Full disclosure: the family who runs this direct-mail wine retail business are good friends of mine, and I've helped them out from time to time. That said, I'm a full believer in what they are doing... More

Full disclosure: the family who runs this direct-mail wine retail business are good friends of mine, and I've helped them out from time to time. That said, I'm a full believer in what they are doing and I haven't found anything like it elsewhere in terms of value, reliability and interesting product. Anyway, it's called the Wine Messenger, and they source small grower wines from around the world that you will almost never find anywhere else. The wines are hand-selected, primarily from France and Italy and rarely from the US. There are about 8 new wines every couple weeks, and do detailed writeups that help you choose. This focus gives you a certain minimum level of assurance you'll like what you get, which isn't true at the liquor store. They do particularly well in the $10-$20 range. Sign up for the newsletter they mail, or just get the emailed version at winemessenger. com. Great way for folks who drink, say one bottle or more per week to have a stash of interesting stuff ready to go from out-of-the-way places.
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