New Web Site, Vitis, Offers Personal Sommelier Service

A new web-based wine company, Vitis, has entered the crowded "daily deals" Internet wine sales category by touting its Masters of Wine selection process and promoting best-prices-guaranteed on cut-rate offerings. What's more, the site's services include the ability to store purchased wine in climate-controlled facilities until buyers are ready to have it shipped, as well as offering a Riedel crystal rewards program for signing up friends and families.

Nevertheless, once received, you will have to open your own bottles and serve yourself.

Vitis officially launches this week with a semillon/sauvignon blanc blend from Southeast Australia that they hope will be sold out and replaced with another wine by the time you check out the site. The white is the 2007 Brokenwood "Cricket Pitch," whose standard retail price is $20.37 and best online price (according to Vitis) is $18.67. The Vitis sales price? Just $12 a bottle, shipping included. Wines will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

The palates behind Vitis are Christy Canterbury, MW; Mary Gorman-McAdams, MW; and Scott Rosenbaum, DWS; who as a panel of tasters have to approve the taste-worthiness of any deal the commercial folks want to cut.

Vitis also promises to tailor its e-mail offerings to the customer's preferences in terms of frequency of notifications and styles of wine desired, and, sommeliers being sommeliers, they will want to tell you what you should be eating with your purchase.

Did you save room for the next offering?