Today, Amazon's marketplace has more than 244 million active users. People shop on Amazon for a variety of purposes including responsive mobile and Web viewing experiences, great customer service, and convenient shipping rates and speeds. It makes sense, then, that Amazon's wine-specific marketplace has seen much success since relaunching in 2012. In fact, Amazon Wine expanded its reach at the beginning of 2015 to offer direct-to-consumer shipping from wine sellers to 27 different states. A positive wine shopping experienceFor many wineries, integrating with Amazon Wine is an ideal solution for creating a better online shopping experience for wine drinkers. Amazon's mobile and desktop viewing experiences - especially in terms of checkout -  largely contribute to the appeal of shopping on the site. Research conducted by the E-tailing group underscores the importance to creating a user experience that promotes easy checkout. According to the study, easier checkout is the No. 1 factor that leads to an increase in mobile purchases.

Wineries have an opportunity to increase online wine sales from mobile shoppers in particular by leveraging the site's two-click shopping feature. The two-click process allows shoppers to store their payment and shipping information and make mobile purchases in just two steps. Aside from easier checkout, Amazon's user experience can help wineries reduce shopping cart abandonment, upsell wine drinkers and improve the customer service process. According to Client Heartbeat, Amazon sends personalized emails to shoppers who have left items in their carts, and it routinely makes on-site product recommendations based on customers' past shopping habits. Amazon's customer service features also empower shoppers to find answers to their questions through a wide range of information and tools. If customers are not able to find the answers they are looking for, they may easily select the item they are having trouble with and have a representative call them directly. Operational efficiencies aside, Amazon Wine's user interface allows customers to search for wines based on the state they will ship to, type and grape varietal.

Customers are also able to send bottles of wine as gifts through the marketplace. Shipping made easierAccording to Wine Folly, shoppers on Amazon Wine pay approximately $10 per shipment. ComplianceEnsuring online wine sales are compliant with state laws can be a difficult process for wineries. When a winery integrates with Amazon Wine, compliance is automated directly by Amazon. Ultimately, integration with Amazon Wines allows wineries to leverage the company's successful model and massive user base in order to sell more wine. WineDirect can help your winery integrate with Amazon Wine through our Vin65 platform, through which wineries track, fulfill and receive payments for orders placed directly through Amazon.  So, you like drinking wine, but hate heading outside to get more of it? Good news: You can now buy wine from Amazon. It's a perfect mix of internet and alcohol. But is any of it any good?We went shopping with our friends at Wine Spectator to find the best bottles in Amazon's cyber-cellar.

It's Friday afternoon, you've made it through the long week, and it's time for Happy Hour, Gizmodo's weekly booze column. A cocktail shaker full of innovation, science, and alcohol. Your shopping cart is as empty as the opening scene in Leaving Las Vegas.We contacted Thomas Matthews, Executive Editor at Wine Spectator, to help us make some selections. "We scanned the offerings across six popular wine types and selected two wines from each," Matthews says. "In this mixed case, one bottle comes as 'Highly Recommended,' meaning it was rated as 'Outstanding,' with a score of 90 points or higher on Wine Spectator's 100-point scale. top 10 expensive wine in worldThe other bottle is a 'Best Value,' delivering excellent quality for its price."best white wine drinksHere are the results by varietal, with a few tasting notes quoted from Wine Spectator's experts:Highly Recommended: Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2009"Ultra rich and multiflavored, with a range of deep, baked berry notes. best wine bar south london

Intense and focused, balanced and persistent, this ends with touches of red and black licorice and subtle, grainy earth accents and tannins." $110. Wine Spectator rating 93 points. Drink now through 2022. Best Value: Patit Creek Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2009"Fresh, supple and well-mannered, with modest cherry and spice flavors that play against refined tannins. Deft and appealing." $22; Wine Spectator rating 88 points. Drink now through 2015. Highly Recommended: Dancing Hares Vineyard Napa Valley 2009"A gutsy effort that's very rich, deep and expansive, with tiers of ripe cherry, plum and blackberry that are robust and chewy, underscoring the extraction. glass of wine backgroundCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot." $62; best wine country spainWine Spectator rating 92 points. wine tours long island reviews

Best from 2013 through 2025. Best Value: Francis Ford Coppola Winery Director's Merlot 2010"A solid Merlot, if a bit rough around the edges. Aromas of baked cherries and roasted dill lead to rustic plum, herb and mineral flavors." $21; Wine Spectator rating 84 points. Drink now through 2016. Highly Recommended: COHO Wines Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir 2010"Focused on rich cola and blackberry fruit that's fresh, lively and full-bodied, intense without being heavy, ending with dried berry themes." $48; big house red box wine priceWine Spectator rating 90 points. best alternative to red wineDrink now through 2019. best wine labels in the world(Notes from 2008 vintage.)Best Value: Schug Carneros Pinot Noir 2009"Pleasantly on the herbal side of the spectrum, showing plenty of fresh chive, thyme and sage notes that give the juicy cherry flavors some definition.

Finishes with a juicy edge." $28; Wine Spectator rating 86 points. Drink now through 2018. Highly Recommended: Buoncristiani Family Winery Chardonnay Napa Valley 2010"Pure, rich and complex, with tiers of fig, honeysuckle, melon, apricot and pear that are deep, yet elegant and stylish. Should only get better in a few months." $45; Wine Spectator rating 91 points. (Notes from 2009 vintage.)Best Value: Dunham Cellars Chardonnay Columbia Valley Shirley Mays 2011"Smooth and round, with spicy notes dancing around the polished core of pear and tobacco flavors. Lingers nicely on the open-weave finish." $24; Wine Spectator rating 89 points. Highly Recommended: Margerum D Sauvignon Blanc, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara 2011"This is brimming with tangy fruit flavors of citrus, peach, tangerine and guava, joining aromas of honeysuckle, peach blossom and green apple. All of these notes come together in harmony. (Notes based on 2010 vintage.)Best Value: 2011 Capture Tradition Sauvignon Blanc"Smooth and fleshy, showing a honeydew melon note at the core, with lemon zest, grapefruit and apricot details and a refreshing acidity." $30;

Highly Recommended: J Vineyards & Winery Brut Russian River Valley 2005"Vibrant, with lively apple and citrus aromas and supple but crisp, layered baked pear and fresh almond flavors that linger with a yeasty finish." $48; Drink now through 2012. (Notes based on 2001 vintage.)Best Value: Francis Ford Coppola Winery Sofia Blanc de Blancs 2011"Soft and delicate, with appealing green apple, spiced nut and fennel notes." $19; For now, Amazon offers a relatively limited selection of wineries and can only ship to a small number of states. It will be interesting to see how the selection changes over time, and what impact Amazon will have on the established wine market in the U.S. Thanks for the sommelierin,' Spectator!Wine Spectator is the world's leading authority on wine. ), mobile platforms, and a series of signature events. Wine Spectator examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wine's role in contemporary culture and delivering expert reviews of more than 15,000 wines each year.