Ecommerce for wine and spirits brands that take their craft seriously.
Age verification, subscription clubs, gifting, and premium brand experiences. Wine and spirits ecommerce comes with its own rules. We build Shopify and Magento 2 stores that handle them without compromise.
We have built ecommerce for wine and spirits brands that care about the detail.
The wine and spirits sector online is distinct from general food and drink ecommerce. Age verification compliance, the subscription club model, premium gifting, and the editorial weight that a luxury spirits or fine wine brand carries all require a different approach. We bring that understanding to every project we take on in this sector.
Premium products deserve a premium ecommerce experience.
A £60 bottle of whisky deserves to be presented with the same care as a £60 item of clothing. But wine and spirits ecommerce also carries compliance responsibilities that other sectors do not. Age verification needs to be handled without punishing legitimate customers. Subscription clubs need to feel as premium as the product inside the box. Gifting flows need to handle engraving, gift sets, and delivery to a recipient seamlessly. Getting all of this right simultaneously is where most platforms and agencies fall short. We do not.
Design that communicates provenance, craft, and quality.
Wine and spirits ecommerce is a premium category, and the design has to reflect that. We build product pages that lead with storytelling, tasting notes, and provenance, giving the customer the confidence to buy a product they cannot taste before checkout. Gifting flows, cellar management tools, and subscription portals are all designed with the same level of care as the front-end brand experience. Mobile-first throughout, because a significant portion of gifting decisions happen on a phone.
Shopify, Shopify Plus, and Magento 2 for wine and spirits.
Shopify is the right starting point for most DTC wine and spirits brands. The ecosystem supports subscription clubs, gifting, and loyalty programmes well, and the editorial flexibility makes brand storytelling straightforward. Shopify Plus becomes worth the investment at higher revenue levels, unlocking checkout customisation and automation that are genuinely valuable. Magento 2 is the stronger fit for larger retailers managing complex catalogues, trade and on-trade channels, or bespoke pricing structures. We have extensive experience across all three and will always make an honest recommendation.
Which platform is right for your wine or spirits business?
Shopify and Shopify Plus suit DTC wine and spirits brands best, particularly those where subscription clubs, gifting, and direct customer relationships are central to the model. The app ecosystem handles most subscription and loyalty requirements cleanly, and Shopify Plus gives larger merchants meaningful checkout control. Magento 2 is the better option when catalogue complexity is high, when trade and on-trade channels need managing alongside retail, or when bespoke pricing logic is central to the operation. We will tell you which fits your business honestly.
Get found by customers who are ready to buy.
Wine and spirits search traffic is valuable and highly competitive. Varietal queries, producer and distillery searches, gifting keywords, and occasion-based terms all represent high-intent opportunities if your site architecture is built to capture them. We lay the SEO foundations during the build itself and offer ongoing SEO support to grow your organic channel over time.
What to look for in a wine and spirits ecommerce agency
Compliance understanding
Age verification is a legal requirement and a conversion challenge. Your agency should know how to implement it properly without creating unnecessary friction in the purchase journey.
Subscription commerce experience
Subscription wine clubs are one of the most powerful retention tools in the sector. Check your agency has built them properly on your chosen platform, not just configured an off-the-shelf app.
Premium design sensibility
A £50+ bottle of wine or spirits will not sell on a template theme. Your agency needs genuine design capability to build an experience that matches the quality of the product.
Gifting flow expertise
Gifting is a major revenue driver in wine and spirits. Engraving, gift sets, personalised messages, and delivery to recipients all need to work flawlessly on mobile.
Honest platform recommendation
Shopify, Shopify Plus, and Magento 2 each suit different business models in this sector. Look for an agency that will tell you which is right for your situation, not which they prefer to build on.
Long-term support capability
Seasonal peaks, new releases, and ongoing subscription management mean you need an agency that stays engaged after launch. Ask how their support model works before you sign anything.
How we approach a wine and spirits ecommerce project
Discovery
We get under the skin of your brand, your audience, your catalogue complexity, and your current platform pain points before we recommend anything.
Platform & Architecture
We recommend the right platform for your specific situation and design the information architecture, URL structure, and SEO foundations before a line of code is written.
Design & Build
Our designers and developers work together to build your store. Every decision is made with conversion, performance, and your brand in mind.
Launch & Grow
We support your launch and stay involved after it. Whether that is SEO, CRO, new features, or seasonal campaigns, we are here for the long term.
Wine and spirits ecommerce projects we are proud of
Questions about wine and spirits ecommerce
A focused Shopify build for a DTC wine or spirits brand typically starts from around £15,000 + VAT. More complex projects involving Shopify Plus, subscription wine clubs, or a Magento 2 build for a larger retailer with a complex catalogue or trade channels will start from £30,000 and can run significantly higher depending on scope. We will give you a clear, detailed quote before any work begins.
A well-scoped Shopify project typically takes 8 to 14 weeks from kick-off to launch. Shopify Plus builds or Magento 2 projects with complex functionality, such as subscription clubs, cellar management, or trade pricing, can take 16 to 24 weeks. We agree a realistic timeline during discovery and hold to it.
Shopify and Shopify Plus are usually the right choice for DTC wine and spirits brands, particularly those with a subscription club, a gifting focus, or a strong editorial brand. Shopify Plus is worth considering once annual revenue exceeds around £1 million, as the additional checkout customisation and automation capabilities pay for themselves quickly. Magento 2 is better suited to larger retailers with complex catalogues, trade and on-trade channels, or bespoke pricing requirements. We will tell you honestly which fits your situation.
Age verification is the non-negotiable starting point, and it needs to be handled in a way that does not damage conversion. Beyond compliance, the most impactful features are subscription wine clubs, gifting with engraving and gift set options, tasting notes, food pairing suggestions, and cellar management tools for higher-value collectors. We design all of these as part of the store experience, not as bolt-ons.
We implement age verification at the appropriate points in the customer journey, whether that is on site entry, at checkout, or at the point of delivery via carrier integration. We design the verification experience to be as frictionless as possible while meeting legal requirements, so it does not become a conversion killer. We also advise on the right approach for your specific business model and target audience.
Yes. Subscription wine clubs are one of the highest-value features we build for this sector, and we have experience delivering them on both Shopify and Magento 2. We design the full experience, from the subscription sign-up flow and plan selection through to the customer portal where members can pause, skip, or manage their deliveries. The subscription model works particularly well alongside a gifting proposition, and we design for that combination deliberately.
Yes. Every site we build can be covered by one of our support packages, from ad-hoc development to a dedicated monthly retainer. We are just a call or email away when you need us.
Not at all. We work with wine and spirits businesses across the UK and beyond. Many of our best client relationships are fully remote and work extremely well.
