About Us / FAQ

ABOUT US

"IF IT'S NOT GREAT, WE DON'T SELL IT"

Welcome to The Wine Barn: The Only Wholesale Wine Market, Open to the Public!

All wines are aggresively priced, everyday... Typically 20-60% off retail prices!

Compare us to the competition...you will not be disappointed!!

Often times there will be sale prices on already sale priced wines! So keep checking back often and tell your friends, as deals this good don’t last long and inventory is constantly changing. Sign Up Here to Receive Insider Deals

I am serious about wine and how it is stored. The new temperature controlled facility ensures that all wines, not just the more expensive ones, are properly cared for...I will not represent any wine that has not been under proper storage conditions.

My business philosophy is simple...

"Taste every wine before I buy it, only choose the few that impress, buy in quantity and negotiate volume pricing...then finally pass the savings along to you, the customer: It's a Win-Win situation and you end up with the BEST wines at the LOWEST prices!"

All wines are offered on a first come, first serve basis (no limit) and do not qualify for additional discounts, unless otherwise noted.

Members (free to join) enjoy sneak-peak deals and special purchasing member-only opportunities.

Prices listed are subject to change without notice.

Your Satisfaction is 100% Guaranteed.

Meet The Team: I would like to officially introduce you to our team...

We are a lean, mean, passionate, wine loving machine...and we want you to know that every one of our customers is our #1 priority...

We are not just a wine store and internet site with cool wines and low prices, rather we want to be known as a wine destination location with an interactive, easy to use and community based wine website, and a place where you can come taste, learn, and speak wine...in a no-nonsense, laid back atmosphere.

We are here to serve your every wine need, from locating to delivering, locally or nationally, special orders: small or large, we are your ultimate wine concierge service!

Andres Montoya, The Wine Hunter

WINE IS YOUR RIGHT…

Welcome to The Wine Barn. My name is Andres Montoya, and first and foremost, I must confess...I actually love what I do...(What a Concept!)

Having lived both in Colombia and the US, I grew up with a multi-cultured perspective of the world. I now call Orlando my permanent home...and I love every minute of it! I remember being 14, and with my friend Jacques Bertagnini as accomplice, when I began to discover wine. First an inky bottle of 1979 Pradeaux from Bandol, then an unforgettable Rozes vintage port, followed by a classic Prado Enea from Muga...and all of a sudden wine was a whole new object of study, one that involved history, maps, chemistry experiments and an empty glass waiting to be filled.

I love wine for its history, its incredible ability to spark a conversation, and the fact that it makes me smile....almost as much as my wife does!

I have attended the Certificate in Wine Making Degree Program granted by the University of California, Davis, and my background also includes an Economics B.A. degree from Rollins College, Winter Park.

My favorite wine regions: I love Burgundy as a region and as a cultural destination. I have a special place in my heart for Piedmont and also the Loire Valley. I enjoy mature and young Cabernets, or a nice white Burgundy, as well as a killer glass of Chateauneuf du Pape! And yes, I believe top-notch Riesling is the most undervalued white wine in the world!

When I am not tasting, writing or enjoying all things wine, I enjoy the outdoors immensely, including competitive shotgun shooting, hiking, camping and long walks in foreign, off the beaten path destinations...

I look forward to welcoming you to the store, and meeting The Wine Barn team, as well as my incredible wife, Paula, and our "greeter" hunting dog named Malbec.

At your service,

Andres F. Montoya "The Wine Hunter"

"Honesty isn’t an attribute, It is my Philosophy."

 Gary Tupper, also known as "GT": SALES MANAGER

I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my bio. This is probably a time when I should be "waxing" poetically of my days as Wine Director of Luma on Park restaurant, in Winter Park, Florida, where I received Orlando's best wine list two years running; or my days as the Sommelier and Service Captain at Norman's at The Ritz Carlton Orlando Grand Lakes where I helped make them for the first time ever, Orlando's highest rated restaurant listed in the Zagat survey. I could also discuss how I vigorously upheld the 4 star (Mobile) 4 diamond (AAA) service on a daily basis while also managing the Wine Spectator Wine List Awards at both restaurants.

