AmericanWinery.com Buyer’s Guide FAQ
AmericanWinery.com offers an online shopping service that facilitates the purchase of wines directly from the winery of your choice. We’re dedicated to providing you with extraordinary customer service and are here to answer any questions you may have. To that end, we’ve created this list of frequently asked questions. Need more help? Please email us at customersupport@americanwinery.com
- How can I reach customer service?
- Can I order from multiple wineries at one time?
- Is this a secure site?
- What forms of payment do you accept?
- Do you charge sales tax?
- Does AmericanWinery.com ship my order?
- Where will my order ship from?
- Can you ship to my location?
- Can you ship to a P.O. box?
- Must I be present to sign for the delivery of my wines?
- Does AmericanWinery.com offer Expedited Shipping?
- How much does shipping cost?
- How do I track my order?
- When will I receive my order?
- What if the wine I purchase is out of stock?
- Can I return my order?
- Can I cancel my order?
- Who do I contact if there is a problem with my order?
- What type of packaging will my wine arrive in?
- What are weather holds and why is my order on hold?
- Why are some items from my order on weather hold while others are being fulfilled right away?
- How long will my order be on hold?
- When do I find out that my order has been placed on a weather hold?
- My order has been placed on weather hold, and I’d like to receive my purchase as soon as possible. What are my options?
- How much does expedited shipping cost?
- What does the Expedited Shipping Fee cover?
- Can I override a weather hold?
- How can I track the status of an order placed on weather hold?
- Are you a Winery? Click Here
Q: How can I reach customer service? Top
A: Please email us at customersupport@americanwinery.com. You can even reach real people by calling us at 888-ENOLOGY, 9-5 Monday through Friday Pacific Standard Time
Q: Can I order from multiple wineries at one time? Top
A: Absolutely. The best part of ordering through AmericanWinery.com is that you are able to buy many great wines from different producers across the United States. With one credit card transaction you can buy wine directly from multiple wineries, giving you convenience and saving you time. If you order from multiple wineries you will receive a separate shipment from each winery that you order from.
Q: Is this a secure site? Top
A: AmericanWinery.com is a secure site. We respect your privacy and consider security an extremely important issue. We will never share your personal information with outside parties, our site uses Verisign SSL 256 bit encryption technology and we do not store credit card information on our web server. We are an affiliate member, recognized by the following groups:
- The Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org)
- Verisign (http://www.verisign.com/index.html)
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Q: What forms of payment do you accept? Top
A: We accept debit and credit cards including Visa, American Express, Discover, and MasterCard.
Q: Do you charge sales tax? Top
A: All orders are fulfilled directly from the wineries. State sales taxes will vary depending on your billing location and the wineries from which you order wines.
Q: Does AmericanWinery.com ship my order? Top
A: Wine purchased through AmericanWinery.com is shipped from each winery. Our service facilitates the purchase of wine from the wineries listed on our site, and orders are drop shipped from each winery directly to the buyer. AmericanWinery.com does not stock any wine at our location, nor do we hold wines that are purchased through our site. AmericanWinery.com will administrate order processing and manage your account on behalf of our winery partners.
Q: Where will my order ship from? Top
A: All orders are shipped from the winery’s location or their storage and fulfillment facilities. These locations vary depending on the winery you select. If you place an order that includes wine from several different wineries, your wine will arrive in separate shipments from each winery you purchase from. Shipping charges are also calculated on a per winery basis. (see “How much does shipping cost?”)
Q: Can you ship to my location? Top
A: Due to various state laws, some wineries are restricted from shipping wine directly to some states. You can determine if a winery can ship to your state by looking at the states listed when attempting to purchase a specific wine. You can also search for available wines that ship to your location by utilizing our innovating Search and Browse too. Please note these laws are changing frequently; so checking back with us for state shipping status is recommended. We cannot ship outside of the U.S., to U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico, or to Military and A.P.O. addresses. Check out FreeTheGrapes.org to learn more about unfair state shipping regulations and what you can do if your state doesn’t accept direct shipping from America’s wine producers.
Q: Can you ship to a P.O. box? Top
A: We cannot facilitate shipment to P.O. boxes. An adult, 21 years or older, must be present to sign for each shipment; UPS, FedEx, and DHL do require proper identification. To avoid unnecessary delays and complications during transit and delivery, we suggest that you use your business address, or make arrangements for an adult to be present at the delivery location.
