanking brand new release from Caymus and I’ve not seen any Peju wine so deeply discounted until now. Clos du Val just released its new Cabernet Sauvignon vintage to an online retailer at 20%, not enough to make my list but good support for the trend.

Just now winespies.com announced a 30% off deal on an absolutely great California Chardonnay, one of the top 3-4 made and never ever discounted, until now. It is the 2021 Wayfarer ‘The Estate’ Fort Ross-Seaview Chardonnay 30% off. 

Then I’m seeing a few unknowns and  newbies to the Napa Cabernet scene resorting to the online discounters to help their launch. The garigiste.com site announced the sale of  Rockmere Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley from 2018 for $59.71 a bottle, with the winery price being $95.

So why now, you ask? Well, it has to do with supply and demand. Over the last several months, business stories have focused on the global surplus of wine, and here at home, both Napa and Washington State wine folks are trying to deal with the present surplus of wine and the need to start removing vineyards in big numbers for future stability. Talk about pulling up vines let’s you know this is not a blip.

Meanwhile, retailers are staring at big inventories in their stores and warehouses. I’ve noticed much more exciting offerings from vivino.com so far in 2024. This online site works directly with retailer partners across the country. Sales are slow in brick & mortar places across the country.

Who’s to blame? Well, the easy way out is to point fingers (the middle one?) at the Gen Zers.

Apparently, recent surveys indicate a lack of interest in wine. That’s a demographic representing 18% of the population and it is more interested in energy boosting drinks. Is “Liquid Death” an energy drink? Just asking. 

The brains behind Drizly analyzed the alcohol beverage market and came up with this conclusion: “When it comes to trying new bev alc brands, Drizly’s 2023 Consumer Trend Report found that pricing was the top factor that influences Gen Z “

The  high price of wine is a big deal these days. Recent surveys show that the average bottle price of a Napa Valley Cabernet is $108. An article in The Wall Street Journal  surveyed restaurants and came up with the belief that $25 is the new restaurant normal for a glass of wine. And, yes, the prices for many consumer items are now high. But wine is non-essential, a choice, not on the same level of importance as eggs and fuel. 

Driving the prices of wine up and Gen Zers away is that wine is perceived as a luxury enjoyed by those who equate price with quality. Snobs! Yes, those who buy what others can’t afford and those who associate inexpensive wine as “cheap stuff.” And the big corporations have not helped by their push to create so-called “luxury brands.” 

But right now it is the online wine retailers, the flash sale types, that are driving the discount wine deals.  A report from the Silicon Valley Bank made this observation:

“Wholesalers are full up, as far as they can go,”  which is making them “more picky” in what they buy from wine producers. Wholesalers “are more afraid of being stuck with inventory that they may have to discount.” 

It concluded with a prediction that “flash sales and increased discounts” are likely in the offing in the near future.”

5 Real Deal Dealers

That future is now. Flash sales, meaning limited time offerings are leading the way. For those  interested in checking out the best wine deals offered online, here are my top 5 best sites for non-snobbery, savvy shopping wine drinkers:

www.reversewinesnob.com  This site was finding super wines at great prices before the glut, and so far in 2024 has earned my top spot for its selection of wines from California and the Northwest. It works directly with small, family owned wineries. Begin here.

www.winespies.com  Off to a great month of April with exceptional finds such as the 2020 Caymus California Cabernet and the Wayfarer Chardonnay. Also, super price for a Flying Goat Pinot Noir. Special deals on Lake County Cabernets are frequent.

www.lastbottleswines.com

 Still the best flash sale site, and is keeping up by finding wines never offered before the glut. A great offer for Handley Cellars 2019 Pinot Noir at $19. It also has marathon wine sales, and recently offered dozens of wines as “under $26 deals and steals.”    

www.vivino.com 

These are the people who have a huge database and encourage subscribers to offer reviews, But its main strength is its partnerships with retailers around the country. Here I found the 2020 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet at 30% off. The new 2022 Caymus “California” Cabernet was first offered by vivino.

http://www.wtso.com

WTSO was one of the first, if not the first site for flash sales. It offers many wines, but I found it is a great resource for imports, especially Spanish and Italian wines. Here are three examples of excellent deals:

2021 Resalte Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada for $19.99 (50%)

2018 Famiglia Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva  DOCG $14.99

2019 Luca Bosio Barolo  $24.99

Wines to Buy at 3-Day Sales Event

At WTSO.com 

The 3-day sale with rotating stock starts today.

