How to save money when you’re buying wine
Are you a wine lover? Here are six of my best tips to help you save when you’re buying your favourite tipple. Stock up!
1. Buy in bulk
Most retailers will give you a discount when you buy a case (twelve 750ml bottles, or nine litres total) rather than individual bottles, so bulk buying can net you big savings. This way you’re less likely to run out of your favourite wine, plus there are fewer trips to the shop which can save on transport. Buying a certain number of bottles or reaching a minimum spend can get you free delivery in many online shops so that’s something to look for too.
If you like to try lots of different flavours rather than always sticking to the same thing, look out for a mixed case to get some variety into your wine rack. A mixed case also means you’ll have a wine in stock for just about every occasion and to complement most meals, as well as having the chance to find new favourites.
2. Join a club or sign up with an online retailer
When you sign up to shop for the first time, many wine clubs and online shops offer a hefty new customer discount or other introductory freebies such as extra bottles, corkscrews or quality wine glasses. It’s your chance to audition them, but do remember read the small print if you’re considering wine clubs in case you’re committing to further purchases.
3. Look out for other discounts
It’s worth signing up for regular emails and newsletters from your favourite wine merchants to keep up to date with their latest offers, discount codes, loyalty points and bonuses. Some retailers have a refer-a-friend scheme where you and your mate can both benefit from store credit or price discounts. Rude Wines have several excellent offers at the moment, plus a full money back guarantee.
4. Consider buying sooner rather than later
At the time of writing, Brexit / Britain leaving the EU is still completely unresolved in Parliament and confusion reigns. Although some wine is produced in the UK, most of it is still imported and there could be trouble ahead with tariffs, the supply chain and warehousing costs. The consensus among financial journalists is that food and drink prices are likely to rise well above inflation so if you buy some wine now you’ll be able to lock in those lower prices.
5. Buy last year’s wine
‘Bin ends’ are always worth a look, and don’t be fooled by the name because it certainly doesn’t refer to the bargain bin. Wine sellers like to bring in new drinks for their customers wherever they can so they regularly clear out older stock from their warehouses at cut prices. Some years are better than others for wine growers and some of those remaining bottles might even be a better vintage than the new batch, plus many wines improve with age so with a little research you could end up with an absolute steal.
You can find bin end cases all year round, but extra offers may appear after New Year and also around September and October to coincide with new season shipments arriving.
6. Think ‘value’ rather than ‘lowest price’
Keep a note of your favourite types of wine, including grape varieties, brand names and regions, and buy the wines that you love the most. If in doubt, look for professional tasting notes and read online customer reviews. It’s often better to buy a quality wine and drink less of it, which can bring down your total spend.
Full disclosure: Sponsored post created in collaboration with Rude Wines. All words and opinions my own.
