FAQs mobile
FAQs
NEW MEMBERS
WHAT IS SIPS?
Put simply: We’re your go-to destination for Europe’s most exciting natural wines, artisanal beers, and more.
HOW DOES SIPS WORK?
Browse our site that takes you from the Rhine River in Alsace to the hills of Abruzzo. Our handy Tasting Dials will help you choose the perfect drop for your mood. Then, select your preferred delivery date and time and we’ll have it dropped to your doorstep on the same day if you're in Berlin or next day Germany wide. Easy, right?
IS SIPS A DELIVERY SERVICE?
Sips is a bottle shop and delivery service, offering much more than a bricks and mortar store. The Sips content and service offering helps our producers share their passions with the world. And you can visit their vineyards without leaving the sofa.The people we represent put their blood, sweat and fears into their products.
HOW DO I CONTACT SIPS?
Whatever it is, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at hello@sipsberlin.com
NATURAL WINE
WHAT IS NATURAL WINE?
We’re glad you asked. Natural wines are alive. In simple terms, there are no chemicals sprayed on the vineyards, grape juice is fermented with natural yeasts occuring on fruit skins, and minimal sulfites are added during vinification
WHAT IS ORANGE WINE?
It’s delicious, that’s what it is! And no, it’s not made from oranges. Orange wine is made from white wine grapes, except the skins have been left in with the grape juice to macerate for a given time at fermentation.The longer you leave the skins, the deeper the colour of the wine. The wine world also refers to this as skin contact wines which occur with both white and red grapes.
WHAT IS FUNKY WINE?
Natural wines are the James Brown of the wine world. They bring the funk. And they’re a little hard to pin down. At times the taste has umami elements. Sometimes it's smoky. Other times it’s like hay bales and barnyards (yes, really). Above all, a funky wine is “unconventional”. When done well, funk can be the plot twist in a wine that’ll make you want to jump and jive.
IS NATURAL WINE BETTER FOR YOU?
Yes it’s still alcohol so one must always approach with caution BUT, there are no additives in natural wine which means some argue it is better for you. You are drinking fermented grape juice, nothing else. It’s better for the planet too, so you feel better for consuming it.
IS NATURAL WINE BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
Hell yeah! Our producers farm with careful consideration. That means no chemicals or pesticides are used on the vineyards, so there are less unwanted chemical compounds building up in the soil and the atmosphere. They also regenerate their land the natural way, with a wide plant and species biodiversity.
DOES NATURAL WINE HAVE SULFITES?
Absolutely everything has naturally occurring sulfites. The differences arise if you are adding sulfites during the winemaking process to stabilise the wines. In natural wines either none at all or very minimal sulphites are added at the last stage but the presence of this doesn’t disqualify a bottle from the natural wine world. To get technical, it’s usually around 10-35 parts per million is deemed an acceptable amount whereas in the US, conventional winemakers are legally allowed to add 350 parts per million. Wild right?
SHOULD I BUY NATURAL WINE ONLINE?
Well, yeah of course. We also know it can be both overwhelming and intimidating walking into a hip natural wine shop and not know what the hell to ask for. You can enjoy ordering through Sips in the comfort of your own home, and our tasting dials will guide you to choose the right wine for you.
HOW OLD DO I HAVE TO BE TO DRINK NATURAL WINE?
18 years old, Europe wide. Sorry kids, this ones not for you.
DELIVERY
WHERE DO SIPS DELIVER?
For local deliveries, the Sips fleet delivers across a 10km radius from our HQ in Kreuzberg, to most parts of central Berlin. Try entering your postcode on the checkout page to see if we deliver to you. Outside of Berlin, we deliver across Germany and the rest of Europe.
HOW LONG DO SIPS TAKE TO DELIVER?
If you're in Berlin, you’ll be able to select a delivery slot on the same day of your order, so fill your basket and see when we can get to you to find out. If you're outside of our local delivery area, standard shipping times apply.
WHAT ARE THE DELIVERY COSTS?
Local delivery costs €4,00.
CAN I GET NATURAL WINE DELIVERED IN BERLIN?
We’re here to save the day. We deliver same day for most parts of Berlin. Better yet, we also offer scheduled deliveries so we will only deliver to you at your preferred time slot. Visit our delivery & returns page to find out more.
HOW CAN I GET NATURAL WINE IN GERMANY?
Through us of course and we offer a next day delivery service. Visit our delivery & returns page.
IS SIPS A SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE?
We have options dependent on your mood. You can order one time only but we know you’ll be coming back for more. We also offer monthly, quarterly and twice-yearly deliveries that can be cancelled at any time. With the subscription service, we curate the box for you so you will gain the cream of the natural wine crop. See our subscription offering here.
WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE THE WINE I GET DELIVERED?
We doubt it. But if you have any questions or concerns about the flavours, drop us a line on hello@sipsberlin.com.
SIPS CUSTOMER SERVICE
HOW DO I CHANGE MY SIPS ORDER?
If you need to amend your order, reach out to us via the online chat or through our contact email hello@sipsberlin.com.
HOW CAN I REACH SIPS CUSTOMER SERVICE?
If you need to reach sips customer service, you can reach out to us via the online chat or through our contact email hello@sipsberlin.com
IS THERE A MINIMUM ORDER VALUE?
There is a minimum order value of €35. Considering the distances the wine will travel to your door, we hope you’ll pre-plan and get a couple of bottles to see you through.
WHAT IF I DON’T ENJOY NATURAL WINE?
Don’t panic, there is nothing wrong with you if you don’t enjoy natural wines. It can be a shock to the system at first, after drinking conventional wines for a long time, in most cases it’s the good kind of shock. We wish you the best on finding something that fits your taste like how natural wine fits our taste.
WHAT PAYMENT OPTIONS ARE THERE?
We accept all major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard and Maestro. We also accept paypal as a payment method.