It is a case sale, with all wine offered at $150 a case with free shipping

The wines ordered ship the next day

And for those uncomfortable with math: The per bottle price is $12.49!!

Explores the sale at http://www.WTSO.com (Wines ‘Til Sold Out)

What I’m buying:

2018 Château de Ribebon  AOC Bordeaux Superieur (70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet, 10% Cab Franc)

2022 Chateau Lamothe, Bordeaux Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon)

2020 Tresors de Loire Chinon (Cabernet Franc)

The two Bordeaux wines are extremely attractive.

The Chinon is an excellent example of Loire Valley Cab Franc, especially at 60% below retail

All three are rated 90+.

Don’t like these: There are several red wines from Lodi if you like that style.

End of February Wine Sale

Get ready to cherry pick a big wine sale featuring 150 wines at 40-50% price reductions

And $5 case shipping. 

Highlights: 150 wines up for sale

The website: vintagewineestates.com 

On Tuesday the 28th, Vintage Wine Estates will offer 150 wines from its portfolio of wineries. 

The collection ranges from top notch wineries like Owen Roe, Qupe, Kunde, Laetitia, Clos Pegase and several others that are fully functional real wineries.

And, yes, the portfolio includes your basic supermarket brands like cherry pie and layer cake.

VWE as the company likes to be called, has so far encouraged many of its wineries to function as they always have.

It added a new brand “Bar Dog” that may appeal to some of you.

And I do like to fun/pun it created with the brand, “If You See Kay.” 

Here are the wineries to look for in this sale:

Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and other reds from Red Willow Vineyard

Tamarack  Firehouse Red for $12

Qupe Grenache $18

Laetitia Pinot Noir

Kunde Zinfandel

B.R. Cohn Chardonnay, Cabernet

Delectus Napa Valley

Can’t  find anything you like? Well then, just If You See Kay it!

3 Reasons to Shop Last Bottle

When it comes to rating the top online wine sellers today, the last word is Last Bottle.

I’ve been following it and another two dozen sites for several years now and, yes, I faithfully look at everyone’s daily deals, special offers, clearance sales and whatever else. 

Most sites are hyping the same wines after covid and are so predictable.

But not Last Bottle.

Wine.com is great in many ways, but it doesn’t list many of the small, hidden gems that Last Bottle uncovers.

I also think highly of winespies.com, reversewinesnob.com and wineaccess.com.

Last Bottle, however, is best at 3 key things:

  1. Big, real discounts!! Often over 50%.
  2.  Great selection, ever changing, not the usual fare.
  3.  Exciting, informative, and fun to read website and wine comments.

All of this along with a proven track record and yet there’s no personality behind it, no person by name.

And therefore no ego in evidence. No sommelier or wine expert showing off.

It is all done by teamwork, by wine competence, and by a crazy, noisy, got you by the throat style.

The question remains: who the heck are the people behind Last Bottle? 

I asked that and several other questions and was surprised at the quick and  informative response.

But I still don’t know that much about the people. The best I have is this photo:

What sets their sales approach apart from the others are the unusual and energized wine descriptions. Here’s a typical introduction to a featured Shiraz:

“Quick poll…who’s seen the video where the guy rescues his dog from the headlock of a big ol’ kangaroo and then squares off (you might want to Google it)!? Man, those Aussies are just the best. Speaking of BEST, how about 94 POINTS and THIRTEEN American dollars (that’s 18.60 Aussie dollars, by the by)??!! Mount Langi Ghiran SHIRAZ!!! Pure craziness.”

