A GROWN-UP SELECTION BOX

It’s tempting to go for the convenience of a mixed dozen of wines delivered to your door. Yet for quality and consistency, you’re better off buying 12 at your local store ... or using our selection as a guide.

There is an increasing number of wine businesses offering a monthly delivery service of wines direct to your door. Typically, a mixed dozen is delivered and, depending on your preference for white or red, sparkling or not, the appeal for many is the convenience and often the average price per bottle. There’s the mystery and surprise of what brands will be included when the box is opened as well.

I recently received a glossy flyer in the mail advertising a mixed dozen with $8.95 a bottle average price, delivered. True, $8.95 is an excellent price for those looking to pay under $10 a bottle, and to have it delivered as well is a bargain. It made me wonder, though, what the quality of these wines is and if that quality is consistent for every wine in the box.

In reading through the brochure it was clear there were zero brands I recognised and the label art along with the branding left me wondering who could produce wine at these prices and still make margin. Buyer beware.

You can take the alternative approach – building a mixed dozen of your own, where quality and range is guaranteed – by visiting your favourite wine retailer and having them walk you through the options. Even better, scan this month’s mixed dozen wines, take an image of the wines you are intrigued by and take this to the shop with you. More and more liquor retailers are using tasting notes from respected wine critics to describe the flavour and texture profiles of wine for you, plus if you use your research skills, all the answers about brand and quality are seconds away.