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De Negoce Review and De Negoce Referral Code!

This De Negoce review shares our experience with this private label from well-known negociant Cameron Hughes (Negociant? Think “negotiator,” a wine merchant/) TL;DR – so far, we’re very happy with the quality, value and customer service, if you’re willing to sacrifice the “prestige label.” (Scroll down for a De Negoce referral code for $25 off first purchase).

Why a De Negoce review?

There are many discount wine sellers (see our short summary page), but, in our experience, you’re often still “paying for the label” (i.e. paying a premium for the fame-factor of the winery).  We decided to try a private label, and ran across De Negoce, (pronounced “duh nuh gos,” roughly), a negociant label from Cameron Hughes.

What is De Negoce?

Cameron Hughes is the mastermind behind the concept. Having made a name for himself as a negociant with 20 years experience, he began a private label, Cameron Hughes wine, for unbottled, surplus wines from well-known wineries. He did have to sell the Cameron Hughes private label brand (yes, Cameron Hughes wines is no longer owned by Cameron Hughes), and he’s refined the concept at De Negoce wines.

The “tweak” he added, (which helps with the business’ cash flow) is adding a “futures” model – for new bottlings,  the customer pays for the wine before it’s bottled. Pre-subscribing the bottling allows De Negoce to offer huge discounts for those jumping in first. However,  the discount comes with  many unknowns, including:

  • purchasers are relying entirely on the credibility of the bottler (in this case, Cameron Hughes) for a fair representation of the wine’s potential and value. Because of important non-disclosure requirements from the winery, only general descriptors – year, AVA, varietal(s), sometimes vineyard – can be disclosed, along with subjective tasting notes.
  • customers only have an approximate date for the bottling and shipping, and,
  • the wines do need to be laid down for weeks or months to settle (the “bottle shock” effect).

Our De Negoce review preliminary verdict

We are still relatively new to them, so this De Negoce review will be updated periodically, but, after maybe 10 purchases, we have been impressed with the value and quality of the wine. In fact, De Negoce has become our primary and preferred wines source! (We’re not people who care about the label 😉 )

We’ve cracked open some Cabernet Sauvignon’s and Syrah’s from regions and AVA’s we know fairly well (Napa 🙂 ), and, in our estimation, we’d expect the wine to retail at 3 times the price or more.  We’ve also experimented with some Australian wines – Cabernet Sauvignon’s from Barossa and Coonawarra, and have been really blown away by the quality and price – the Coonawarra was $13 a bottle and easily rivals a $50+ Napa Cab, in our opinion, and we’re drinking these without any aging! (We have been experimenting with various overnight decanting techniques – even just opening the bottle the night before makes a surprising difference!)

If nothing else, do sign up for their email list! One of favorite ways of purchasing has been through email special offers, such as a case of Sonoma (DryCreek) Cabernet Sauvignon at $12/bottle, with free shipping.  Honestly, damn good wine, and obviously the price makes it “every day” friendly!

It’s not without “misses,” though – we did have an Australian GSM which was a little too harsh, in our opinion. To be fair, aging in the bottle would likely even it out, but, we don’t have the luxury of cellaring wines. (Note: these are wines from the “bottle shop,” – individual bottles held in inventory after the initial “futures” sale and bottling.) We have ordered some wine on the “futures” program, at serious discounts, so we’ll see how that goes.

As mentioned previously, with a private label, revealing too much information about the source of the wine can be a “sue-able” offense, so you’re basing your buying decisions entirely on the year, varietal(s), AVA, and sometimes vineyard name, along with tasting notes.  That’s not a lot of information – no independent reviews or other independent source to rely on – so there is a “leap of faith” associated with the discount. However, with our purchases to date, we have found the tasting notes have been fair and relevant (as opposed to over-hyped and tortuous), and, it’s been a fun adventure.

We’re looking forward to more experiences with them, which of course we’ll share in a De Negoce review update.

