Questions about returns and complaints

If you don't like a wine, you can return the unopened bottle (s) without any problem. The purchase costs of this wine will then either be refunded to your bank account, or if you wish, settled with another wine choice or, if desired, deposited into your Loyalty account at Grandcruwijnen.
The address of our warehouse is:

• Grandcruwijnen
• Rijksstraatweg 24
• 3316EH Dordrecht.

We also request that you inform us about the wines you wish to return. This can be done by email: 

[email protected]

You can also call us at:

+31 (0)78 6450615 (available on working days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

You have 14 days to cancel, and after cancellation another 14 days to return the products. We will refund when we have received the goods back, or you have provided proof that you have returned the goods, whichever is the earliest.

For more information, click here. 

Grandcruwijnen is all about satisfied customers. Do you have complaints about our service? Then report them to our customer service. You will receive a sincere answer to your complaint within two working days. Do you believe that your complaint has not been taken care of properly? Then you can submit the complaint to the Thuiswinkel Disputes Committee, to which Grandcruwijnen is affiliated. Do not hesitate to call (078 6450615) or email ([email protected]) us if there is something you do not like concerning our products and services. We always take this very seriously.

You can return the bottles within 14 days after cancellation. If you return opened or damaged bottles, the decrease in value will be deducted from the amount to be refunded. For a 100% refund, the product must be sealed and not opened. Wine which has been unsealed after delivery is excluded from the right of withdrawal for reasons of health protection. As soon as possible, but no later than 14 days after receipt of the cancellation notice, we will refund the amount paid (including shipping costs).

• Wines that have become worse due to storage for too long, and are not intended as wines for storage.
• Wines that have been oxidized by dehydration, or are stored in a storage place that is too dry and/or too warm).
• Wines that have not been purchased from Grandcruwijnen.nl.

Wine is a natural product that 'lives' and it is, therefore, possible that the quality deviates at any time. We will do our utmost to find a good solution, so please contact us immediately. The problem with cork or TCA is that the cause does not always have to come from the bottle. The TCA can also float around in your cellar or storage cupboard and can come from a lesser cork. The bacteria can penetrate through the wine while it is stored, so it can also be caused by an existing bottle (s). If you have cork regularly, you should empty your cellar and disinfect it properly, because the bacteria circulate in the air. Also, regularly changing the filter in a wine storage/fridge should not be overlooked.

We always try to solve this the best way we can, and if the wine has been purchased recently, the likelihoods are that the purchased wine is not good. However, with purchases made a long time ago, this is not possible. We always try to solve this, but we can not give a guarantee. With the more expensive bottles, it often means that you have to send the bottle to us. We can measure the TCA, and if in doubt, we send it to the winery, where we have it analyzed by them (by the way, we do this in all cases if the complaint is somewhat broader, such as; "The wine is not good" or "the wine is oxidized"). The goal is to drop by or send the wine, and if it is confirmed by us and/or the winery, we will reimburse the bottle and the shipping costs. As you can understand, it is difficult to arrange what to do with complaints where the product is no longer present.

What is Cork

Wine may have an off-flavor caused by contamination by a fungus or bacteria that forms 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), which is referred to as "Cork". The contaminated wine might have the smell of a musty or damp cellar due to the TCA bacteria and therefore does not taste good. The TCA bacteria can penetrate through a bad cork from outside the bottle to the wine while it is stored. Estimates of the percentage of wine bottles with the stale cellar smell range from 1% to 15%.

Just because cork floats in the glass does not mean that the wine is contaminated, as is commonly believed. Usually, this is the result of a Cork that is too dry or a badly opened bottle. This does not affect the taste. A little mold on the top of the cork is nothing to worry about either.

The natural cork is often seen as the culprit for the problem of the bad taste in wine. But this is unjustified. It has led many winemakers to use more stoppers made from plastic, pressed cork, or even screw caps. What is often overlooked, is that the problems with wine can have other causes than the natural cork, such as; oxidation, sulfur dioxide, a reducing odor, volatile acidity, 2,4,6-TCA, and microbiological spoilage. Of all these problems, the consumer can say: this wine has TCA. It is, therefore, possible that bottles without natural cork still taste like TCA. It is somewhat due to the wrong method of cleaning in the wine bottling plant itself. It has been found that the chlorine solutions used to sterilize corks were often the culprit, but, since 1996, the use of chlorine solutions has been banned under the "Code of Practice". Alternatively, the use of hydrogen peroxide is allowed.