Or this one about a Barbaresco:

“WOOHOO!!! If you could make Burgundy with nebbiolo, this just might be it. Fine, elegant texture, no heaviness, but STACKED, simply soaring with beautifully fresh and dried roses, red cherry, orange pekoe tea, a dash of allspice and cinnamon, freshly turned earth, and shaved truffles, some toasted hazelnuts…my, oh my! SO GOOD! This will age like a champ, too – so get a few extra to save. We get all contemplative and nostalgic whenever we drink Rivetti. This is complex, thoughtful, fine, focused, and distinctly reaching for a higher level.”

These atypical wine comments keep on coming and may strike some as silly and irreverent, but their descriptions are clever, creative, and so unlike the mechanical writeups encountered elsewhere.  And the wines are top quality.

To learn more about these folks, see my article posted at http://www.winereviewonline.com

Here’s one question I asked that’s sure to tease you:

Q: You say your team tastes 40,000 wines a year, or roughly 800 a week. Really? Is that true or hype?

A: This is 100% true. When the tasting bar becomes too packed with bottles we set them on the floor, and have to carve little paths to get through. It can seem ridiculous, but it speaks to our commitment to assessing every wine to find the gems that make it into a daily offer. 

Here they are hard at work: the Chateau Les Feet of wine sellers:

Top 7 Wineries to Follow for Holiday Wine Sales

Now that Black Friday, Cyber Monday and sales before and after have finally ended, let’s review what happened. And, better yet, let’s apply what we learned to improve our savvy shopping skills.

Now, more than before, I encourage people to buy direct from smaller wineries rather than from online retailers, supermarkets and subscription box companies. But of course, that is a real option only when prices are attractive and shipping costs are sometimes cheaper than a gallon of gas. Happy to note many wineries are working hard to make that happen.

5 Reasons for Going Winery Direct for Holiday Sales

First, and this is big: you don’t have to join a club. No contracts!  Offers for non-members are usually at a slightly lower discount. But not always.

Shipping costs are attractive, ranging from $1 a case to $20. (A case normally ships for $40-ish)

Discounts often start at 20% and range up to 50% and higher

The wines are authentic, not custom made, cutesy labeled stuff from virtual wineries.

Many of these wines are not widely available, not supermarket wines from a giant corporation. Better yet, they are new releases, not old wines stored in some warehouse collecting dust and getting old.

The following real example beautifully demonstrates all 5 key points. Last November, Navarro Vineyards in the Anderson Valley made a special, timed sales offer. Here it is: “Navarro’s six-bottle Black Friday Sampler is only available through Monday, November 29, or until the sampler is sold out. You can also add six bottles of any Navarro wine or non-alcoholic juice of your choice and the twelve bottles will qualify for One-Cent shipping. 

 For those unfamiliar with Navarro wines, you need only to look over its reviews in the winereviewonline.com database. There, you’ll see the many high (94+) ratings from numerous critics, and notice that even its Roses have been rated in the mid-90s!

Another reason for mentioning Navarro first is that it was, along with Ridge Vineyards, offering wines direct to customers on a mailing list in the 1980s. It served as the model when other wineries ventured into direct sales.

Wineries willing to offer free shipping as part of a special sale or an attractive flat rate opened the door wider to buying wines direct. And, many like the folks at Tank Garage in Napa Valley,  make it easy: “Need to get your hands on cool wines from Tank Garage Winery? Whether you’re shopping gifts for the season or stocking your cellar for days to come, we’ve got you covered with $1 shipping on any order, all weekend long. No code is necessary, this rad deal applies automatically at checkout.”

Even a flat rate of $10 for 6 bottles or $5 for a case is attractive when you remember a case of wine normally ships for around $40.

Top 10 Wineries to Follow for Holiday Wine Sales

Rather than suggesting everyone now randomly subscribe to a bunch of wineries, I will list a few that have a proven track record and are known to offer special holiday deals during the year.

