How WineBid Works

Welcome to WineBid.com, the premier online wine auction. All of WineBid.com is accessible to anyone, anytime. There is no need to register to browse WineBid.com. However, to buy or sell you must register.

Searching and Browsing for Wine

There are several ways to find specific wines on WineBid.com.

Search Box

If you are looking for a specific wine, the Search Box at the upper left is the fastest way to find it. Enter the wine you are looking for, such as 1982 Margaux, and hit "Search." Be as specific as possible for best results. Check here for more Search Tips.

Advanced Search

Our Advanced Search allows you to add numerous additional parameters to our standard search function, including your preferred price range, bottle size, country of origin, appellation and other parameters. You can also search for Uncontested Lots, which are lots without bids. Our Advanced Search also allows you to save and modify your Advanced Searches for later use.

Browse Menu

You can also browse for wines by using the criteria on the "Browse for Wine" menu on the left side of the page. To see all dessert wines in the auction, for example, click Dessert/Fortified. To see all wines from Australia, click Australia. You can also browse by price, format, vintage, producer name, and select rating systems, such as Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines. Recently released California wines are quickly accessible by clicking New California Releases.

Spotlights

In every auction we offer Spotlights, which are carefully chosen selections of particular kinds of wines, such as Recent Bordeaux, Italian Wines, Dessert Wines, California Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. Click the headline or photo of the Spotlight to see lot descriptions.

Premier Collections

In every auction we also offer Premier Collections, which are noteworthy collections generally from one private cellar. Click the headline or photo of the Premier Collection to see lot descriptions.

Wineries Direct

Our Winery Direct program offers wines from small, independent wineries with very limited production and distribution. To browse our Winery Direct offerings, click a wine label or the name of the winery in the Winery Direct section at the bottom of the home page. You can also access Winery Direct by going to the Buy Wine page, then clicking Winery Direct in the Buy Wine box on the upper left side of the page.

Registering

Registration is required to bid and sell.

Click Register at the top right of the page. Complete the registration page. To register you must be at least 21 years old and you must provide a valid credit card number. Your credit card will not be charged unless you bid on wine and your bid wins.

Buying

You can bid for wine from either your Search Results page or from the more detailed Lot Description page.

For example: If you searched for Chateauneuf du Pape you will get a Search Results page or pages of all the Chateauneuf du Pape in the auction. Scroll until you find one you want to buy. In the boxes at the bottom of the lot description, enter the number of lots you want to bid on and the price you will pay for each lot. Please note that in WineBid.com auctions a lot is usually a single bottle. But sometimes a lot may be a full case of wine or several bottles. The lot description will state clearly how many bottles are in the lot. For instance, if the lot consists of a 12-bottle case of Bordeaux with a reserve of $500 for the lot, you are bidding on a quantity of 1 (which will include all 12 bottles) for a reserve of $500.

To place your bid hit Place Bid.

Next you will see our Bid Confirmation page where you can double check your bid. If you have indicated that you want to buy 2 bottles at $50 each, the Bid Confirmation page will show that your total bid is $100. If it is the bid you intended to make, you must then hit Submit Bid. Otherwise hit Cancel and your bid will be erased. Once you have hit Submit Bid you have committed to buying the lot at the price indicated on your bid. If no one outbids you, you will win the lot at the close of auction.

You can also bid for a lot from the more detailed Lot Description page. Simply click the name of the wine you want when it appears on your Search Results page. You will get a more detailed page that includes the lot's bidding history. To place a bid, follow the same steps as above.

You may also bid from your Lot Tracker. See below.

Lot Tracker

Once you've registered you will have access to Lot Tracker, which automatically tracks any lots you bid on or any lots you wish to monitor. To add a wine to your Lot Tracker without bidding on it, click Track instead of Place Bid from either the Search Results page or the Lot Description page. You can check your lot tracker at any time during the auction by clicking Your Account on the upper right hand side of each page, then clicking Lot Tracker in the Your Account box on the upper left hand side of the page.

You may bid from your Lot Tracker by clicking Place Bid.

At the close of each auction, your Lot Tracker is cleared out to make room for wines you track and bid on in the current auction. You can still view your Lot Tracker from previous auctions by selecting the auction close date in the drop down menu at the top of the Lot Tracker screen. The only auction dates that will appear in this drop down menu are those in which you either tracked wines or bid on wines.

You can track the results of past auctions by viewing your previous Lot Tracker entries. If you would like to find out the shipping status of those wines, please contact Customer Service.

AutoBid

Our AutoBid feature means you don't have to keep checking your bids. Click here for more information.

Paying For Your Wine

If you are the winning bidder on a lot or several lots, your credit card will be charged after the auction closes, generally within 24 hours. The charge will reflect the total hammer price of all lots you acquired, plus the 14% buyer's premium, plus a 1% insurance fee. The insurance fee covers damage to wine in our warehouses, damage during transit between our warehouses, and any breakage occurring during transit to the customer. The insurance fee does not cover corked wines, wines that leak in transit, or any issues relating to the quality of the wine. If applicable, you will also be charged for your state's sales tax. You will receive an invoice by email listing the lots you won within five days of the close of the auction. Tax & Currency Information.

Please note that you will be charged separately for shipping and handling. Under normal weather conditions, your wine will be shipped about three weeks after the close of auction. At that time your credit card will be charged for the cost of shipping and handling. See Shipping.

Selling Wine

Selling wine on WineBid.com is easy and efficient. Register, log in, and then use our consignment form to email us a list of the wines you wish to consign. You may also fax us your consignment list.

We will make an initial appraisal based on your list. A WineBid.com representative will contact you to discuss the consignment and determine the best way to ship your wines to one of our temperature-controlled warehouses. Wines must be received 3-4 weeks before being placed in an auction to ensure an accurate inspection.

During an auction, sellers can track the bidding on their wines through our Seller Administration. After the auction, sellers receive a detailed settlement report. Sellers receive a check for their wines, less commission and fees, in approximately 30 business days from the auction close. Click here for more information.

Emails About Your Transactions

WineBid.com will send you email relating to your transactions with us. These emails include outbid notifications, shipping notices, consignment information and post-auction invoices. In order to receive these emails you must “opt-in” on the Registration page. If you are not receiving these emails from us please check that you have “opted-in” to receive email and that we have your correct email address. It is also possible that your Internet provider or browser software is sending our email directly to your spam folder. By adding the following WineBid.com addresses to your address book or contact list, our email will likely appear in your Inbox.
info@winebid.com, auctions@winebid.com, consign@winebid.com

Logging In

If you log in to our site and then are immediately bounced back to our log in page, it is probably because your browser is not configured to accept and store "cookies." Your cookies setting must be enabled to use WineBid.com. Please consult your browser Help section or your Internet provider website for details on accepting cookies.