Buying wine at the winery for discount at retailer in UK

[Steven Kayser]

I like to buy my wine at wineries when I am travelling the world. Does anyone know if there is a way to buy the wine at the winery but have it delivered from a stockist in the UK so that I don't have to go through the import process? Thanks!

 

[Asa Joseph]

Steven,

What problem are you trying to solve for here? Are you buying so much wine from wineries directly that you either cannot transport it to the UK yourself, or go through the customs process?

In my (fairly limited) experience, it's often cheaper to buy wine from UK retailers / importers, than it is to buy from a cellar door anyway. If they don't have a UK stockist, it's possible that the wine you're looking for will be stocked by someone who will at least deliver to the UK for you. In any case, try Wine-Searcher.

I think a little more information might help...

 

[Jonathan Hesford]

The options for small volumes are to visit wineries that you know have UK stockists or to have the wine sent to Calais so you can drive over and pick it up. If you are buying a lot of wine, you could have it delivered to a bond store in the UK and get them to pay the duty and VAT.

The UK Govt is tightening up on people buying wine from EU suppliers and having it sent to them. I got an email from HMRC the other day about procedures they are putting in place to stop wine coming into the UK without duty being paid on it but the process for paying duty as an individual is overly complex.

 

[Steven Kayser]

Thanks Asa!
This is just in small quantities for myself and friends. I am familiar with wine-searcher but was wondering if there was a process which was simple and avoided me having to do any work So buying at a winery they can arrange the sale through the UK company on my behalf... this takes a few steps out of me having to do it. Maybe this is asking too much and wine searcher is the best and easiest way (which is fine too!).

 

[Steven Kayser]

The options for small volumes are to visit wineries that you know have UK stockists or to have the wine sent to Calais so you can drive over and pick it up. If you are buying a lot of wine, you could have it delivered to a bond store in the UK and get them to pay the duty and VAT.

The UK Govt is tightening up on people buying wine from EU suppliers and having it sent to them. I got an email from HMRC the other day about procedures they are putting in place to stop wine coming into the UK without duty being paid on it but the process for paying duty as an individual is overly complex.

Thanks, Jonathan. This is good information!

 

[Russell Faulkner]

I don't see why any retailer would agree to this.

 

[Shon Williams]

I don't see why any retailer would agree to this.

Agreed. What's in it for them? As a rule of thumb, Stephen, if I visit a producer and I taste wines I like that I know are not imported to the UK (maybe for small production reasons or a strong customer demand in the home country) then I just bring back those in my suitcase. Travel light!

 

[Steve Slatcher]

The UK Govt is tightening up on people buying wine from EU suppliers and having it sent to them. I got an email from HMRC the other day about procedures they are putting in place to stop wine coming into the UK without duty being paid on it but the process for paying duty as an individual is overly complex.

Interesting. So far I know of no one that has had anything stopped.

Of course, in a couple of years' time we might not be able to bring stuff back with us duty-free either.

 

[Steven Kayser]

Agreed. What's in it for them? As a rule of thumb, Stephen, if I visit a producer and I taste wines I like that I know are not imported to the UK (maybe for small production reasons or a strong customer demand in the home country) then I just bring back those in my suitcase. Travel light!

I'm sure a retailer wouldn't say no to additional customer base that wouldn't have otherwise happened based on an introduction between the two parties. This is about wines that can be purchased in the UK, not those which aren't.

 

[Ian Sutton]

The UK Govt is tightening up on people buying wine from EU suppliers and having it sent to them. I got an email from HMRC the other day about procedures they are putting in place to stop wine coming into the UK without duty being paid on it but the process for paying duty as an individual is overly complex.

I hope you reminded them of that Jonathan.

I doubt any of us who have ordered from Europe would be unhappy to pay duty (in addition to the already paid VAT). However they have made it obstructively difficult for the merchant / winery to do so, unless volumes are significant, and impossible for us consumers to do so, even through 'honesty donations' - again I'd be happy to do this.

 

[Shon Williams]

I'm sure a retailer wouldn't say no to additional customer base that wouldn't have otherwise happened based on an introduction between the two parties. This is about wines that can be purchased in the UK, not those which aren't.

So say you're a new customer and you immediately want a discount. I repeat again: what's in it for the retailer apart from someone who may or may not be a repeat customer? Put another way: I wouldn't go to the Wolf Blass facility in Australia and expect or demand a discount next time I was in my local Tesco.

 

[Steven Kayser]

So say you're a new customer and you immediately want a discount. I repeat again: what's in it for the retailer apart from someone who may or may not be a repeat customer? Put another way: I wouldn't go to the Wolf Blass facility in Australia and expect or demand a discount next time I was in my local Tesco.

That is a bit ridiculous and not what I've said at all. If you had read my post you would see that is not what I asked. You may not see why this would happen but I have actually purchased wine from a winery in NZ this way. The only reason I can see why a retailer would be interested in this type of thing is some sort of advertising for them, giving them the chance to increase their customer base with the risk of that customer buying from them again or not.