Q: Must I be present to sign for the delivery of my wines? Top
A: To prevent minors from buying or accepting alcohol purchases, an adult, 21 years or older, must be present to sign for each shipment; UPS, FedEx and DHL do require proper identification. This person may be an adult besides yourself, but they must be 21 or older with an acceptable form of ID present at time of delivery. UPS, FedEx, and DHL will not deliver to adults who are visibly intoxicated at the time of delivery in accordance with Federal law. To avoid unnecessary delays and complications during transit and delivery, we suggest that you use your business address, or make arrangements for a legal adult to be present at the delivery location. If after several delivery attempts the shipper returns the package to the winery, you will be responsible for the initial shipping fees. Should this occur, we will contact you and you can either cancel the order and receive a refund for your order less the initial shipping fees, or pay for a second shipment. If you have placed an order and are unable to have an adult present at the time of delivery, please call 888-ENOLOGY (888-366-5649) to speak with a representative. In some cases we may be able to change the shipping address if the order is not in the final stages of fulfillment.
Q: Does AmericanWinery.com offer Expedited Shipping? Top
A: AmericanWinery.com offers either Standard or Expedited Shipping on all orders placed on the site. Standard Shipping covers ground service by either UPS, FedEx, or DHL as chosen by the Winery at the time of shipment. Expedited Shipping in most cases covers 2-day Air or Overnight Delivery as chosen by the winery at the time of shipment.
Q: How much does shipping cost? Top
A: AmericanWinery.com has simplified shipping costs for wine buyers by adopting a universal shipping fee schedule. Shipping fees are calculated based on the number of bottles bought from one winery. AmericanWinery.com does not have the ability to put wine from two different wineries into the same shipment because wine is shipped from each winery. Shipping Fees are determined as follows:
STANDARD SHIPPING:
1-3 bottles per winery $15
4-6 bottles per winery $20
7-12 bottles per winery $25
$2 for every additional bottle after 12 bottles from the same winery.
EXPEDITED SHIPPING
1-3 bottles per winery $45
4-6 bottles per winery $55
7-12 bottles per winery $65
$4 for every additional bottle after 12 bottles from the same winery
$2 for every additional bottle after 12 bottles from the same winery.
Example of how shipping charges are calculated:
If you order six bottles from one winery, and three bottles from another, your shipping would be calculated as follows: six bottles from winery A = $20, three bottles from winery B = $15, your total shipping charges would equal $35.
However, if you ordered nine bottles from one winery your shipping would only cost $25.
Q: How do I track my order? Top
A: You can check your order status by logging in to your account and going to your Members Area. Your orders will be shown on the left hand side of the page; you can click on each one to view its status. We will also send you email updates when the status of your order changes. You will receive email notifications of tracking updates when each portion of your order ships.
Q: When will I receive my order? Top
A: Unless there is a shipping advisory, our partner wineries agree to ship your order within two days of the date of purchase. If lack of inventory or other administrative reasons prevent a winery from shipping your order within the fourth business day it will be considered canceled and you will receive a full refund. As soon as an order is shipped, we pass the tracking information on to you. For orders shipped via Standard Shipping, our winery partners ship via UPS, FedEx, or DHL ground, depending on their preference. Expedited Shipping in most cases covers 2-day Air or Overnight Delivery as chosen by the winery at the time of shipment. Click below to see information on ground shipping by either UPS, FedEx, or DHL.
Q: What if the wine I purchase is out of stock? Top
A: We work closely with our winery partners to assure information is accurate and up-to-date. If a winery is unable to complete a shipment or wine becomes out of stock during the order-processing period, AmericanWinery.com customer service representatives will contact you right away. You may order substitute wines at a discounted price or cancel the order and receive a full refund. Because AmericanWinery.com does not control the inventory of any wine listed on our site we cannot guarantee its availability.
Q: Can I return my order? Top
A: Just as with any wine retailer, we cannot accept returns for customer remorse. Many of our wines are rated or reviewed and have detailed wine maker notes to provide you with as much information as possible to make an informed buying decision. We think half the fun of buying wines is to discover new ones! At AmericanWinery.com you’ll find wines that you love and wines that you love a little less, but hopefully all the wines you try will expand your palette and wine appreciation. Of course, should there be a problem with any order including shipping and fulfillment errors, or defective bottles (corked wine) we will resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Please email our customer service team at customersupport@americanwinery.com or call us at 888-ENOLOGY within fifteen days of purchase.