Since 1995, the cork industry has been taking both preventive and curative measures to suppress the co-production of 2,4,6-TCA. However, the use of plastic stoppers and screw caps has shown that TCA or cellar flavor can have several causes. Cleaning agents based on chlorine products, crop protection agents used in the treatment of cork trees, and cardboard packaging bleached with chlorine compounds are just a few examples of sources of chlorine that can give rise to 2,4,6-TCA.

Have your bottles unexpectedly suffered breakage due to transport or packaging?

Please let us know as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours, via our customer service: +31 (0) 78 6450615.

What exactly does trial warranty entail?

A 45-day trial guarantee applies to Grand Cru wines as standard. In addition to the reflection period, you also have a trial guarantee. This means that you can return your wine if you have ordered several bottles of the same wine. Thanks to our air-conditioned storage, we can be sure of the quality. However, you may experience the wine differently than described by us, because of course, taste is something subjective. When you choose to return your other wine, you will receive a voucher with which you can choose another wine that suits you in our webshop or Wine Warehouse. The Trial Guarantee is an addition to the right of withdrawal and does not affect the legal guarantee mentioned below that applies to all products.

What are the conditions for returning under a trial guarantee?

• With the exception of the opened bottle, return the rest.
  All other bottles will then be reimbursed at purchase value by means of a voucher or via loyalty points on your account with us. Shipping costs are not reimbursed.
• The wine should be returned preferably in the original shipping box in which you also received your wine.
• The trial warranty is valid from 45 days after delivery.
• Before you return your wine (s), please contact our customer service by telephone +31 (0)78 6450615 or by email at [email protected]

Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that a wine is corked (TCA bacteria) or is (incorrectly) oxidized. If you are convinced of this, you can inform us at any time.

You can let us know via [email protected]. The bottle must be at least ¾ full when it is returned and must have been opened recently. Only then will this bottle be eligible for credit.

We cannot resolve this issue solely based on E-mail or WhatsApp contact, because we need to properly evaluate the quality of the wine. This procedure is no different than if you have a complaint about a product that you have purchased from a supermarket or a clothing store.

You also have the option to come by our physical location with the bottle and we will have a look on the spot (for example, we can measure TCA values), but you can also send the bottle together with the invoice to the following address:

Grandcruwijnen
Attn. Department Complaints
Rijkssstraatweg 24
3316 EH Dordrecht

The costs of the return shipment will not be reimbursed unless you make a valid warranty claim. Do you still have complaints about our products or service? Then you can report them to our customer service ([email protected]). We will handle your complaint within the next 2 working days.

Do you believe that your complaint has not been handled properly? Then you can submit the complaint to the Thuiswinkel Disputes Committee, to which Grandcruwijnen is affiliated. You can also contact the European ODR platform in the event of a dispute.

If you are in doubt whether the wine is not your taste and you want to return the unopened bottles, you can. Click here for more information.

We keep our wines in great condition by first storing our wines on locations with climate control, and post order, a fast shipment to the customer. But wine is a natural product that ‘lives’ and, therefore, it is possible that the quality may differ. Also, your experience with the wine may be differently described by us. Taste is subjective and may cause differences in the taste of the wine. (for example, women often experience acids higher on average than men and this alone can make a big difference in taste perception).

In these cases, you are not applicable for a refund:

• Wines that have become bad due to storing them for too long and/or if the wine was intended to be drank young.
• Wines that have been oxidized by dehydration or are stored in a place that is too dry and/or too warm
• Wines that have not been purchased from Grandcruwijnen.nl

We cannot refund wines that have been purchased from us a long time ago. Wine is a natural product and is alive and strongly dependent on how it is stored (light humidity, UV light, temperature, vibrations). Of course, we will always do our best in the event of a mistake and take this up with the winery to see what can be arranged. Be sure to take the storage space for your wines seriously. This can have a significant effect on the quality of your wine.