Well, I won't. All you need to know about me is that, while I have cosmic knowledge of food and wine, I really have just as much fun consuming bourbon and burgers. If you would like me to explain the difference between the vast assortments of Pinot Noir clones and how they adapt to various soil types, I will, but my true goal is to just drink a great wine without paying a fortune.

My favorite wine at The Wine Barn is the Ca' del Bosco "Pinero" Lombardy...It's the best Pinot you've never had!

I also have a special interest for other flavors that include: beer, bourbon and burgers...and cigars.

Some of my hobbies include physical fitness, studying other cultures, classical music, and combining my favorite flavors as often as possible.

Fidel Palenzuela: E-COMMERCE and MARKETING

I am originally from Hollywood, Florida. My start in the wine business began at Old Vines Wine Merchants as a wine consultant. I fell in love with wine late one night while mopping the floors and sharing a bottle of Flowers "Perennial" with my coworkers.

My experience prior to joining The Wine Barn includes being part of the original concept crew for Darden Restaurant's Season's 52 brand and serving as the Director of Operations for Eola Wine Company and Coastal Wine and Spirits division of Southern Wine & Spirits, as the Wine Director for the Vineyard Wine Company, and as Director of Food and Beverage for Bella Collina Club in Montverde, FL. Additionally I have also served as an ambassador of wine for the Kingdom of Navarra, Spain.

I proudly hold several prestigious wine titles including Level 3 Advanced with the Wine & Spirits Education Trust in London, England, Professional Member of the Society of Wine Educators, and a Sr. Coordinator for the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. I am also currently pursuing a Master of Wine title under the Wine & Spirits Education Trust program.

My favorite wines include The Hitching Post "Highliner" Pinot Noir, Loring "Clos Pepe" Pinot Noir, Soter "Blanc de Blancs", Chateau Palmer, Gargiulo "G Major 7 Study", and Schrader "Old Sparky" among many many many others. I also enjoy a mutual hobby with my wonderful father in working my amateur radio and hold an Extra Class License - KI4AML - with the Federal Communications Commission.

Meet Malbec, "The Greeter"

My name is Malbec, and I love to smell all the different aromas in the store! I especially like to meet all the neat folks that come down...I love people that like wine...they are the best! I hope to see you next time you come visit and I'll help you hunt down some cool wines down the aisles! My favorite hobbies include sleeping and dreaming about sleeping....hope to see you soon!

SECURE CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS

IS THE WEBSITE FULLY PROTECTED FOR PAYMENTS?

All Payment information is processed via Authorize.net and none of your payment information is ever passed or stored on to our website. Transactions on the site are protected with up to 256-bit Secure Sockets Layer encryption.

You can be confident in knowing that The Wine Barn is a verified Authorize.Net merchant.

Authorize.Net is committed to providing its merchant customers with the highest level of transaction processing security, safeguarding customer information and combating fraud. More merchants trust Authorize.Net than any other payment gateway to process their ecommerce transactions securely.

 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHY SIGN UP WITH A WINE BARN ACCOUNT? IS IT FREE?

Becoming a Member is absolutely free. Members enjoy exclusive sneak-peak deals and special purchasing opportunities. Sign Up Here

If you like a bargain...You will LOVE our Fire Sales! Sign Up Here

HOW DO YOU FIND THESE WINES?

I buy wines from numerous overseas and domestic sources: producers, winemakers, negociants, wholesalers, brokers, distributors, auction houses and private collectors.

WHAT ARE YOUR FIRE SALES? ARE THESE WINES GONE BAD?

Fire Sales are some of the BEST deals you will ever find on great wines at even greater prices, many times these are winery direct deals, inventory overstocks or simply human error...BUT rest assured all of our FIRE SALES are impeccable wines of pristine provenance, as we would NEVER represent wine that has been mishandled or mistreated, EVER... 