De Negoce referral code for first time purchasers

Well, they’ve been monkeying with their referral program and it doesn’t appear to be working properly at this time. However, if you go directly to their website – DeNegoce.com – you should get an offer for 15% off your first purchase, not too bad for already discounted, really good quality wine!

 

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Wine.com review – Best in class for gifts

Wine.com review

With their “StewardShip” program – $59 annual fee for unlimited free shipping – and transparent shipping/delivery info, Wine.com leads the field for wine gifts. Our Wine.com review highlights what, in our experience, is this discount wine seller‘s edge in the competitive world of online wine sales. Click here for $30 off your first order Wine.com promo code! (Wine.com’s “Give $30, Get $30” referral program!)

Note: we are, frankly, perplexed by the number of extremely negative wine.com review posts. Wine.com has entirely met or exceeded our expectations. Looking at the content of some of the negative wine.com reviews, it seems many of them are rooted in shipping issues. Maybe we’ve just been lucky, but we have learned a lot about the potential pitfalls of wine shipping, which we will address later. T

here are also complaints about long wait times or lack of responsiveness by customer service. Our experience has been entirely positive – timely responses and satisfactory adjustments when needed. Obviously we hope your experience is five star, as ours has been, but, do take note of some our shipping comments if your relatively new to online wine purchasing.

The “TLDR” of our Wine.com review

Wine.com has an impressive inventory of wines and spirits, offered at good and sometimes great prices. With their StewardShip program, a $59 annual fee gets you free shipping on any size order nationwide, making ordering for special occasions or adult gift-giving affordable and easy. You can sort through their inventory by numerous filters, including ratings and percent savings on deals. Customer assistance – including product suggestions – is available via live chat, phone or email, and the site shows when to expect products to be shipped. Wine.com does not have the most aggressive pricing on the internet, but our comparative shopping experience is that their prices are good, and sometimes great for sale items.  With their “give $30/get $30” referral program, you can try them out with $30 off your first order with this link    (NOTE: Shipping is $15.95 for the 1st bottle and $2.15 for each additional bottle – about $40 for a case – if you’re not subscribed to the StewardShip program.)

They also offer a personalized wine shopper experience – the Picked by Wine.com personal sommelier curated wine club. (Picked by Wine.com review below)

The full version of our Wine.com review:

The Concept

Wine.com bills itself as “…the World’s Largest Wine Store.” Whether hype or fact, we’ve been impressed with the extensive inventory, and the broad spectrum of price points — from $10 to multiple thousands. When we’re searching for a wine, it’s a rare occurrence not to find it on their website, but obviously no business could stock every wine from every vineyard. (It’s our understanding they store and handle fulfillment from their own facilities,) Their pricing seems competitive with other online wine sellers, as well as brick and mortar retailers, such as Total Wine and More. With a special section for “Great Deals,” we continually explore and add to our list of favs. Their “$59 annual price for unlimited shipping” StewardShip program, makes wine gifts (and spirits) affordable and easy. (And here’s $30 off your first order with their “Give $30/Get$30” referral program.)

