Just when I was about to give up on Labor Day wine sales, this message arrived:
“Up to 80% off on 250+ wines”
Well, not all wines are 80% off, but there were many excellent deals. The big surprise was wines under $10, but I found many to like for under $20.
The winner is www.wineExpress.com
Here are are my choices for best deals:
2020 Barossa Valley Shiraz $7.47
2020 Château Suau Rose, Bordeaux $7.47
2 from Lodi:
2019 Judd’s Hill Zinfandel $15.47
2018 Berghad Cabernet Sauvignon $13.47
2 Oregon Pinot Noir:
2018 Lazy River Yamhill Carlton, $17.47
2018 Belle Fiori, Rogue Valley $10.47
2 Best Reds:
2019 Chateau Bourdieu, Bordeaux $12.47
2019 McBride Sisters Central Coast $14.47
Browse the list to find those you prefer. Many big names with big price tags are included.
Shipping is free on any 12 bottle order.
My Overview of wineExpress.com
wineExpress.com tries to balance “value and service” which suggests it is neither a giant warehouse nor a down-and-dirty discount site. It is the exclusive online wine shop partner of The Wine Enthusiast catalog and website. So it is well-financed and has an excellent facility for storage and shipping.
It really leads the online field in big-named wines like Gaja, Dominus, Sassicaia, Shafer, Caymus Special Select, and, yes Perrier-Jouet and Dom…all slightly discounted with the Sassicaia 25% below retail.
The site works through the usual sorting procedures with click on searches by variety, price and region. It also offers several wine club options and gift packages.
But, and this is interesting. It also sorts the Labor Day list by “Woman Owned” and “Minority Owned.”
One special touch is a series of videos taking you through tastings that are conducted by Josh Farrell, its Wine Director.
He often runs through the daily wine special which can then be purchased. He is one excellent swirler, BTW, and he encourages decanting and/or aerating young wine.
You can learn a lot about judging wine by watching a few of his videos.
And throughout the year this site continues to offer several good value wines under $20.