Navarro Vineyards: See the example above. A great source of Pinot Noir and also a wide range of small batch wines.  www.navarrovineyards.com

Clos LaChance: This family owned beautiful Santa Clara winery often offers super deals (like 50% off) of its Sauvignon Blanc, Pirates blend Rhone, and Meritage. It also makes a fine Cabernet Sauvignon. Good shipping deals.  www.clos.com

Trentadue Vineyards: Rock solid winery in Alexander Valley frequently offers one day Holiday sales. Look for “La Storia” wines, its high end line. But also  don’t pass by its Zinfandel or Sauvignon Blanc. Trentadue makes one of the finest Petite Sirahs. Good shipping rates. www.trentadue.com

Fritz Winery, also in the Alexander Valley, often offers a case of Fritz wines with $1 case shipping. The 2018 Estate Dry Creek Zin and 2019 Russian River Chardonnay are its top rated wines. http://www.fritzwinery.com

Testarossa Vineyards: The best kept secret for fabulous Pinot Noir. Look for discounted prices and free shipping on 3 or more bottles. Also the Chardonnays are exceptional. http://www.testarossa.com

Tooth & Nail Winery: Looking for something totally different and unconventional? With Tooth & Nail, one of my recent favorite discoveries, signing up for email alerts gets you a 15% discount. Frequent holiday specials are at 20% off with free shipping on orders of $50 or more. This Paso Robles winery offers wildly creative reds and whites and  all have rated in the 90s. Great Rose, Rhone blends, and Cabernets with labels that literally sing for you. But that’s another story.

www.toothandnailwine.com

Ponzi Vineyards: This proven Willamette Valley pioneer caught my attention with its major sale of a Pinot Noir Rose…and free shipping on 6 or more bottles. Key an eye on this site www.ponzivineyards.com

Special Spring Sales Alert

A truly exciting winery is having a sale now until this Sunday.

You can buy wines at prices that are normally “members only” so you can first select some exciting wines to sample. And then also through these wines, consider joining the club.

And THE winery is: Tooth & Nail Winery

www.toothandnailwine.com

Based in Paso Robles, this oddly named winery offers several types of wines under 4 different brand names:

Tooth & Nail: Creative, unconventional wines with unusual names and stunning labels. For example, “The Fragrant Snare” brings together Chardonnay, Albarino, and Viognier.

Amor Fati: Syrah, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all from cool climates.

For me, these 4 were love at first taste. All scored 92 points or higher. See reviews at 

http://www.winereviewonline.com

 Stasis: Pinot Noir from Santa Maria and a Viognier. Both excellent.

Destinata: Drink now, no fanfare Chenin Blanc, Riesling, and Syrah. All good. All fun. Especially the drink-now style Syrah. The dry Riesling and Chenin will surprise you.

Bundles: special packages at 20% off prices. 

There’s a Pure Bliss” bundle and a” Once in A Lifetime” bundle you should check out.

BTW: the labels are so artsy, so creative, and so collectible!

You can see my wine reviews at winereviewonline.com and better understand my enthusiasm.

Who’s Behind these Wines?

Rob Murray is the owner. After making Rabble Wine a raving success, he sold it to start Tooth & Nail. With Rabble, he was the first to use augmented reality technology in wine labeling, thereby injecting a sense of movement and play onto a bottle of wine. When it comes to label artwork and design, he is far ahead of everyone.

Winemaker Jeremy Leffert’s motto is: “Pour now. Live for today.” He has a degree in Environmental Science and later studied at Cal Poly. At Tooth & Nail, Jeremy leans toward the philosophical and is ever alert to avoid “the dominance of the winemaker’s hand.” With that in mind, he views himself as a shepherd as much as a maker.

Wait! A winemaker without a BIG ego? Not puffed up about high scores, not an icon or living legend? Just a highly skilled professional.

As a wine club, Tooth & Nail not only meets but nails it by exceeding my 4 very demanding standards:

1.High quality wines

2. Wide variety of wines, unusual wines, and wines at all price points

3. Membership has real value, VIP, being part of cutting edge thinking, something trending

4. Fun

Well, the “fun” requirement eliminates about 90% of all winery wine clubs, the snobby places with way over the top prices.

Also those wineries where members feel pressure to buy or else get dropped. And those with the weekend traffic and the crowds? 

So  hello Paso Robles, the home to high quality wineries owned by crazy, gifted, fun loving, creative, enthusiastic and, well, nice people.

And one more major thing, this winery is within reach of TinCity, home to dozens of other wineries, a few artisan breweries, and a food vendor or two. Yes, part of a wine destination!!

