It was in an Australian Tourism Commission television advertisement that we first heard the phrase“I’ll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you” which was made famous by Paul Hogan, the Crocodile Dundee actor. This phrase suggests that Australians are a fun-loving group of people who know how to throw a good barbeque party. I have heard it said that Americans live to work, but Australians work to live. I can’t argue with that because I have to admit that I myself love that work-life balance that we have perfected in Australia. A true barbeque king or queen knows that the secret ingredient to a good Australian barbeque party is good wine.
One popular type of wine is the Australian Shiraz, which is made from red grapes grown in Australia. The Shiraz is grown in many regions throughout Australia from cooler climate to warmer climate. The cooler climate Shiraz variety is more medium-bodied and spicy; whereas those from the warmer climate are more full-bodied, rich-flavoured and textured. With a popular and successful wine like the Australian Shiraz, it can be somewhat of a challenge to know what is available on the market and how each wine compares in taste and value. That’s why one stop shops like online wine stores are so handy.
Reasons to buy wine online in Australia:
- Online shopping allows you to shop from the comfort of your own home; plus have your wine order delivered to your doorstep, which means you never have to set foot outside of the house. Some online wine stores will even deliver free-or-charge if a certain amount is ordered. All you need is a computer and Internet access. This form of easily accessible and convenient shopping means that customers who cannot get to a wine store (for instance, someone without transportation) or those who do not have the time (for instance, someone who works long hours) can still browse and compare the various types of wine in their own time at any time of the day. Online wine stores usually operate from a warehouse, so they would have a much bigger range of wine under one roof than a retail store.
- Online wine stores deliver within Australia and around the world, overseas customers can still enjoy world-class Australian wine without having to leave their shores. These online wine stores usually have someone available online or on the phone every day who can answer customer enquiries from around the world. Purchasing wine from online wine stores is safe and secure because they use SSL technology which ensures that data passed between the web server and browsers are encrypted; thus making them private. If for whatever reason customers aren’t happy with their purchase, most online wine stores also provide a 100% money back guarantee.
- Online wine stores specialize in all sorts of wine from Australian wines to imported wines, including spirits and liqueurs, they hire professional wine tasters to taste and rate the wine they sell. This makes choosing the right wine a little easier for customers because there are over 14,000 wine labels on the Australian market alone!For example, one particular wine evaluation system uses a method that rates the attributes of wine according to sight (colour, viscosity, brilliance and depth); nose (aroma, faults, variety and intensity); palate (complexity, concentration, fruit and length); and finish (aftertaste, balance, tannin/phenolics and acid). The wine is also compared to other wines of its type and given a value for money rating (e.g. 5-stars for “exceptional value for money” and 1-star for “best avoided”).
- Buying Australian wine helps support Australian crops and Australian businesses, create Australian jobs and therefore, keeps the money in Australia. With this year’s Hepatitis A health scare from imported fruits from China, it makes only more sense to buy Australian.
- Online wine stores are truly independent, they do not have a preferred supplier, nor are they obligated to promote inferior quality wines. Because of this, their wine tasting reviews include both positive and negative critiques.
Clearly, buying wine online is a win-win situation for the customer and the seller.Besides the five reasons above, online shopping is becoming the norm in retail shopping, so why not let your fingers do the shopping the next time you have to purchase some Australian wine for that barbeque party?