Whether you’re hunting for a natural wine or an old-school California Cabernet, one of these sites is bound to have your back every time.
As someone who carefully researches a neighborhood's brick-and-mortar bookstores, florists, and grocery stores before signing any lease, I'm honestly surprised by how much I enjoy scrolling through a good online wine shop. Sure, I'm trading what I consider to be a genuinely enjoyable experience of chatting with my local helpful wine merchant for the pure comfort of my sweatpants, but there's also something to be said about the opportunity to research a region, varietal, producer, or even importer on my own time, on my own couch. Plus, I'm still able to support small producers and, in many cases, small wine shops themselves.
While I'm fortunate enough to live in walking distance of several wine shops whose selection I love and advice I trust, I have several friends who haven't quite found that spot in their cities yet—or they're daunted by the prospect of donning hard pants to venture out into the world and ask semi-intelligent questions about what pairs best with, say, savory oatmeal (no, just me?). In those cases, I point them towards the following sites.
Plonk Wine
Decision fatigue is a real risk of online wine shopping, which is why sometimes, it's worth handing the reins over to someone else. Plonk's three wine clubs—focusing on white, red, or mixed bottles—are designed to showcase some of the newest offerings from small, biodynamic producers without forcing you to do the discovery legwork.