Unsure buyers in Japan can now receive help picking a bottle of wine on Amazon's website.

Amazon Japan last week began offering a free phone consultation with certified sommeliers for customers purchasing wine from its website. The service, available only in Japan and in Japanese, will be offered between noon and 5 p.m. Customers will leave a number and wait for the sommelier to call.

“It depends on how busy the sommeliers are, but typically we believe that they will be able to call back in a few minutes,” a spokeswoman at Amazon Japan said. A sommelier, for example, might recommend the 2008 Beau Rivage or the KWV Classic Collection Pinotage from South Africa for those seeking something to go with their yakitori. The experts can also offer recommendations on the best wines for house parties or those most suitable as gifts, since phone consultation allows personalized assistance, the company said. Amazon Japan offers and delivers about 8,000 types of wine. The company didn't reveal how many sommeliers will be handling the calls, but said all will be certified.

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