12 places to buy wine online

No matter how many apps you have on your phone or how many books you've read, buying wine is never an easy process. With so many varietals and vineyards to choose from, it's hard to discover if you'd prefer a Cabernet Franc to Cabernet Sauvignon without taste-testing both. And even then, there are so many regions to choose from. Enter wine subscription clubs. See more: the best wine subscriptions.

The size, shape, construction, and style of a wine glass can dramatically alter how the wine will taste. Find the best overall wine glasses for everyday use and different types of wine in this guide. See more: the best wine glasses.

There's nothing like a glass of wine after a long day, but getting into the bottle can be a hassle without a good wine opener or corkscrew. To get that cork out as easily as possible, you should get the best one around. See more: the best wine openers and corkscrews.

Yes, Macy's delivers expertly selected wine to your door. You can buy by the bottle, or by selections of six or 12. You can also shop by alcohol percent, style, and price, among other filters.

You can get a lot of wine (15 bottles) for as little as $6 per bottle (plus free shipping), but it's worth noting that those deals are part of the Macy's wine club. Unless you cancel, you'll receive a new case every three months, and you'll be charged for it (and not at the special prices of your first shipment). However, there's no obligation to continue, and you'll get an email reminder before you're charged.

Shipping: Unless otherwise stated, shipping is $19.99 for your first case (up to 15 bottles) and $14.99 for any additional cases purchased within the same order. If you regularly shop from Macy's Wine Cellar, there's an option to pay $89 annually for unlimited free shipping on up to five different home addresses.

What to buy:

• The Perfect Spring Wines Case (12 bottles), $149.88
• Hacienda de Lluna Moscatel Rosado NV, $9.99
• Get to Know Cabernet Case (12 bottles), $169.88 *currently sold out

Like ReserveBar, Drizly offers other kinds of alcohol in addition to wine. Best of all, it delivers the exact wine you need in under an hour, and it doesn't mark up prices. Most of its 3,000+ wine offerings are affordable (less than $20) and nearly half of its stock is red wine.

Shipping: For one-hour delivery, the fee is $5 per order. In New York City, most stores offer delivery for free, but some areas may have increased fee zones and higher minimums based on your address.

For larger shipments, shipping fees can vary depending on the store you order from, but it will be a flat rate price. You'll see the final shipping cost in your cart when you check out.

What to buy:

• Check your local offerings here

FreshDirect is one of the best grocery delivery services in New York City. It has a limited delivery scope, but it carries pretty much everything (including beer, wine, and liquor) that you'd pick up at your local store. Like a regular store, it also runs weekly deals.

Shipping: Check eligibility via zip code. FreshDirect delivers to counties on the East Coast. There's a $30 minimum on orders, and there is a $5.99 delivery fee.

For a morning or early afternoon delivery (two-hour time slots), you must place your order by 6 p.m. the day before. For a late afternoon or evening delivery (two-hour time slots), you must place your order by 11 p.m. the day before.

Note: Due to the coronavirus, FreshDirect is experiencing increased demand. You may encounter delivery delays with your order.

What to buy:

• Check your local offerings here

Two MIT grads are behind the monthly wine club Bright Cellars, which sends four new wines each month for $80. The company has a competitive curation process — it says it only picks one out of every 12 wines it tries for the monthly collections and promises to show you hidden gems from vineyards in Italy, Spain, Portugal, South America, and more.

You'll get 50% off your first month of wine.

Shipping: Shipping is $8 per order. Bright Cellars ships to the US and you should receive your order in about seven business days.

Note: Due to the coronavirus, Bright Cellars is experiencing increased demand. You may encounter delivery delays and limited product selection with your order.

What to buy:

• Wine picks depend on your quiz results. There is no store where you can buy individual wines.

When you first sign up for Firstleaf, you'll get six bottles of wine for just $40. Afterward, you'll be automatically subscribed to get another six bottles for $90. Firstleaf prides itself on its custom algorithm that predicts which one of its many award-winning wine options you'll like, and if you don't like a bottle, you'll get a refund. Outside of the subscription, you can also buy individual bottles from its store.

Shipping: Shipping is always $9.95 per order and takes about 2-5 days to arrive. Firstleaf ships to all states in the US except Alaska, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Note: Due to the coronavirus, Firstleaf is experiencing increased demand. You may encounter delivery delays with your order.

What to buy:

• Award-Winning Bundle, $79.95
• 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Devil's Advocate, $17.99
• 2017 Pinot Noir Bodewell, $31.99

California-based winery Winc, which was co-founded by sommelier Brian Smith, uses an online Palate Profile, along with your own ratings, to recommend and ship wines tailored to your tastes. The wines, which come from winemakers all over the world as well as Winc's own vineyard, start at $13 a bottle. There's no fee or commitment to join, and you can skip a month's shipment any time you want.

You can get $20 off if you buy four or more bottles right now.

Shipping: Member shipping is $9 if you order three or fewer bottles, and free if you order four or more bottles. Non-member shipping is $15 per order. Shipping typically takes 3-7 business days, but Winc is currently experiencing delays of 5+ business days.

Note: Due to the coronavirus, Winc is experiencing increased demand. You may encounter delivery delays with your order.

