International Fine Wines

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Frequently Asked Questions

Before contacting us please ensure that you have read through the FAQs. If you are still struggling, you'll find our contact details at the base of the page.

We currently only deliver within Australia. Click here to contact us about international orders.

Click on a frequently asked question from the list below for our answer, or if you can't find what you're looking for, ask a contact of your own via the email link at the base of the page.
I've forgotten my password.

Are there any freight charges?

Do you offer cellaring facilities?

I'm repeatedly getting the 'closed for maintenance' message on my screen.

Are there any costs or conditions associated with joining the INternational Fine Wines mailing list?

How do I open an account?

I'm worried about putting my credit card details over the Internet.

When can I expect my order?

Can I pay by cheque?

My screen says that the security certificate is out of date.

Can I order less than one dozen wines?

When does the case discount apply?

What kind of licence do you have to sell alcohol?

How do you verify that your customers are over 18 years of age?

I've put through my order but want to change my delivery instructions?

Do orders need to have a minimum dollar value?

I'm not sure if my order went through.

Does International Fine Wines have a catalogue or a fax listing of their wines?

Can I ship goods outside Australia?

How is a case defined?



I've forgotten my password.

If you have forgotten your log in details click on the "My Account" link on the home page, you will find a forgotten password link. You will need to enter your email address. If the email address you entered is found in our database, an email will be sent to that address with a newly generated password. We recommend you change this password for security reasons.

Are there any freight charges?

If delivery is to Sydney metro, Melbourne metro, Adelaide metro or Brisbane metro then delivery is free but you must order in dozen lots, mixed or straight. For freight charges to all other areas please visit our Freight & Delivery page.

Do you offer cellaring facilities?

No, but we may be able to recommend a wine storage supplier in your area if you email us at orders@ifw.com.au .

I'm repeatedly getting the "closed for maintenance" message on my screen.

Sometimes, for reasons beyond our control, the site is closed for upgrades and servicing. If you visit the site during such a time your browser may cache (record in its memory) the maintenance screen. The result will be that each time you visit in the future, you will continue to see the maintenance screen. If this occurs you will need to delete the cached message, depending on which internet browser you use.
Internet Explorer:
View>Internet Options>Temporary Internet Files>Delete Files>OK
Netscape Navigator:
Edit >Preferences>Advanced>Clear Memory>Clear Disk>OK


Are there any costs or conditions associated with joining the mailing list of International Fine Wines?

There are no costs or conditions involved in being on the mailing list of IFW. To join you are required only to fill in your details. You can update or remove yourself from the list at any time. Joining takes just a few minutes and you will soon begin receiving mails based on your preferences.

How do I open an account?

There is no need to open an account. Simply place an order and you will be prompted to enter your details. Through this process you will given a user name and password so that you don't need to enter all this information next time you order.

I'm worried about putting my credit card details over the Internet.

When you process a transaction with International Fine Wines, your personal information, including your credit card number, is encoded via encryption technology. This means the information cannot be read as it travels to our ordering system. Alternatively you can place an order on this web site without using your credit card. Simply choose on of the alternate options (cheque, contact me, etc) when you are finalising your order.

When can I expect my order?

From the time of placing your order, an IFW delivery generally takes between 3 and 15 days depending on the location of the delivery address. If you live in the Melbourne or Sydney metropolitan area, it can take as little as 2-3 days, for example. If the 15-day limit has expired and you have not received your order, please contact us immediately, as there may be a problem. Of-course if there is extremely hot weather we may delay shipping your wine. You have the option to tell us to ship regardless of weather in your delivery instructions. Remember also that we also sell wine in "PreArrival" or "ExCellars" offers i.e., while the wines are still off-shore. Such wines will always be part of a special offer and not generally available throughout the site. Please read these offers carefully to establish whether or not our standard shipping times, outlined above, apply.

Can I pay by cheque?

