How to Buy Premium Wine Online: A Guide to Choosing Better Bottles
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How to buy premium wine online: A Guide to Choosing Better Bottles
Buying wine online should be exciting.
It should also be considerably easier than standing in front of 40 bottles wondering whether the one with the fancy label is actually any good.
The word premium gets thrown around rather a lot. A £30 bottle isn't automatically better than a £15 bottle. A famous region doesn't guarantee a great producer. And an impressive-looking label tells you very little about what's actually in the bottle.
So how do you choose better wine online?
At Wineslut, we think it starts with looking beyond the label.
What actually makes a wine premium?
There isn't a single price point or official definition that turns an ordinary bottle into a premium one.
Good wine is about the combination of where it comes from, who makes it, how it is made and what's in your glass.
Premium wine isn't necessarily about being bigger, richer or more expensive.
Sometimes it's simply about being more distinctive.
1. Start with the producer
One of the easiest ways to find better wine is to look at who actually made it.
Independent and family-run producers can offer something rather different from wines produced on a huge commercial scale.
That doesn't mean every small producer makes brilliant wine, or that large producers can't make excellent bottles.
It simply means that the producer is worth knowing.
A good wine merchant should be able to tell you who made the wine and why they chose it.
That's one of the reasons we focus so heavily on independent producers at Wineslut.
We're interested in the people behind the bottle, not simply the label on the front.
2. Don't assume expensive means better
Wine pricing can be complicated.
Land, grapes, production, ageing, bottles, transport, taxes and demand can all affect the price you pay.
But price isn't a guarantee of quality.
Instead of asking:
"What's the most expensive bottle I can afford?"
ask:
"What's the most interesting bottle I can buy for this budget?"
That's a much better question.
3. Look for wines with a sense of place
One of the things we love about wine is that it doesn't have to taste the same everywhere.
The grape variety matters.
So does the climate.
The soil.
The vineyard.
And the decisions made by the person who produced it.
A Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough isn't going to taste exactly like one from somewhere else.
A Sangiovese from Tuscany has a different story to tell from a Cabernet Sauvignon grown in California.
That's what makes wine interesting.
Premium wine doesn't have to mean powerful or expensive.
Sometimes the best bottles are the ones that simply have something distinctive about them.
4. Learn a few wine terms, but don't get obsessed with them
You don't need a wine qualification to buy good wine.
Knowing a few basics can help, though.
BODY
This describes how a wine feels in your mouth.
Light-bodied wines tend to feel fresher and more delicate. Medium-bodied wines sit somewhere in the middle, while full-bodied wines generally feel richer and more substantial.
ACIDITY
Acidity gives wine freshness and is one of the reasons certain wines work brilliantly with food.
TANNIN
Tannin is particularly noticeable in red wine. It gives wine structure and can create that slightly drying sensation across your gums.
DRY
Dry generally means the wine contains little residual sugar. It doesn't simply mean sharp.
And that's really all you need to know to get started.
You can learn the rest as you drink.
5. Think about what you're going to eat
One of the easiest ways to choose a bottle is to start with dinner.
Cooking steak?
A fuller red might be exactly what you're after.
Making seafood?
A fresh, high-acid white could be the answer.
Having a roast chicken?
You've got considerably more options than you might think.
And if you're ordering a bottle simply because you fancy it, that's perfectly acceptable too.
Sometimes the correct pairing is simply:
"I like this wine."
There really doesn't need to be anything more complicated than that.
6. Don't overlook less familiar regions
Most people know the big names.
Bordeaux.
Burgundy.
Champagne.
Tuscany.
Rioja.
But wine doesn't stop there.
Some of the most exciting bottles can come from places that aren't necessarily the first names people reach for.
Slovenia. Lebanon. Portugal. Norfolk. The Douro.
And countless smaller wine regions across Europe and beyond.
Part of what we do at Wineslut is find bottles that give you the opportunity to try something you might not have picked yourself.
You don't need to know the region beforehand.
That's what discovery is for.
7. Buy from a wine merchant that actually knows its wines
An online wine shop can have hundreds or thousands of products.
That doesn't necessarily make it better.
In fact, a huge catalogue can sometimes make choosing harder.
The more useful question is:
Who chose these wines?
At Wineslut, we're interested in building a range rather than simply filling a website.
We look for wines with quality, character and a story worth telling.
That means you don't have to spend hours trying to work out whether a bottle is worth buying.
We've already done some of that work for you.
You don't need to be a wine expert
This is probably the most important thing we'd tell anyone buying wine online.
You don't need to understand every grape.
You don't need to know every appellation.
You don't need to know what terroir means before you buy a bottle.
And you certainly don't need to pretend you can smell seventeen different things in your glass.
Wine is there to be enjoyed.
If you like a bottle, you like it.
That's enough.
The job of a good wine merchant isn't to make you feel like you need a qualification before you can buy something.
It's to make finding something good easier.
So how should you choose your next bottle?
WANT SOMETHING FAMILIAR?
Start with a grape or region you already enjoy.
WANT TO DISCOVER SOMETHING?
Try a producer or region you've never heard of.
WANT SOMETHING FOR DINNER?
Start with the food.
WANT SOMETHING SPECIAL?
Spend a little more and look for a producer with a story worth knowing.
COMPLETELY STUCK?
Start with one bottle.
You don't need to buy a case.
You don't need to commit to six bottles you've never tried.
Pick something that catches your eye.
Open it.
See what you think.
If you love it, you've found something worth coming back for.
Why Wineslut?
We started Wineslut because we think buying good wine should be more interesting and less intimidating.
We work with independent producers and seek out bottles with character rather than simply filling the shop with the names you're already familiar with.
Some will become firm favourites.
Others might surprise you.
That's the point.
Good wine. No nonsense.
Wineslut
For the love of good.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is premium wine?
Premium wine generally refers to wines positioned above everyday commercial wines, but there is no single price or definition that makes a wine premium. Quality, producer, provenance, winemaking and overall character can all be important.
Is expensive wine always better?
No. Price doesn't guarantee quality. A well-made wine from a lesser-known producer can offer excellent quality and character without carrying the price of a famous name.
Where can I buy premium wine online in the UK?
Look for an independent wine merchant that explains where its wines come from, who produces them and why they have been selected. Wineslut specialises in wines from independent producers and offers individual bottles as well as larger purchases.
What should I look for when buying wine online?
Consider the producer, region, grape variety, style, price and what you intend to eat with the wine. If you're unsure, start with a recommendation from a specialist wine merchant.
Can I buy just one bottle of premium wine?
Yes. You don't have to commit to a case to discover a new wine. At Wineslut, you can buy individual bottles, making it easier to try something new before ordering more.