Online Wine Sales Deliver a Personalized Experience, Shifting Industry Trends

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 17, 2008 -- Specializing in the sale and purchase of California's finest limited production wines, Brix26 (www.BRIX26.com) reports online wine retailers are finding creative solutions to overcome traditional obstacles. In the past several years, wine specific e-commerce has confronted a handful of difficult challenges, sinking the efforts of even the most established online retailers. One of the most arduous hurdles facing the industry is the notion that buying wine is an experience that can only be garnered through carefully crafted relationships, referrals and personal service on a local level. How can this possibly be achieved over the internet?

"If done right, purchasing wine online can be even more customized than your corner wine shop," says Peter Langenstein, founder of BRIX26.com. Langenstein notes the transition of retail trends as the online wine industry continues to evolve with technology.

"Customers are now realizing it's absolutely possible to receive a personalized wine-buying experience via the web," he says. "BRIX26 aims to remotely offer consumers the trusted relationship they typically find in their local wine shop, despite the fact the sale may be made thousands of miles away."

BRIX26.com is best known in the wine world for offering extensive, personalized support to loyal clients. San Francisco 7x7 Magazine recently named the web-based BRIX26 "Best Personalized Wine Service" as opposed to recognizing an established neighborhood market. Much like replicating the experience of selecting a bottle at a wine shop, Langenstein provides specialized consulting, expertly chosen cases or individual bottles based on personal preferences, as well as hand-written tasting notes--all with the benefit of instant accessibility over the web. From time to time, Langenstein has even been known to offer outgoing advice to clients via blackberry while they are dining out! "Wine on the web offers ease and convenience that you can't duplicate. Why load cases into the car or schlep boxes up the stairs when you can have front door delivery?" says Langenstein.

According to Langenstein, even individual wineries are becoming more inclined to sell their brands online. "In the past, wineries were most interested in direct sales and getting their wines into the top restaurants," he says. "Now individual wineries are beginning to recognize the immense benefits of placing their product for sale on the web with companies such as BRIX26. We're providing them with instant access to an entire database of customers that they may never have reached--placing their small production bottles in the hands of top collectors and wine enthusiasts throughout the country."

Langenstein also claims that even traditional measures for brand reach are becoming less effective and outdated with the growth of online wine sales. "We've discovered independent wineries are beginning to achieve higher sales percentages with e-commerce efforts, versus using out-of-state distributors," he says. "By featuring their product, we're providing the most personalized and tailored sales experience, directly hitting their target consumer. Their product isn't getting lost in a sea of other labels."

The name BRIX26 comes from the word "brix"--a measure of sugar level in grapes, and the number "26"--the "perfect ripeness", which falls between 25 and 27 for California's finest Cabernet. In addition to specialized consulting, expertly chosen mixed "boutique" cases and individual bottles, BRIX26 also offers clients the option of joining "The Insider's Wine Club". Using their connections to only the best small-production family wineries, Brix26 ships the latest discoveries directly to your home or business each month as a member of this premium tasting experience. Brix26 frequently obtains access to select wines that are produced in such limited quantities, that customers receive exclusive offers to purchase wines that can't be found for sale anywhere else. For more information please visit BRIX26.com (http://www.BRIX26.com).

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