Yes, on the payment option page click on the "offline payment with cheque" option. Once the cheque is received at IFW and cleared, your order is dispatched. Obviously this causes considerable delays as cheques can take up to 5 days to clear. Alternatively you can direct deposit your payment into our bank account. Please contact us at orders@ifw.com.au for details.

My screen says that the security certificate is out of date.

Although this message reads ambiguously, it means that the security certificate in your browser is out of date. For security reasons your browser's security certificate expires after 12 months. The easiest way to remedy this is to download a more recent browser for free. Current versions are easily downloaded by going to the Netscape (www.netscape.com) or Internet Explorer (www.microsoft.com) wesites.

Can I order less than one dozen wines?

Yes, but due to handling costs freight charges will apply. If you order in dozen lots, mixed or straight and delivery is to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Brisbane metro then there is no charge. For freight charges to all other areas please visit our Freight and Delivery page.

When does the case discount apply?

The discount only applies to case purchases of the same wine. This reduces our handling and packaging costs hence the discount.

What kind of licence do you have to sell alcohol?

We have a packaged liquor licence as listed at the base of the home page. Our liquor licence number is 32055336.

How do you verify that your customers are over 18 years of age?

We verify the purchaser's age in the same way that liquor retailers, wineries and wine clubs confirm the age of customers ordering by phone, fax and mail; i.e., we ask new customers to confirm they are more than 18 years of age and we run credit checks on any cards used for purchasing. On top of this, the vast majority of our customers are personally known to us. We are also quite fortunate in so far as, because we do not sell pre-mixed drinks and beer, we are not an establishment that attracts underage drinkers. We have not had a single incident in over 25 years of trading!

I've put through my order but want to change my delivery instructions?

If you wish to make any changes to an existing order, including changing delivery instructions or delivery address, please advise us by email at orders@ifw.com.au and we will email you a return note confirming that the changes have been made. Alternatively you can make the changes yourself the next time you place an order.

Do orders need to have a minimum dollar value?

No. You only need to order in mixed or straight dozen lots if you wish to attract our lowest freight costs (free to many postcodes). You can order any quantity of any product or combination of products, but freight charges may apply.

I'm not sure if my order went through.

You should receive an email confirmation after you have completed your order. If you see the following message on your screen: "Your order was successful however a confirmation email could not be sent to your email address", then we have received your order. In such instances, the problem with your email may be due to either the fact that your email details were incorrectly recorded, or that there was a technical hiccup. Regardless, as stated in the message, your order has definitely reached us. Please email us if you want another confirmation sent.

Does International Fine Wines have a catalogue or a fax listing of their wines?

We currently have well over 1,000 wines listed on the site and this number is growing rapidly. The whole point of the Internet is to have a live and current database rich in information that supercedes the need for printed material. Having said this, we do recognise that some people do not have, or have only sporadic access to, the Internet. To this end, we do send out printed offers to our mailing list on a regular basis and we offer a fax service for new offers. Also we can always help you over the phone. Please call us if you would like to join our mailing list or have any other inquiries.

Can I ship goods outside Australia?

Shipping wine from Australia to most countries is both restricted and very expensive. The freight charge alone on a case of wine costs between A$180 and A$300. If you wish to further investigate cost, duties payable and/or restrictions for a particular destination, please let us know via email.

How is a case defined?

A case is defined as 12 bottles of any size.

CONTACT US |

If you have read through our FAQs and you are still struggling to find an answer to your question(s) please send us an email with your enquiry. Just click on the relevant email address below.
Tracking your order:- orders@ifw.com.au
All other order enquiries:- orders@ifw.com.au
Enquiries about the company:- rwalters@bibendum.com.au
Wine Producer inquiries:- rwalters@bibendum.com.au
Accounts:- orders@ifw.com.au
If your enquiry needs urgent attention, you can phone us on the numbers below during normal business hours (Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5.00pm):
ph. (03) 8415 0206 fax. (03) 8415 0276
Our postal address is:-
International Fine Wines
19-21 Russell Street, Abbotsford, VIC, 3067