Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you are an experienced collector, or just starting out on your fine wine journey, everyone will have a question or query. Below you’ll find a selection that we are frequently asked, from shipping options, storage and how to use your Online Account.
If you still have a question, you can always drop us a line, we will be more than happy to assist.
Fine Wine Questions & Answers
Tax Status
In Bond indicates that the applicable taxes have been deferred at the point of sale, whereby the price shown excludes UK Duty and VAT. Wines marked ‘In Bond’ will not incur Duty or VAT if retained in bonded storage at our warehouse. If the items under Bond are requested for delivery to a registered UK address, the equivalent Duty and VAT of the goods must be raised in addition to the initial sale value. IB Wines are restricted in their movement to require holding by Customs Approved Warehouses or transporters.
Duty Paid is where the wine is no longer held under bond and means UK Duty will be/has been paid on the wine which allows for free circulation of the wine within the UK.
Duty – Duty is charged at the applicable rate per hectolitre of alcohol based on the prevailing UK Government’s wine and spirits excise rates (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/alcohol-duty-rates#rates-of-duty-per-litre-of-pure-alcohol) . Until Feb 2025 wines between 11.5-14.5% will be charged as if they have an ABV of 12%.
VAT – For orders placed that are VAT applicable (duty paid wines) will be charged at the prevailing UK standard VAT rate, currently 20% (https://www.gov.uk/vat-rates)
En Primeur
Buying wine “En Primeur” or “Wine Futures” refers to the process of buying wine whilst it is still in the barrel, before it is bottled and released to the market. En Primeur wines can only be purchased in Bond. The wine is generally bottled and shipped to the UK in the year or two after purchase. We offer wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy En Primeur. You can discover our En Primeur wines here.
If you’re looking to build a collection of fine wine, En Primeur is a good place to start. The release price is typically the lowest price that the wine will ever be and will possibly be considerably cheaper than the future price of the wine on the open market. Purchasing En Primeur also guarantees the perfect provenance of the wine as it has been kept in one place. It can also be your only opportunity to secure wines made in very small quantities, as these rarely make their way to the secondary market. Find out more here.
En Primeur wines are still in barrel, and will have several years maturing before they are ready to be bottled. This is why they are often called “wine futures” and therefore it is not possible to pay Duty and taxes on something that hasn’t yet been delivered to the UK. Once they have been delivered to our UK warehouse, a client can request stock to be removed from Bond and the rate of UK Duty and VAT will be applied at that stage for the wines to be delivered to your home.
You only start paying storage once your wines arrive in the UK and are placed in our bonded warehouse in your storage account. We’ll indicate an anticipated date of when we expect the vintage to be bottled and shipped to the UK, but this will vary from producer to producer, so we cannot guarantee an exact date. Once shipped we will notify you by email.
Orders & Delivery
Deliveries to private customers within mainland UK are charged at our prevailing rates that can be found here, utilising London City Bond (LCB) delivery services. For deliveries to private addresses please provide full address details, for transfers to other UK bonded warehouses please provide as much information as possible (warehouse name and address, account number, sub-account number and any references). You can find further information on Shipping & Delivery here.
We work with several transportation companies and can therefore deliver to most locations in the world. For deliveries outside of the UK please contact us with the delivery address and we will get back to you with a personalised quote. Please note each delivery will be charged separately. If you select the “1-month free storage at LCB Eton Park” option when checking-out, please ensure to contact one of our team members if you wish to arrange a delivery once this term expires. You can find further information on Shipping & Delivery here.
Please contact the team on customerservice@cru-wine.com or call us on +44 (0)203 9254526 mentioning your order number and we will help to adjust this for you.
We utilise the delivery services provided by our trusted warehouse LCB Eton Park who ship to mainland UK addresses. We do not currently offer timed delivery slots; deliveries will take place Monday to Friday between 9am – 5pm. Orders placed before midday are usually delivered next day, excluding weekends, depending on the provided postcode. For more information of lead times, please contact a member of our Logistics team on logistics@cru-wine.com or call us on +44 (0)203 9254526.