Features We Like

  • Wine Ratings. The “pro” ratings for the wine (if available) are easy to find, right under the wine title as you scroll. Wine.com has also added “customer reviews,” in addition to the pro ratings, with a consolidated customer score and number of reviews right under the pros numbers. (An aside, w)e find, for our palate, we’re more aligned with customer reviews than we are with the pros, and we’re looking forward to that customer database expanding.)
  • Search options and filters. Many kudos for the easy to use search filters! They start with a category of searches – varietal, region, discover, gifts and spirits. In particular the “discover” and “gifts” categories have a number of useful  suggestions for exploring, You can search by type of wine, country and/or region, deals, ratings, and curated lists, and then within those categories, filter again by price, savings, ratings, etc. Pretty cool!
  • “When will it be delivered?” transparency.  First site we’ve run across which tells you, while you’re shopping, when it can/will be shipped. For our experience, we’d rate Wine.com’s communication about processing and shipping as excellent. Some things to consider: 1) Wine is shipped via FedEx. Even with expedited shipping, the wine will end up in a truck which is not temperature controlled. In extreme heat or cold, the wine will degrade, significantly. If there is extreme heat or cold between or at the origin and/or destination, the shipment will be delayed, and the length of the delay will be unknown. 2) An adult signature is required at the destination. Period. Even when we’re home, we’ve missed deliveries – stepping outside at the wrong moment, taking a phone call and not hearing the door, etc. We now ship choose ship to a local pickup location, for ourselves and for gifts. The location is usually a nearby Walgreen’s, Safeway, etc., where it will be held (in a climate controlled environment) for 7 days, and picked up when convenient. It’s so much less stressful than spending a whole day trying to make sure not to miss the delivery!
  • Customer service. We’ve dealt with many wine clubs that are Monday-Friday email only customer service. In our experience Wine.com has really stepped up it’s customer service, from the shopping experience through delivery. Live chat is available for fifteen hours daily for general or wine specific questions and recommendations/ Plus, there are real live people who answer a phone, (other negative Wine.com review posts to the contrary, we’ve never had a problem getting through), and email is an option, too. (Note: the “live chat” screen is a big and obtrusive pop-up, but there is a minimize icon.)
  • No minimum, free shipping for a flat $59 annual fee. Shipping charges are a big deal, for the vendor and the customer. Many sites offer free shipping for case or dollar minimums, but what if you just want to try a bottle of something, or send a friend a couple of bottles as a gift? Wine.com’s solution is StewardShip, $59 annually, unlimited free standard shipping. ($15.95 for the first bottle, $2.15 per additional bottle without it.) For us, it’s the StewardShip program which differentiates Wine.com from many other excellent discount wine sellers. (Note: the program is an annual auto renew – don’t forget to turn it off in your account settings or call customer service if you choose to opt out.)
  • “Give $30/Get $30” referral program. A little extra incentive is always appreciated! 🙂 Wine.com’s “Give $30/Get $30” referral program offers new members $30 off your first order using this link (they do ask for an email and a consent for the referral program, but you do get the $30 Wine.com promo code immediately). We get a $30 credit when you use our code, and,  when you refer your friends, you’ll also be able to gift them a $30 Wine.com coupon and receive a $30 credit.

Personalized wine shopper – our Picked by Wine.com review

Well, mini-review 🙂 Wine.com recently began exploring the realm of personalized shopping experiences. If you’re familiar with and like online personal shopper programs such as Stitch Fix in the clothing arena, you’ll appreciate Wine.com’s “Picked” wine club. (There’s a limited time $50 promo code at that link – PICK50. You’re welcome!)

Pick a delivery schedule (from monthly up to every three months), a per bottle price range (as low as $15/bottle), choose reds, whites or mixed collections, answer a few questions about wine preference, and you’ll be assigned a real sommelier to select 6 wines for your first delivery (free shipping, of course). As you rate and comment on the wines, your personal somm gets to know your palate better, and future shipments will be more finely turned to your personal preferences, all delivered to your door. No more spending time glossy-eyed in front of the thousands of wine choices at your local liquor store!

We hope our Picked by Wine.com review is helpful. We do feel it’s a great concept for people interested in exploring new wines and simplifying the experience. (And, for a limited time they’re offering $50 off your first shipment – use code PICK50). Picked by Wine.com offers great flexibility – you can pause your delivery, change your mix of reds and whites, upgrade or downgrade price points – and, there’s a 100% satisfaction guarantee! (They will credit you for any bottle that misses the mark on your next order.) Of course you can cancel at any time.

Wine.com review summary

If you’ve read any of our other discount wine sellers reviews, you’ll note we usually find some aspects of the business “miss the mark.” Again, we’re perplexed by the many negative Wine.com reviews on the web, but, our only negative critique of Wine.com would be they don’t have the most aggressive pricing on the internet.  With the $59 annual fee for free unlimited shipping, easily sortable database, excellent customer service and product suggestions (in our experience), you might just find Wine.com replacing many trips to your brick and mortar retailer!