Here is The Wine Barn *FIRE* Sale Criteria:
1) A wine we have tasted and are 100% passionate about!
2) An Absolutely Amazing Bargain: HAS TO BE THE LOWEST PRICE IN THE COUNTRY!
3) Only Available for 1 Day, or Until It Sells Out!

WHAT ARE PRE-ARRIVAL WINES?

Wines on pre-arrival will rarely become available through the website, as past experience has shown that the majority of these special buys are quickly snatched up by members.

Accordingly, I am usually able to procure wines for substantially less than those who are dependent on standard distribution channels, and can pass these savings on to my customers. In addition, by going direct we are able to obtain larger quantities of highly allocated wines than would otherwise be possible.

So by purchasing wines on pre-arrival, customers are not only assured of obtaining certain highly sought after wines, but are also able to purchase them for less.
Pre-arrival wines are paid for at time of order and a confirmation will be sent to you.
You will be notified when your order is ready to ship.

All wines are transported to the U.S. in refrigerated containers and/or reefers. The Wine Barn will not represent or sell wine that has not been properly cared for (temperature controlled) during transport or warehousing.

DO YOU GUARANTEE YOUR PRODUCT?

Absolutely, your 100% satisfaction is my own satisfaction, as I strive to earn your business one order at a time. I am a firm believer of "word of mouth" advertising and am here for the long run. I will work towards earning your long-term business by getting to know your preferences.

HOW DO YOU BUY EACH WINE?

We blind-taste on average 150-200 (sometimes more!) wines on a weekly basis and only a few ever make the cut! Needless to say WE ARE VERY PICKY. They must impress us not only for their varietal correctness, overall quality level, but most importantly, they must deliver bang for the buck! It may be an easy-going $5 crowd pleaser, or a top of the line $100 Burgundy...we look for wines that over-deliver, that reward with sensory pleasure (smell, flavor, finish), and that leave a lasting impression. 

A unique aspect that sets The Wine Barn apart from other merchants is the ability to directly import wines from overseas or direct-from-winery deals. In doing so, I can bypass the oftentimes monopolistic importers and distributors.

BACKORDERS & OUT OF STOCK

Sometimes day to day inventory changes rapidly and if there are any items in your order that have become out of stock you will always be notified prior to your order shipping.
Unless otherwise advised, we hold incomplete orders until all merchandise is in stock in order to minimize shipping costs.

SHIPPING & LOCAL DELIVERY OPTIONS

No hidden costs: You pay what we pay! Shipping rates are all-inclusive, and feature sturdy, extra-protective styrofoam shippers that we pass on at our bulk-rate cost. Never will we charge for handling and/or processing fees.  We offer free in store pick-up, local delivery, ground shipping, 2 day air and next day air service. For more information click here.

SALES TAX

Florida residents are required to pay 6.5% sales tax.

WEATHER ISSUES

Prolonged exposure to heat and freezing temperatures can damage wine. Although I ship using insulating materials, these will not ensure protection during temperature extremes. I oftentimes will advise against shipping during such extremes, but you have a better sense about your local weather forecast, so please advise me if you have concerns about weather extremes and your shipment will be held at no charge until you determine it is safe to ship. Carriers do not insure against heat or cold damage, and we cannot be responsible for such damages after your wine has safely left my facility.

LEGAL

All items are sold in Florida and title passes to buyer in Florida. We make no representation as to the legal right of anyone to ship or import wines into any state outside of Florida. By placing an order with us, you authorize us to act on your behalf to engage a common carrier to deliver your order to you.

You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase wine from us.

PRIVACY STATEMENT

We respect your privacy!
Any and all the information collected on this site will be kept strictly confidential and will not be sold, reused, rented, disclosed, or loaned!
Any information you provide will be held with the utmost care and will not be used in ways that you have not consented to. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email us.

Attentively,

Andres Montoya "The Wine Hunter", Gary Tupper and Fidel Palenzuela