PORTHOS FAQS

Shipping Information

Due to interstate shipping regulations that remain, Porthos cannot ship wine to all 50 states. Thankfully, these laws are changing rapidly, but if you need wine shipped to a state that is currently prohibited (UT, MS, ND, NH and SD), please contact us directly in order to make other arrangements.

Porthos reserves the right to hold shipment of your wine during extreme weather conditions to avoid any risk of damage to these outstanding wines.

Porthos guarantees that all bottles are shipped from our facility in the California wine country in pristine condition. Porthos cannot be responsible for damage caused to wine (including leakage or popped corks due to weather conditions) during the shipping process to you or a requested gift recipient in the normal course of business.

Porthos cannot be responsible for wine damaged by a shipper or inappropriate storage and handling on the part of the buyer (applies 30 days after delivery), although we will make a reasonable effort to resolve any disputes.

Wine shipments require a signature by someone 21 yrs of age or older. Our carriers will only make three attempts to deliver and you are responsible for the cost of returned or undeliverable items. For this reason, we strongly recommend delivery to a business.

Wines returned to us by the carrier for any reason beyond our control will be subject to a 25% restocking fee. Shipping costs (both original and return) will be deducted from your refund. Reasons include but are not limited to:

• Incorrect or insufficient address provided by by the customer.
• Refusal by the recipient.
• Recipient was not available when delivery was attempted.
• Recipient fails to pick-up at a carrier-designated facility following attempts to deliver.
• An adult of at least 21 years was not available to sign for and receive the delivery.

Porthos reserves the right to refuse sales if we deem it to be inappropriate and/or unsafe.

Refund Policy

Porthos offers full refunds for wines in the rare situation when a Porthos wine concierge personally recommends a wine to a collector and that client does not enjoy the wine after sampling upon receipt. For all other situations, a restocking fee of 30% of the amount of the purchase will apply (e.g. cancelled orders, returns for special orders directly from the winery, etc.). If a wine is damaged during shipping (e.g. broken) due to UPS or FedEx neglect, a full refund will be offered. However, please note that neither UPS nor FedEx offer refunds due to weather damage (e.g. cork leakage due to heat or cold) so please make sure the weather conditions at (and en route to) your shipping destination are suitable to receive wine and, if not, contact Porthos to request temporary wine storage.

Return Policy

If you're not happy with a purchase of one of our recommendations, we'll do what it takes to make it right. We ask our customers to acknowledge that wine is a living thing, easily bruised, damaged, or destroyed in a variety of ways. All wine sold by us is maintained at optimum conditions. We consider wine to be out of our control once it has been successfully delivered and you've had a reasonable amount of time to sample it. We cannot be responsible for improper storage (storing on top of your refrigerator, in your car, next to your over, for example). Know your palate. Older wines (ten years or more) may differ from their characteristics on release - and still be great wines. If you purchase older wines, be patient and allow your mind - and the wine - to open. We cannot accept returns for sound wines that do not coincide with personal tastes. In general, Porthos will make every effort to resolve any wine issues to your satisfaction.

Billing/Timing Policy

The majority of wine orders from Porthos will be fulfilled, shipped*, and billed to your credit card within 14 days of ordering. Normally, your credit card will be billed the same day as the wine is shipped. However, this timing may differ for rare imports (including "futures"), highly-allocated wines, wine clubs and special request orders. For those orders, your credit card may be billed earlier to secure the wine. Please note: special request orders may not be guaranteed 100% prior to billing.

*Depending upon weather at destination. In cases of extreme conditions, we may suggest holding your order in our temperature-controlled cellar (a complimentary service for our VIP clients for up to 90 days) until temperate conditions pose no risk of damage to your wine order.

Pre-Order Policy

Occasionally, we offer our most highly-sought-after wines to our loyal clients on a pre-order basis before the wine is released. We believe this is the most democratic manner in which to guarantee quantities of particular wines desired by our clients. In order to guarantee the wine purchase, Porthos will charge the client for wine, shipping and sales tax (if applicable) at the time of the order. At that time, Porthos will advise the client of the estimated shipping date. Then, Porthos will notify the client once the pre-ordered wine ships. Timing may range from several weeks to a few months before the winery delivers their wine to us.

Is Porthos a Discount Wine Retailer?

At Porthos, we never claim to have the absolute cheapest prices on every wine because we have found that some competitors occasionally misprice items and/or bait and switch pricing on a few bottles of a big name wine that happens to mysteriously sell out when a purchase is attempted. Porthos provides competitive retail pricing on featured wines to offer our members a fair deal and avoid any price gouging on our rarest selections. In most situations, if you find a wine priced significantly lower in a legitimate offer from a competitor, Porthos will strive to match that offering.*

*Depends on availability. Price will be matched once we receive confirmation of the lower price.

How Does Porthos Provide Value to Wine Lovers?

Our #1 focus at Porthos is providing the finest personalized service to our discriminating clientele. The majority of Porthos members are serious wine collectors that place a premium on our ability to customize recommendations and source rare wines that they will personally enjoy. We have learned that a big rating or the cheapest price for a particular wine is not a true value to a thirsty wine lover if they do not enjoy the actual bottle.

Legal Age

By submitting an order to Porthos Ventures, Inc., you are also submitting that you are 21 years of age or older and legally able to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages. Wines may be delivered to persons 21 years of age or older only. You will be asked to provide positive ID by the shipper or carrier. Porthos is not responsible for the return of shipments due to lack of positive ID and return shipping charges are your responsibility. All wine is sold in the State of California, and the title passes to the buyer in California. Porthos makes no representation to the legal rights of anyone to ship or import wine into any state outside of California. By placing an order with us, you are stating to us that you are in compliance with your local laws governing alcoholic beverages.