A Heads Up: Major Wine Sale Starts Tuesday

Vintage Wine Estates is running a serious sale with heavy (50-70%) discounts. 

While its portfolio of wineries runs the gamut, there are a few wineries you

might check out. You might pass on the Cherry Pie and Layer Cake, 

but there are some real fine brands represented.

Here are two examples of real deals:

Kunde Family Estate: the 2018 Zinfandel is on sale for $12.10 a bottle

Swanson Vineyards 2019 Pinot Grigio, San Benito $13.80 a bottle

Also, on Tuesday when the sales begins, see what is offered from these established wineries: 

Qupe, one of the most reliable Rhone wine producers 

Laetitia  is good for its cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

 Clos Pegase is one of Napa’s big names. Look for its Chardonnay

B.R. Cohn has a great Zinfandel from Moon Mountain and several Cabernets

Here’s where to begin:

www.vwecellarevent.com

Shipping is 1 cent for a case

You can thank me later

Black Friday & Red WinesThrough Cyber Monday

Red wines & Holiday Discounts: My Favorite Pairing

“Red Friday” was announced by wineexpress.com. 

That’s a cute way to offer a wide range of

Red wines from around the world.

A few are deeply discounted. 

Most are discounted 10% to 30%.

Several of the better deals are decent Bordeaux such as Château Le Grand Verdus and

Chateau Landreau. Not big names. But reliable and authentic.

Here’s one that is also hard to beat for less than $16:Elyse 2017 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley

Also offered are two of my fav reds reviewed at winereviewonline.com

2018 Marietta Cellars Christo Estate Red at $24.97

2019 Silk & Spice from Portugal ar $14.47

Both of these are excellent values.

Check out the extensive list of red wines at http://www.wineexpress.com

Direct from wineries:

Navarro Vineyards, one of the time proven, excellent family wineries, has a fantastic holiday offer.

Navarro’s six-bottle Black Friday Sampler is only available through Monday, November 29, or until the sampler is sold out. The six bottles of 2017 Méthode à l’Ancienne Pinot Noir in this sampler—three of them unfiltered—are being offered for $108.00, a savings of $108.00! There is a limit of one sampler per household; however, you can also add six bottles of any Navarro wine or non-alcoholic juice of your choice and the twelve bottles will qualify for One-Cent shipping.

Yes, you can buy this Pinot Noir at half-price:

2017 Navarro Pinot Noir, Méthode à l’Ancienne. Double Gold Medal. 93 points.

Half off case sale at Byington Vineyards:

Here’s the pitch:

NO GIMMICKS EVER! Wonderful Wines at INCREDIBLE PRICES!BARBERA Case: $329.94 vs. $659.88 (SAVE $329.94)CHARDONNAY Case: $197.94 vs. $395.88 (SAVE $197.94)BLANC DE BLANCS Case: $419.92 vs. $599.88 (SAVE $179.96)

The 2015 Chardonnay is from Alexander Valley and is a super deal at this case price.

Yes, there’s one little hitch: the sale is direct from the Los Altos winery, so must be picked up.

Testarossa Vineyards (not far from Byington) has a special holiday offer:

Black Friday

10% for non members and Ground Shipping Included

on orders of 3+ bottles

Testarossa is the best kept secret among Pinot Noir lovers and currently offers a full roster of site specific, special vineyard designated Pinots from fabled vineyards.

2. Check out the specials at Tank Garage Winery.

$1 Shipping All Weekend Long

Need to get your hands on cool wines from Tank Garage Winery? Whether you’re shopping gifts for the season or stocking your cellar for days to come, we’ve got you covered with $1 shipping on any order, all weekend long. No code is necessary, this rad deal applies automatically at checkout through midnight on Sunday,  November 28th.

tankgaragewinery.com

also, there’s this fun offer:

Black Friday Garage Giveaway!! 🎉

‘Tis the season! Now through November 28th, enter once per day for a chance to win:

– (1) $250 Virtual Gift Card to Tank Garage Winery

-(4) Stemless Shatterproof Glasses

-(1) 750 mL Decanter

-(1) Fuck Off Gold Wine Key

-(1) Vinyl Record Coaster Set

The winner will be drawn on November 29th and will be contacted via email.

