The modern age affords us all sort of conveniences, not the least among them is being able to purchase life's necessities online. If I never have to stand in another queue at a shop, I'll be a very happy woman.

See, I discovered the magic of online wine shopping back when I was studying for my sommelier exams. I needed to keep up on my tasting and have a steady supply of wine to bring to my tasting groups (and have the odd bottle to enjoy at home!). Every week for several months I would go down to my local wine merchant, pick up a few things, and arduously lug them home. Since I don't drive, this was a particularly annoying task. Add in trying to do all this around my work schedule and life, well forget about it. One day a colleague mentioned she did most of her wine purchasing online and just like that, my problem sorted itself out.

Buying wine online may make you wary, but it's incredibly easy. Here are a few tried and true handy tips to get the most out of your online wine buying experience.

Tweet 1: Avoid shop queues and get your wine online!

Take the Guesswork Out of Buying Wine Online

When it comes to purchasing wine from a website, there are a few considerations to bear in mind.

• Always buy from a reputable wine merchant - it's crucial to find an online wine merchant you trust. Many of the top brick and mortar shops also have websites where you can order from, and maybe even give you access to specials and sales that are only available online. This also will help allay any fears of broken bottles or missing goods.

• Double check your vintages – not all vintages are created equal, so do make sure that the vintage you purchase matches up to what you receive.

• Don't ship in the heat - this is rarely an issue in the UK, but for anyone down on the Continent, you'll want to avoid having your wine shipped to you when there's a heatwave on. In the same way we store our wine somewhere dark and cool, we want to ship it in similar conditions to preserve the wine's integrity. No one wants a cooked wine!

• Once your delivery is on its way, make sure someone of legal drinking age is at home to receive it so you can to enjoying your wine as soon as possible.

• Online wine stores can offer a wider selection than their physical counterparts. This is a great opportunity to try something new. Often, the more wine you buy, the better deals you'll get on shipping. It doesn't hurt to plan ahead and order a few bottles at a time.

Tweet 2: Buy wine online and save time

I still love roaming around a shop when I have a free moment, but as someone who purchases wine on a regular basis, the ability to do so online has been a real godsend. If you're an avid wine drinker with little time to spare, you should absolutely give it a go.

Do you do buy wine online?