What to buy:

• 2018 Folly of the Beast John Sebastiano Vineyard Pinot Noir, $39.99
• 2018 Finke's Sparkling Chardonnay, $17.99
• 2018 Rabble Rosé, $15.99

Dry Farm Wines' focus is on sustainably grown, natural wines. That means they're free of additives and sugar, they have lower alcohol content, and they're lab-tested for purity. According to Dry Farm, the government approves of the use of 76 additives, and since wine bottles are not required to have contents labels, you don't get the full picture of what you're drinking. The company imports all of its natural wines from small family farmers around the world, but mostly from Europe.

Shipping: All ground shipping is free, while expedited shipping has a small fee. Dry Farm Wines only ships to the US, but it does offer helpful advice for how to find natural wines if you're located elsewhere.

It takes 3-6 business days for orders to arrive on the West Coast, and 5-7 business days on the East Coast. Currently, delivery requires an ID check, but no signature.

What to buy:

• Friends of the Farm Wine & Social Club, $159
• The Rose Membership, $159

Vinebox immediately stands out for its unique vials of wine, which gives individual pours but still maintains the full flavor and mouthfeel of the wine. Every three months, Vinebox sends you a box of nine of these "glasses." They contain seasonal varieties, wines you should be drinking right now, and other fun picks. With each box, you'll also receive up to $30 in credits to buy the full-size versions.

Shipping: Shipping is free. Currently, Vinebox ships everywhere in the US except Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia. You can also ship to any UPS Store or FedEx Office location and pick up your box there.

What to buy:

• The Quarterly Wine Club, $79

NakedWines.com is like a "Shark Tank" for independent wines, and it has an "Angel" membership program that crowd-funds independent wine labels across the globe. Angel members get up to 60% off listed prices among other perks — just for depositing $40 a month into a wine "bank account" they can use whenever they want. NakedWines.com also gives out $100 vouchers often. You can get one just by taking a 30-second quiz on the site.

Shipping: NakedWines.com charges $10 in shipping fees for orders under $100. For orders $100 and more, delivery is free — except for Hawaii (+$70) and Alaska (+$130). Wines will be delivered Monday-Friday or Tuesday-Saturday during regular working hours, but make sure that there is someone over 21 years old who can sign for the package.

Note: Due to the coronavirus, NakedWines is experiencing increased demand. You may encounter delivery delays with your order. The delivery estimate for Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina is 6-10 business days, and 8-12 business days for everywhere else.

What to buy:

• The Goldilocks Case (12 bottles), $152.89
• Everyday Luxury Case (12 bottles), $170.89
• Passport to South Africa Case (6 bottles), $55.99

Wine Insiders is essentially an online wine store with both individual bottles and a lot of multi-pack options, including six-bottle cases based on themes like Thanksgiving, Halloween, judge favorites, and staff picks. There's also a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Shipping: $14.95 shipping on orders of five bottles or less, and free shipping on orders of six bottles or more. Currently, Wine Insiders ship to all states except Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah.

All shipments must be signed for by an adult over 21 years old, and packages can't be left on your doorstep or delivered to a PO box. Fees may apply if your wine returns to the company as undeliverable. If you work during the day, it's smart to send your box to either a convenient local pick-up location or your business address to ensure delivery.

Note: Due to the coronavirus, Wine Insiders is experiencing increased demand. You may encounter delivery delays with your order.

What to buy:

• Sophisticated Sommelier Picks 6-Pack, $96.94
• Treat Yourself 6-Pack, $79
• Award-Winning 6-Pack, $86.94

Wine.com boasts the world's largest online wine selection, plus the convenience of home delivery or pick-up from convenient local stores (like Walgreens) that may be open late or on weekends. It's a good place to find your old favorites, discover new wines, and shop collectible and boutique wines. As an additional perk, Wine.com sells gift baskets, glassware, and other wine accessories.

Currently, new customers can use the code "NEW2020" to get $20 off your first order of $100+.

Shipping: Shipping depends on the number of bottles and total size and weight of your order, but can reach $30 per order. If you want to pick it up yourself, there are more than 10,000 participating locations including Walgreens, Duane Reade, and Safeway. If you choose this option at checkout, you'll get an email when your order is ready for pick-up, and you'll have five days to grab it. However, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, we suggest calling the location beforehand just to double-check that you can pick up.

Wine.com also has an annual $49 membership called the StewardShip program that gets you free shipping on every order for a full year with no purchase minimum. Either way, an adult signature is needed to get your package.

What to buy:

• Dom Perignon with Gift Box 2008, $189.97

ReserveBar is an online premium wine and spirits store with prices to match. It carries everything from scotch, gin, and wine to moonshine, cocktail mixers, and Chardonnay that arrives with Waterford wine glasses.

The company has a luxury collection, limited edition bottles, and top trending gifts to skim through. It also offers high-end gift packaging and do custom engraving, perfect for those looking to gift a really good bottle of liquor with a personalized message. High-brow options aside, ReserveBar also has plenty of wine for less than $50.

Currently, you can use the code "STOCKUP20" at checkout to get $20 off four or more bottles.

Shipping: Shipping fees depend on your state and the weight of your order, but the base costs are $15.97 for ground shipping, $34.97 for two-day express, and $67.97 for overnight express.

All shipments must be signed for by a 21-year-old adult. Products have a "ship to" section that shows which states allow delivery of that particular liquor or wine. Select cities can use ReserveBar Express and get fine spirits and Champagne delivered to their door the same day.

Note: Due to the coronavirus, ReserveBar is experiencing increased demand. You may encounter delivery delays with your order.

What to buy:

• Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay, $44
• Whispering Angel Rose, $25
• Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Rosé Vintage, $370