igourmet.com Announces the Launch of Its New Wine Shop

WEST PITTSTON, Pa., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- igourmet.com today announces the launch of its new wine shop (http://www.igourmet.com/wine), bringing its customers a one-stop shopping destination to purchase wines, specialty cheeses and fine foods.

igourmet.com's expert connoisseurs created their wine shop with the gourmet pairing needs of their customers in mind. Every wine will be accompanied by a detailed description of the winery, tasting notes, and hand- selected cheese and food pairing suggestions to help customers shop for their wine based on meal, occasion or individual taste.

For example, if a consumer wants to serve Cabernet Sauvignon at a dinner party, igourmet.com offers three complementary cheeses and food suggestions, such as braised rack of lamb with grilled artichoke hearts and a Roquefort salad. These detailed suggestions and ideas empower even novice connoisseurs to capture the flavors and essence of dining at a Parisian Cafe or Napa Valley Winery without leaving home.

"What makes our wine shop unique is the concept of pairing suggestions," said Stephan Bernstein, igourmet.com's Vice President of Business Development. "Anybody can tell you that a wine tastes good, but by giving our customers information on matching and contrasting flavors we hope to enhance their wine and food experience."

igourmet.com's wine shop will offer approximately 250 labels from nine countries around the globe. All wines sold will be competitively priced, ranging from great value wines under $15 to high-end bottles over $50. Wines will also be available as a Wine of the Month Club and customized gift. Additionally, the wine shop will offer varietals like Malbec from Argentina; Bordeaux and Champagne from France; Cabernet and Chardonnay from California; Riesling from Germany; Shiraz from Australia and South Africa; and Port from Portugal.

To overcome obstacles surrounding interstate sale and distribution of wine, igourmet.com selected New Vine Logistics, a comprehensive consumer- direct wine fulfillment agency, to manage the shipping and legal compliance of all wines available at igourmet.com's new wine shop.

"Through this amazing partnership, we can finally offer our customers the ability to shop for wines designed to complement our existing gourmet product line," says Spencer Chesman, founder and CEO of igourmet.com. "For years igourmet.com has looked to find a practical way to offer wines on the site, but with strict alcohol compliance regulations it wasn't realistic, until now."

Additionally, this partnership with New Vine has allowed igourmet.com to not only bring in top wines, but also take its relationship with Kobrand Corporation to the next level. Kobrand Corporation is best known for their Loius Jadot and St. Francis Vineyards wines.

"Having worked with Kobrand and their wines for years during numerous events we are excited to finally be able to offer their great wines on our site," says Tracy Chesman, Vice President of Sales. "Now we can offer our customers a way to experience a much fuller world of gourmet products."

About igourmet.com

Founded in 1997, igourmet.com is America's leading online gourmet food and gift retailer. Offering over 800 specialty cheeses, thousands of fine foods, and a complete line of exquisite gift baskets, each accompanied by detailed information and useful serving suggestions, igourmet.com is the preferred place to shop for connoisseurs across America. Founded and operated by industry veterans, igourmet.com is a trusted resource for hundreds of thousands of gourmet food enthusiasts. In its highly regarded 'Best of the Web' directory, Forbes named igourmet.com the best gourmet food web site in 2003, 2004 and 2005.