Amazon Launches Wine Marketplace

It's finally here: Amazon has launched its online wine marketplace to the delight of those who love a buzzed online shopping spree. 

Amazon Wine will feature more than 1,000 wines from across the country, the Los Angeles Times reports. The wines range from $10 to $100 per bottle. Listings for the wines will include winery information, tasting notes, and even recommended food pairings. So far, customers and wineries alike seem pretty excited about the new venture. "What Amazon has done with their new wine store is take the experience of hundreds of tasting rooms and put them online," said Tom Hedges of Hedges Family Estate, Red Mountain, Wash., in a statement. "We could not be more excited by the possibilities of growing our business and reaching new customers."

Tiffany Hsu from the LA Times explains that Amazon is acting as the middle man for wineries, a large distributor for smaller wineries that want to expand their reach in the market. Of course, only 12 states as of now can actually order wine to be shipped: California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, and Washington, D.C. And the tricky business of carding minors trying to buy wine is still in place; both the buyer and the recipient who signs for the package must be over 21.