We’ve found all the discount wine sellers and online wine merchants we like fill a niche for us. For deals, we like Last Bottle (particularly during marathons – read our Last Bottle review here and save $10 on your first order)  We don’t use them as frequently,, but WTSO.com (Wines Till Sold Out) is worth checking out, too. For times we’re feeling adventuresome, we “roll the dice” with Underground Cellar – here’s our Underground Cellar review, and don’t forget to use our referral code to get $50 off your first order!

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Napa wine tasting, the smart way!

Napa wine tasting

Napa wine tasting is a “bucket list” trip for some, and an annual (or more often!) treat for others, for good reason! The Napa Valley is one of the most highly recognized appellations in the US. Only 4% of all California wine comes from the prestigious AVA – Napa wines are about 0.4% of the world’s wine production.

Premium pricing is, of course, a consequence of limited supply – not that the premium is due solely to restricted supply. Napa grapes are also prized because of the ideal soil and climate conditions for a number of grapes, most notably cabernet sauvignon. Its worldwide reputation also means the 400 wineries in Napa (many of them boutique) have become a destination for world wine enthusiasts.

Napa wine tasting

So, yes, Napa wine tasting and Napa wines are expensive, BUT, there’s a smart way to enjoy the Napa wine tasting experience, AND have more money to buy the wines you’ll be craving!/p>

We’re a big fan of wine passports, and in our experience, Priority Wine Pass is hands down the way to go.

Pays for itself in as little as 1 tasting in Napa! Pay only $49 for Priority Wine Pass when you use coupon code WINERY!

Wine passports are the smart way to enjoy Napa wine tasting!

Wine tastings in Napa are routinely $45, $50, $75 AND MORE per person. The math is pretty easy – whether it’s a two for one offer (order two tasting flights, pay for only one) or a complimentary tasting (yes, Priority Wine Pass has a number of wine partners offering a free Napa wine tasting – check the website for current offers, some are limited time or seasonal only!) the math is easy!

Use coupon code WINERY on the Priority Wine Pass site for $20 off at checkout, and pay only $49 for one year of wine tasting! At $45 and up for a Napa wine tasting, you’ll pay for the pass the first time you use it! And, Priority Wine Pass has almost 400 winery partners, all across California, Oregon and Washington wine regions!

(New to wine passport programs? We have a couple more general posts – What’s a wine passport?  or, Confused about wine passports?)

Learn more about why we love Priority Wine Pass!

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Nov 2023 – Underground Cellar Review – Bankruptcy, Action Required

Underground Cellar Review

Underground Cellar Shut down, Underground Cellar Bankruptcy

Very sad news for all customers with inventory being held by Underground Cellar – after 10 years of operation, they ceased operations April 24, 2023 and have filed for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. We were customers for five years and suffered through their many operational issues, but were particularly shocked as things seemed to have been going smoothly on the customer side for the last year or more.

VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE – ACTION REQUIRED!!!

The short story – customers can elect to pay fees (21% of the amount you paid) plus shipping (full retail – $35/case local up to $100/case east coast) and have their wine delivered, but you must act by December 8th! LastCallCapital.shop is handling the distribution to customers – log on ASAP if you are interested!

Background –

Briefly, a lender claimed the customer-purchased inventory had been pledged as collateral, and was fighting to claim it all. Some customers formed a group and hired an attorney, and both sides decided it was better to agree to “split the baby” themselves rather than risk the bankruptcy judge ruling against them and ending up with nothing. So, yes, it is galling paying an additional 21% of what you paid (and if you pay by credit card, you pay the 3% credit card fee), and the shipping fees are full on retail, but if you have some good buys, you might want to consider it.

Bummer being in the crosswinds, but lesson learned (again), take custody of what your purchase!

(Updated March 2022)

Enjoy gaming experiences, but wondering, is Underground Cellar legit? Check out this Underground Cellar review, based on our 4 years experience. Their business model is a basic one – purchasing select inventories of close-out wines.  The “unique selling proposition?” Continue reading “Nov 2023 – Underground Cellar Review – Bankruptcy, Action Required”