Yes, our carrier will require a signature from an adult 18 years of age or older in order to make the delivery.
The easiest way to organise delivery of your wines is through the Deliver function on your portfolio overview, located within your Cru Wine online account. Simply select the ‘Delivery’ box next to the relevant wines to conveniently manage your deliveries.
Wine Storage
Absolutely. At Cru Wine, we understand the importance of storing wine in perfect condition, which is why we offer our clients the ability to store their wines through our trusted and professional bonded warehouse. Whether buying for investment or future drinking, it’s important that your wine is stored in an optimum storage environment for it to retain its value, immaculate provenance, and condition for when you are ready to pull the cork or sell on.
All our clients are offered the option to store their wines in bond (exclusive of Duty and VAT) through Cru Wine at our specialised and state-of-the-art bonded warehouse, London City Bond, which acts as a guarantee of their condition and provenance. These will be placed in an account in your name.
All our wines are stored with our secure bonded warehouse provider London City Bond, Eton Park, located in Burton-on-Trent. This facility offers the ideal storage facilities and conditions for fine wine.
Upon purchasing, to ensure clarity of ownership, all wines are labelled and logged with a unique rotation number, client name and account code. Once these arrive in our secure bonded warehouse, you’ll automatically receive a certificate of ownership.
Our storage charges will be charged at our prevailing rates that can be found on the Storage page, including insurance to full replacement value. Storage is charged per month in advance up until the following bi-annual point (Jan 1st & Jul 1st).
Cru Wine offers its clients the first month of storage at no charge. The first month period will start when the wine is physically landed in our bonded warehouse and, as such, is available for delivery. You will be notified by Cru Wine when your wines have arrived and the 30-day period has begun, alternatively you can view the current location of your wines in your online account.
For more information about Storage charged, please visit our Storage page.
Yes, all wines stored with us are fully insured at their full replacement value.
Yes, we accept the transfer of your wine from any storage provider. Wine can either be in Bond or Duty Paid and in their original packaging. For more information, please contact our Customer Services team
Through your online account, you can view your current portfolio of wines that you’ve purchased with us, its market value (which is updated daily) and the breakdown of wines by region and vintage. This is also where you can select wines to be delivered to your home, or request to sell through Cru Wine’s platform.
My Cru Wine Account
Simply sign into your account by following this link or clicking the My Account icon at the top right of this page.
Please head to the My Account page and complete the Register form, making sure you use the same email address that we have on record for you. Your existing Cru Wine account will be automatically linked to your new account once created and once redirected to your Account Overview, you will be able access and view your portfolio. You may need to wait a few minutes for the data to sync.
Your online account is your portfolio management tool with Cru Wine. Here, you can track your purchases, view your portfolio and its current market value (updated daily) pay invoices, list your wines for sale and request your wines to be delivered.
If you cannot remember your password, you can reset it by visiting the Forgot Your Password page. Please note you will need access to the email account you used to register with us. If you continue to have problems, please contact the Customer Services team at customerservice@cru-wine.com
You can look up the current market value of the wines and spirits in your collection by signing into your online account and viewing your Account Overview. The market value of your wines is updated daily.
Selling My Wines
Yes, you can sell your wines with us, providing they are stored with us or can be transferred in bond.
Through our brokerage function, you can sell your wines through Cru Wine’s community of fine wine lovers around the world. Anyone with wines stored in bond through Cru Wine can list their wines for sale with us. Your listing will appear on our website, as well as Wine-Searcher and Liv-ex, giving it global visibility. Any orders you receive will be confirmed with you by your account manager.
If you are a current client, you’ll need to log into your account, then view your collection in your Account Overview. Select the wines you would like to sell and then choose the “Trade” option. You will be able to view the market value for all wines in your cellar, which can help you set your preferred sell price.
Any wines traded through the Cru Wine platform will be charged a sales commission fee at our prevailing rate which can be found here. There are no buying fees.