Looking ahead, http://www.wtso.com has a magnum marathon set for Monday, November 29, 8am-9pm Eastern time

Search this blog for my detailed review of wtso and its marathon sales.

Autumn Wine Deals

3 Retailers Making A Case for Case Deals

http://www.napacabs.com

http://www.WTSO.com

http://www.reversewinesnob.com

The 3-day sale from vintage wine estates, mentioned in my last post, was just the opening salvo in what is looking like a great Autumn for hunting wine deals.

But not a bottle here, a bottle there. Let’s focus on stocking up on wine, replenishing your cellars, and preparing for a long winter by buying wines by the case.

Free shipping, or 1 cent shipping on a case is possible and is a real big deal. It saves you about $40, the normal price for shipping a case of wine.

Then factor in special discounted prices, if they are real, and you shouldn’t hesitate. 

Great deals seldom last long for obvious reasons.

As for strategy,

You don’t need to be a genius or an expert.  

Go with what you like and don’t be tempted to try something totally unfamiliar by the case.

In other words: Don’t fall for some sommelier’s suggested rare wine from Greenland or the next cult Potato wine from Idaho.

Explore the most successful online retailers (not the wine clubs with their made up brands and labels) offer real wine. 

Wines that are bottled at the winery, and not trucked in tanker trucks 100s of miles to some custom bottling cellar.

Not custom made wines, or somebody’s leftovers.

Shop for Wines from proven wineries with track records. Wines from proven places.

Let’s get specific. Every friday morning, a website named napacabs.com offers

Wines by the case at serious discounts and free shipping. 

Here’s what looked good to me at http://www.napacabs.com  from the most recent offering, and prices are for 12 bottle cases:

  • 2019 Old Vine Zinfandel, Ironstone Vyds, Lodi $139.97
  • 2019 La Playa Estate Red (Syrah, Cabernet) Colchagua, Chile $124.97
  • 2020 Malbec, Pascual Toso Estate, Mendoza $124.97
  • 2019 Malbec Finca El Origen Reserva Mendoza $144.98
  • 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Tree Fort, Paso Robles $174.97

These are fine wines selling for $12 to $15 a bottle for those of you not into math.

Ironstone, arguably, makes the best Lodi Zin and its Old Vine tops the list.

La Playa is one of Chile’s most reliable names, especially for red wines.

Both Malbecs are the real deal, and at $12 a bottle, are so much better than what’s available in supermarkets or online giants.

Cabernet from Paso Robles is a no brainer at this price.  A fellow wine writer wrote this in the Wine Enthusiast: “This is a fairly amazing wine for the price, competing with bottlings that are four times the cost.” Oh, and he rated it 92 points. 

Coming Soon:

Now that you’re curious, let’s move on to another big wine retailer, www.WTSO.com. This former flash seller now has a wide selection of wines to go along with the daily deals. 

So here’s the big news: from October 26 through the 28th, WTSO has scheduled a special case sale with wines selling for $120 a case, shipping included.

It’s worth emphasizing that WTSO also stocks real wines. Wines with a proven track record.

As I write this, it is offering several wines at extremely attractive discounted prices:

Such as

  • 2017 Handley Cellars Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
  • 2019 Los Haroldos Malbec, Mendoza 
  • 2019 Calculated Risk Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
  • 2017 Peachy Canyon Westside Zinfandel 
  • 2018 Van Duzer Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 

And this website regularly scores many fine values from Rioja, Chianti, and Bordeaux.

But I don’t know what specific wines will top the list over the 3 day sales. But each day there will be new wines in the mix.

Still hesitant to buy a case?  Okay, how about great 6 bottle deals, then?

Best site is one called reversewinesnob.com

I’ve been following this one for a long time and, overall, it gets high marks.

Shipping for 6 bottles is usually a flat $5.

Best recent example is the 2017 Canoe Ridge “The Explorer’ Cabernet from Horse Heaven vineyards for $13.33 a bottle when buying a 6-pack. 

The site also recently offered the much sought after Kukeri Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast. 

There you have it.

 I rest my case.