 

[Shon Williams]

Yes I have read your post Steven and I have also been to NZ wineries where you can send wines back (at a cost) but not as you have done. But you seem to be wanting what equates to nearly cellar door prices from a retailer back in Britain who has margins to make and taking a hit on a purchase from a customer who may or may not buy again. I think it's an unrealistic scenario given how hard many if not most independents find it to make a living in these times.

 

[Steven Kayser]

Yes I have read your post Steven and I have also been to NZ wineries where you can send wines back (at a cost) but not as you have done. But you seem to be wanting what equates to nearly cellar door prices from a retailer back in Britain who has margins to make and taking a hit on a purchase from a customer who may or may not buy again. I think it's an unrealistic scenario given how hard many if not most independents find it to make a living in these times.

Thanks for your comments. All really great and I have enough for what my original post was asking.
To round this one off, yet again, I have not mentioned anything about buying at cellar door prices but appreciate your additional info. Regards.

 

[Graham Tigg]

In my experience in France, cellar door prices usually match those of French stockists (cavistes) and can be perhaps a third more than, say, a UK stockist pays buying a reasonable quantity.

 

[Steven Kayser]

In my experience in France, cellar door prices usually match those of French stockists (cavistes) and can be perhaps a third more than, say, a UK stockist pays buying a reasonable quantity.

Thanks for the info Graham!

 

[Chris Hambleton]

You might also find that producers will simply not sell you anything. I was desperate to buy some older stuff from a winery I visited in Tuscany last year but was gently and politely told that I should ask the UK agent, despite only wanting a bottle or 6.

 

[Jonathan Hesford]

In my experience in France, cellar door prices usually match those of French stockists (cavistes) and can be perhaps a third more than, say, a UK stockist pays buying a reasonable quantity.

Really? Are you saying that you can buy a wine in the UK for 2/3 of the price that you can get it in France? That's interesting and suggests that the producer is hiking the local market to make their wines appear great when they are willing to sell them in the UK at a massive discount. I know of one big winery in the Roussillon that does something similar in the US market but I would have thought that any producer that you would regard as good would not have such a shoddy and manipulative pricing policy.

 

[Russell Faulkner]

No he said 1/3 less is the UK retailers cost price.

I've no idea if that's true or not.

 

[Steven Pritchard]

Really? Are you saying that you can buy a wine in the UK for 2/3 of the price that you can get it in France? That's interesting and suggests that the producer is hiking the local market to make their wines appear great when they are willing to sell them in the UK at a massive discount. I know of one big winery in the Roussillon that does something similar in the US market but I would have thought that any producer that you would regard as good would not have such a shoddy and manipulative pricing policy.

Some Champagne producers fix their cellar door prices according to retail, but they are the exception. Almost always you can buy wines cheaper.

 

[Steven Pritchard]

All I can say is (on the opening topic). Good luck on that one... there is no profit in it for the local merchant in the UK, yet they have the hassle of sorting out duty payments, customs clearance etc. You're looking for a logistics operation of some kind (who will want to charge you for the privilege), not a wine merchant, and I've yet to find a satisfactory solution other than driving over and bringing back the wines yourself.

 

[Graham Tigg]

Really? Are you saying that you can buy a wine in the UK for 2/3 of the price that you can get it in France? That's interesting and suggests that the producer is hiking the local market to make their wines appear great when they are willing to sell them in the UK at a massive discount. I know of one big winery in the Roussillon that does something similar in the US market but I would have thought that any producer that you would regard as good would not have such a shoddy and manipulative pricing policy.

No. The UK stockist would need to pay transport, duty, something would happen around VAT and they would need to make a margin.

It is true some producers have (and maybe still do) sell wine to certain markets at a knock down price. Buying Mas de Daumas Gassac in the UK often worked out less or similar to French caviste prices and significantly less than the smart boutique at the cellar door.

 

[Jonathan Hesford]

I think it's common practice in France to sell to local merchants at a price that allows them to sell at the cellar door price. What prices producers ask in export markets depends on their strategy. I heard from one US importer that producers in Alsace wanted him to pay cellar door prices with no reduction, whereas I know some producers who are selling at discounts over 75%.

 

[Tom Mann]

For what it's worth, HMRC do seem to be clamping down. We used to be able to buy duty paid wines from suppliers in the EU very easily but now we have to fill out a complicated form with HMRC and get approval before we can ship/buy the wine.

 

[Mark Crann]

I have recently taken delivery of 3 cases of wine from a French supplier. Some two months after the event they have just invoiced me for French VAT on the wines (over and above the price which I paid them back in November). My understanding (based on UK practice) is that supply to an overseas buyer is VAT exempt in the country of supply, and that any taxes payable are a matter for the country of purchase.

Is that right, does anyone know, please? If so, it seems to me that I should not pay the new invoice for French VAT.