Wine World Wide

In recent years the UK wine market has exploded. Nowadays it's no longer an exclusive drink of the wealthy and has a staggering army of devotees - hiccup! Naturally, you can now buy it over the Web.

The Web is a marvellous facility for bringing together special interest communities at low cost. So, merely flogging a few bottles of plonk, which is the case with sites such as Sainsbury's, ignores its potential. After all, you can just pop round the corner to your local wine store and find a massive selection from almost every wine producing country on the planet.

The wine enthusiast tends to be obsessive and likes to be submerged in the world of wine. He or she wants in-depth information, recommendations, the ability to make recommendations of their own, an opportunity to discuss the minutiae of wines and to show off their good taste. Purchasing the product is only part of the service you expect from a wine Web site.

Therefore, a minimum requirement is an interactive wine store containing up to date news together with background information on wines and a means for visitors to communicate with each other. A good search engine for tracking down those obscure vintages is also an essential tool. Of course the site should welcome the novice and the expert alike, be easy to navigate and make it simple for you to actually buy the stuff.

Oddbins, in the business since 1963, was a market innovator in the 70's and 80's. It has 223 outlets nation wide and produces a first class printed wine list featuring the work of satirical artist Ralph Steadman. So why is its Web site so dull and sparse? Surly a company with this pedigree can do better? Well it seems not... maybe Oddbins has lost its creative edge.

The site is really a badly thought out brochure which continually tries to direct you to your nearest Oddbins outlet. Site navigation is appalling, but fortunately there's nowhere to go so you can't get lost. It does have a wine list with prices, but no descriptions and nothing for the enthusiast. All you can buy from the site are a few boxed selections.

The best thing to do if you find yourself on the Oddbins site is to move on to the next watering hole.
Designed by Wineonline

Bibendum was founded 15 years ago by a small group of friends and wine enthusiasts. The design of its web site is bland with no flavour of the grape. It navigates well, however, and there is an excellent selection of fine wines. You don't come here for the cheap stuff though, a case can set you back as much as £3,450 and the site is aimed at the experienced enthusiast.

Unfortunately, it is just a support for the shop and is not using the unique characteristics of the Web to develop its business. The major complaint though, and it's a fundamental one, is the online ordering system. This had been out of operation for three weeks at the time of writing. We had to use the phone but at least delivery was efficient and free.
Designed by Junction 15 Ltd

The French Wine Collection Web site is a good attempt despite the irritating welcome page. The design incorporates animated gifs of 2CVs and the site has the look of that no-nonsense auto.

The wine list is extensive and can be accessed using an image map of France. There are photos of the bottles together with a short description covering style and character. These pages also include a potted history of the vineyard and the region, with details going back to the Greeks and Romans. Although the editorial is informative the web site, as a whole, lacks that quality of involvement, which sparks your enthusiasm and draws you in.

You can place a secure order on-line with your credit card, by e-mail, phone or fax. There is also a printable order form but this needs to be formatted for default printer settings because it cuts off half way down the page.

On the whole The French Wine Collection is a good site but still fails to give a satisfying full-bodied service.
Designed by Paradigm 2000 plc

The Wine Cellar has fifty stores throughout the UK and its web site is a gem. The design is excellent with its inebriated graphics that would bring a smile to the face of Bacchus himself. It uses the latest advances in Web technology, which includes a stroll around one of its stores with a Quicktime VR 360° panorama - for a laugh try it after consuming half a bottle.

Everything has been thought of in this site; there is a First Timer section and a Quickfind facility for tracking down that elusive vintage. You can air your views and discuss wine-related topics in the Arena section. There is even a section where enthusiasts are trying to flog their antique Decanters

The magazine section features articles on a diverse selection of wine related topics including such recipes as 'Char-grilled Peppers and Aubergines - handsomely complemented by a French Chardonnay'

If all this was not enough you get to download an amusing Wine Cellar screensaver for your PC.

Ordering any of the 500 wines on offer is effortless and you can turn to the order review page to see what you have in your virtual shopping basket, then add or remove products as you like.

What if you're a little tipsy and the brain is fuddled? Well no problem there is a continuously updated running total as you move through the site.

The Wine Cellar has created a superb web site with crate loads of extra value. It's both fun and functional - a wonderful club for enthusiasts. All its competitors should urgently take an ice cold shower and sober up or they will be flushed away.
Designed by Walsh Simmons