Enobytes Wine Blog

Normally, I don’t buy wine online except for those rare occasions when I can’t find something in my local area. That’s when I head over to a reputable online wine store like K&L. On a recent visit to the site, I found a new service, “Personal Sommelier” which may change my buying habits. Although I don’t normally write about wine merchants, I thought this service deserved special attention and recognition.

Essentially, it’s a wine club but they’ve revolutionized the business subscription model by offering an extremely customizable service to fit your needs and your budget. Unlike most wine clubs, you are in control of what shows up at your doorstep. It works by setting up a "subscription", which allows you to select the regions, grape varieties, price range and number of

bottles per month. You can even create multiple subscriptions to match your buying preferences. For example, you could set up one subscription for Pinot noir from California, Oregon and Burgundy for $30 to $50 per bottle, and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Loire Valley and Bordeaux for $10 to $20 per bottle.

Once a subscription is set up, K&L matches your options with their inventory and then they hand-select the wine they personally endorse. Another personal touch – they won’t send you wines you’ve already purchased in the past within your K&L account; and if you want to save on shipping charges, you have the option of picking up your order at one of K&L’s California retail locations.

Of note, K&L is definitely one of my first stops when it comes to online buying. Their storefront is well organized and easy to navigate and you’ll love the copious amount of information they provide about each wine including detailed sub-region and appellation descriptions and real-time inventory counts.

Hands down, K&L offers competitive pricing, comprehensive selections and unique services; pair this with their ability to continuously reinvent their business model and they will continue to lead the way in online wine storefronts.