Q: Can I cancel my order? Top
A: Our partner wineries will fulfill each order as quickly as possible, usually within two business days. However, if for any reason you need to attempt to cancel your order please email customersupport@americanwinery.com with your inquiry or call 888-ENOLOGY as soon as possible. If you refuse a shipment you will be charged initial shipping fees, a restocking fee, and the refund process may take up to three weeks.
Q: Whom do I contact if there is a problem with my order? Top
A: If you experience any problem with your order, we will contact the winery for you and represent your issues to them personally. Please email us at customersupport@americanwinery.com or call us at 888-ENOLOGY, and include your order number. We will do our best to have an answer or proposed solution to the problem within 1 business day.
Q: What type of packaging will my wine arrive in? Top
A: Because individual wineries package and ship your wine, your wine will arrive in boxes and packaging that the winery uses for all other shipments. We ask that our winery partners use industry standard packaging to protect wine in shipment. If you believe your wine was shipped in unsatisfactory materials, please let us know by emailing us at customersupport@americanwinery.com.
Q: What are weather holds and why is my order on hold? Top
A: AmericanWinery.com and our partner wineries are dedicated to providing you with an exceptional shopping and purchasing experience, and our partner wineries make concerted efforts to ensure the integrity of your wine from the winery’s estate or shipping facility to your door. Because extreme temperatures may compromise the integrity of wine, our partner wineries may elect to place a “weather hold” on any ground shipments during the summer and winter months. If your order has been placed on weather hold, the winery will hold the shipment until conditions improve and it is safe to ship your wine. AmericanWinery.com and our partner wineries do apologize for these necessary but unfortunate delays.
Q: Why are some items from my order on weather hold while others are being fulfilled right away? Top
A: AmericanWinery.com does not stock any wine at our location, nor do we hold wines that are purchased through our site. Our partner wineries reside in various locations throughout the United States, so it is possible for part of your order to be placed on hold while other parts of your order are fulfilled. Even if temperatures where you reside are cool, our winery clients must also consider the route ground shipments may travel and the temperatures along the way.
Q: How long will my order be on hold? Top
A: If a winery chooses to place a weather hold on your order, it could take up to 4 weeks for your wine to ship. Orders placed on weather hold can be held for up to 28 days while the winery waits for conditions to improve.
Q: When do I find out that my order has been placed on a weather hold? Top
A: If any portion of your order is placed on Weather Hold, an AmericanWinery.com representative will contact you right away to notify you of the hold and inform you of your options.
Q: My order has been placed on weather hold, and I’d like to receive my purchase as soon as possible. What are my options? Top
A: If you have selected Standard Shipping for any portion of your order, and the winery elects to place a weather hold on the wine, you may opt to upgrade to Expedited Shipping for an additional shipping fee. We recommend upgrading to Expedited Shipping if you would like to receive your purchase in the most timely manner.
Q: How much does expedited shipping cost? Top
A: AmericanWinery.com has simplified shipping costs for wine buyers by adopting a universal shipping fee schedule. Shipping fees are calculated based on the number of bottles bought from one winery.
- Expedited Shipping Prices
- 1-3 bottles $45
- 4-6 bottles $55
- 7-12 bottles $65
$4 for every additional bottle after 12 bottles from same winery.
Q: What does the Expedited Shipping Fee cover? Top
A: In most cases, the Expedited Shipping Fee covers 2-day air or Overnight Delivery of your shipment, depending on the winery’s preference with respect to weather and travel distance. Depending on the date and time your order is placed, Expedited Shipments may take up to 7 business days to ship.
Q: Can I override a weather hold? Top
A: In rare circumstances, you may elect to override a weather hold. If you choose to override a Weather Hold, AmericanWinery.com, its partner wineries and associated couriers are not responsible for any damage to your wine due to extreme temperatures, and will not replace damaged items at our expense.
Q: How can I track the status of an order placed on weather hold? Top
A: You can monitor the process of your order at any time by logging in to your Members Area and clicking the order number. You can also email your inquiry to customersupport@americanwinery.com, or talk to a real person by dialing 888-ENOLOGY.