FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions page. Below are links to the answers to some of the questions we have been asked on a regular basis. Please click on a link and it will take you to the answer.

If you can't find the information you are looking for, please don't hesitate to contact us by clicking here and we will get back to you with an answer as quickly as we are able to.

Ordering:

What kind of quality guarantee is there?
What if it gets broken when it’s sent out?
How long will it take to arrive?
What payment methods are there?
How secure is the payment processing?
What is your contact number for any queries or problems?
What are the age regulations regarding the purchase of wine?
How will the wine be sent to me?
Which courier company do you use?

Wine:

Wine Varieties and Terms? A List of Wine Terms and Definitions.
Who rates your wine?
What wine rating system do you use?
Which is best - the Corks vs Screwcaps debate?
What is the history of the wine?
Where has the wine been stored? What are the full details of the storage?
What is the fill level of the wine?
What is the condition of the wine label?
Are there any marks or scratches?
How will the wine be sent to me?
Which courier company do you use?
What is a Magnum?

Ordering Answers

Q: What kind of quality guarantee is there?
A: One of the most important aspects in selling fine and rare wine is the storage and provenance, or history, of the wine for sale.
Here at Vintage Wine Specialists Ltd we take this very seriously as we only sell the best wines from the best years and producers, to get the best price for a wine it must be in the best condition.
We have a few simple rules ensure we only offer wines in the best condition;
1. All wines are stored in temperature and humidity controlled storage facilities.
2. We have a history for each and every wine in stock, we know where it was purchased, where it was stored and who by.
3. All wines are physically inspected to ensure there are no scuff marks, scratches or low fill levels.

Our customers are confident in the assessment we make of the wines we offer and we do not offer wines in anything other than perfect condition.

Q: What if it gets broken when it’s sent out?
A: Vintage Wine Specialists orders are always dispatched using reputable couriers with strict delivery policies and schedules. Unfortunately things do go missing even with couriers. Should you find this happening with your order please rest assured, we have a solution to your problem. Simply log on to Vintage Wine Specialists and send us an email with your order number and the wine and date listed, we will immediately investigate your enquiry.
The same process should be followed for;
• The wrong wine being sent.
• Damaged wine.

It is Vintage Wine Specialists commitment to you to resolve any issues you have with the delivery of wine to our mutual satisfaction.

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Q: How long will it take to arrive?
A: New Zealand Deliveries:

Your order will be dispatched within 2 business days of payment being received. Your order should take 2-5 days to be couriered to you. The entire time between your payment being received and your order being delivered should take no longer than 7 days.

International Deliveries:

This is dependent on the specific country you reside in. Please click here for further information.

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Q: What payment methods are there?
A: We accept payment by Credit Card, these being Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

Q: How secure is the payment processing and what security measures do you have in place on the website?
A: 100% security online is paramount at Vintage Wine Specialists and we understand just how important it is to you too. This is why we have made your security our primary concern.

All information that you provide us with is encrypted and transmitted via 128 bit SSL (Secure Socket Layer).

SSL is the system used by all legitimate shopping sites world wide.
It is almost impossible for an unauthorised party to seize the encrypted data. You will know that your details are being safeguarded by looking for the padlock or unbroken key that will appear at the bottom of your browser whenever you are providing us with personal information. SSL is the industry standard for the transmission of credit card details. Your information is encrypted using a complex mathematical algorithm before being sent over the internet.

The authenticity of this site has been established by www.zeald.com and you are welcome to view our certificate information by double clicking on the padlock or unbroken key that appears at the bottom of your browser when you are on the secure part of our site.

Information at Vintage Wine Specialists is protected by firewall technology, and we have organisational procedures in place to insure data integrity is maintained at all times.

Your bank can also provide you with additional information regarding the security of your credit cards.

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Q: What is your contact number for any queries or problems?
A: Call 0800-88-34-88 (Auckland, New Zealand).

Q: What are the age regulations regarding the purchase of wine?
A: You, the consumer, must be 18 years of age or over to purchase alcohol in New Zealand and to order any wine featured/promoted on Vintage Wine Specialists. You, the consumer, must comply with any regulations or laws pertaining to the country in which you reside if you are ordering from outside of New Zealand. Sales and any transaction of alcoholic products featured on this site are executed and actioned by fully licensed and independent wineries and distributors who by law would not sell alcohol (or deliver) to any person(s) under the age of 18 years.

When you, the consumer, submit an order for wine using Vintage Wine Specialists you legally confirm you are 18 years of age, or over. Please click here to read our full terms and conditions.

Q: How will the wine be sent to me?
A: Vintage Wine Specialists orders are always dispatched using reputable couriers with strict delivery policies and schedules. Please see the delivery section of our website for further details.

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Q: Which courier company do you use?
A: We use a range of different courier companies for different delivery locations within New Zealand and Internationally. All orders are always dispatched using reputable couriers with strict delivery policies and schedules. Please see the delivery section of our website for further details.

Wine Answers

Q: Wine Varieties and Terms? A List of Wine Terms and Definitions.
A: Please click here for a full table of Wine Definitions and Wine Terms. Please click here for Tasting Notes Terms.

Q: Who rates your wine and what wine rating system is used?
A: Our wine ratings refer to Robert Parker Junior (RMP Jr) and Wine Spectator together with internationally recognised awards and medals.

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Q: Which is best - the Corks vs Screwcaps debate?
A: The screwcap vs cork debate is very complex. Research is ongoing (particularly in regards to red wine) and there are wide ranging arguments for both with a marked difference in current thinking between the red and white varieties. Click here to view an interesting article on this subject.

Q: What is the history of the wine?
A: We have a full history for each and every wine in stock, we know where it was purchased, where it was stored and who by.

Q: Where has the wine been stored? What are the full details of the storage?
A: All wines are stored in temperature and humidity controlled storage facilities.
The facilities used are reputedly the best wine storage facilities in the country.

Q: What is the fill level of the wine?
A: All wines are inspected to ensure there are no low fill levels.

Q: What is the condition of the wine label?
A: All wines are physically inspected to ensure there are no scuff marks or scratches.

Q: Are there any marks or scratches?
A: All wines are physically inspected to ensure there are no scuff marks, scratches

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Q: What is a Magnum?
A: A bottle equivalent in capacity to 2 standard bottles (1.5 litres, 51 US fl. oz., 53.1 UK fl. oz.).The larger the bottle, the slower the wine ages. A magnum is the perfect size for aging great red wines, as it ages the wine slowly, but not too slowly.

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