Unless you intimately know your Cabernet-Sauvignon from your Beaujolais, a wine shop and even the wine shelves at the supermarket can seem like a confusing place. So many countries, so many regions, so many grapes and so many prices. It isn’t easy to get the best for your money and taste buds without a little know-how.
The first step to making a good choice when buying wine is to approach the purchase in the same was as any other purchase – you need to know what you like and what you don’t like. Even if the wine shop owner finds you the best Pinot Noir in your budget, you are not going to like it if your preference is for a sweet, fruity white.
If you have trouble knowing what you like – for example, if you only usually order a medium house red or white at a restaurant – try experimenting with a few wine varieties instead of ordering house wine with your meals. By experimenting, you will quickly begin to develop a nose for wine. It would be wise to remember that wine tasting has little to do with the perfect wine, but everything to do with what pleases your palate. You might discover that you have a taste for Merlot in a restaurant but when you walk into a wine shop you become baffled by the choice. The real difficulty is finding out which ones are good within your budget and which are scraping the barrel, or cask.
Go to your local wine shop and look over their Merlot selection. Your budget will narrow down your choice considerably, so decide how much you want to spend and then see what you can get for your money. As a rule, good, aged reds deserve a little extra spend, but you can get away with spending slightly less for a good young white.
Check out the blurbs on the wine racks. You can usually discard the winery notes supplied by the winemaker as these are, of course, marketing material written with the sole purpose of getting you to buy their bottle. Your best guideline is the handwritten notes put there by the wine retailer. These are obviously all designed as a marketing tool, but the wine shop has its reputation to think about, so any recommendations are likely to be honest.
If there is a wine shop assistant available, ask their advice. Explain what kinds of wines you have tried and liked in the past. Tell them one wine that you love and one that you hate and ask them what type Merlot they think you might enjoy. If you are planning an Italian meal with robust flavours, this should also influence their recommendations for you, so tell them as much as you can.
Most importantly, remember that what you enjoy is your personal preference. No wine reviewer or shop owner is going to have your exact taste in wine. Learn what types of wines you enjoy and keep a note of them. It is also useful to get to know your local wine shop so they can get to know what recommendations will be suited to you.