Founder Rowan Gormley said: "Between 40-70% of the price customers pay for wine (exc. taxes) is dead money... the cost of selling, financing, picking it up, putting it down again, packaging, storage, risk, wastage.

"From next week, our customers will be able to eliminate this 40-70%, by booking their wines in advance, just like an airline seat.

“In addition to the cost savings, this model will also mean an explosion in consumer choice - and a risk-free new route to market for producers.

“If you look at Australia, for example, only 1/3 of producers currently export their wines to the UK. The barriers to entry are formidable - with hundreds of upfront costs, and no guarantee of making any money.

“It's a gamble that most winemakers cannot afford to take - but by inviting winemakers to sell their wines BEFORE they incur any cost, Naked Wines is removing this barrier."

The new service, which includes wines from the Barossa Valley, Marlborough and South Africa, coincides with a Naked Wines' website re-launch, featuring new ratings and recommendation functionality.

To find out more about the new service, called Advance bookings, visit http://www.nakedwines.com/advancebooking