I spent 20 years selling wine in physical stores before I built Pinpointed. And here’s what I learned: when a customer walks into your shop, you don’t hand them a tasting note and walk away. You ask questions. You listen. You translate your expertise into language they actually understand.

Online? Most wine retailers forget all of that and default to descriptions written for sommeliers, not shoppers.

The problem with traditional wine descriptions

Let’s look at a typical wine description you’d find on most e-commerce sites:

“100% Tempranillo from old vines. Ruby red with notes of bramble, cedar, tobacco and hints of graphite. Fine-grained tannins, medium acidity with a long finish. Serve at 16–18°C. Pairs with red meat.”

Now ask yourself: does this help someone decide if they want to buy it?

If your customer already knows what “fine-grained tannins” means, sure. If they’re confident that “bramble” sounds appealing to them, maybe. If they’re planning to serve it at exactly 16–18°C with red meat, perfect.

But most people shopping for wine online aren’t wine experts. They’re just trying to find something they’ll enjoy without feeling stupid or wasting money.

What actually helps people buy wine

In a physical store, great staff ask the right questions:

• What are you eating tonight?
• Do you normally like reds or whites?
• Something light and easy, or rich and full?
• What’s your budget?

Then they point you to something that matches. No performance. No judgment. Just helpful guidance. That’s what your online descriptions should do. Remove doubt fast.

Here’s the same Tempranillo, rewritten for actual buyers:

“This is the red you open when you want something rich but easy to drink. Dry, medium to full body, smooth and not too oaky with dark fruit, a touch of spice and a fresh finish. Perfect with burgers, roast chicken, BBQ or a charcuterie board. Safe pick: if you like reds that feel ‘premium’ but not too heavy, this won’t miss.”

Same wine. Different approach. One tells you what’s in the bottle. The other tells you whether you’ll like it.

The language real customers use

When I was selling wine, nobody ever asked for “notes of graphite” or “fine-grained tannins.” They asked:

• Is it sweet or dry?
• Is it heavy or light?
• Will it go with what I’m cooking?
• Is it smooth or does it make your mouth feel weird?
• Is it worth the money?

Your descriptions should answer these questions immediately. Not after someone decodes your tasting notes or Googles what “tertiary aromatics” means.

Examples: Before and After

Sauvignon Blanc Before: “Lifted aromatics of gooseberry, elderflower and wet gravel. Crisp acidity, medium body with a steely mineral finish. Best consumed within 2 years.”

Sauvignon Blanc After: “Crisp, refreshing white that’s dry and zesty with bright citrus and green apple. Light to medium body, not oaky. Great as an aperitif or with seafood, salads, goat cheese. If you like whites that wake up your palate, this delivers.”

Pinot Noir Before: “Translucent garnet hue. Red cherry, forest floor, hints of mushroom and truffle. Silky tannins, bright acidity, delicate structure. Decant 30 minutes before serving.”

Pinot Noir After: “Elegant, lighter-bodied red that’s smooth and not too intense. Dry with red fruit, earthy notes, and a silky feel. Not heavy or tannic. Perfect with salmon, roast chicken, mushroom dishes. If you want a ‘fancy’ red that’s still easy to drink, this is it.”

Why this matters for conversion

In your physical store, you have staff who guide customers. They read body language. They ask follow-up questions. They build confidence. Online, most wine sites just throw endless filters at people: Region. Varietal. Vintage. As if someone buying wine for Tuesday dinner knows whether they want a Côtes du Rhône or a Languedoc.

Clear descriptions do the work your staff would do in-store. They:

• Remove doubt fast
• Match the wine to real use cases
• Use language customers actually think in
• Make people feel confident, not stupid

When someone lands on your site they don’t have a salesperson to help them. Your descriptions need to do that job.

The Pinpointed approach

This philosophy is exactly what Pinpointed was built on. After 20 years of conversations with wine customers, I knew what questions they actually ask and what language helps them buy with confidence. Our AI sommelier doesn’t just filter your inventory by region and varietal. It has real conversations:

• What are you eating?
• How do you normally like your wine?
• What’s your budget?
• Red or white, or not sure?

Then it recommends bottles from your live inventory using the same clear, helpful language your best staff member would use. No jargon. No intimidation. Just guidance. The results speak for themselves: 27% average order value increase across our clients. Because when people understand what they’re buying and feel confident about it, they buy more.

The bottom line

Your job isn’t to impress other wine people with your tasting note vocabulary. Your job is to help customers buy wine they’ll enjoy. Write descriptions like you’re talking to a real person who just wants to know if they’ll like it and if it’s worth the money. That’s it. That’s the whole thing. Everything else is just making it harder than it needs to be.

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Want to see how Pinpointed helps wine retailers provide this kind of guidance at scale, 24/7? Book a 15-minute demo