When will Amazon uncork wine sales?
Amazon.com is rolling out a bunch of new features and products this season to juice holiday sales. But will it also make its long-awaited foray into selling wine online? The company isn’t talking. But many in the wine industry are anxiously awaiting Amazon’s entry into the market — which could give a huge boost to business. The buzz about Amazon and wine began back in March when Amazon began recruiting a senior wine buyer. Then in September, reports surfaced that Amazon was meeting with winemakers in Napa Valley and planned to start selling wine by early October in 26 states. That deadline has come and gone, sparking speculation about Amazon’s timeline. “The chatter I’m hearing is they’re delayed or not quite ready,” said Chris Stone, marketing director for the Washington Wine Commission. Stone said when he met with Amazon representatives in mid-August, they were planning to start selling wine before the holidays, but he added: “Nobody has any details. It’s just kind of like a mystery
