The time has come. You have decided to stop buying magnums of cheap swill at the local liquor store and have arrived at the wine store located a couple of towns away. After walking in, you decide to roam the store to only discover that there are not a few dozen labels to choose from, but a few dozen Chardonnays from California alone. Then you wander over to the French section and instead of finding the usual suspects in recognizable pretty labels with cartoons and bicycles on them, you instead see sections labeled “Rhone Valley,” “Loire Valley” and “Burgundy.” Until today you thought Burgundy was a jug wine produced in California! By now you think that the best thing to do would be to casually excuse yourself from the store and return to the land of brand name wine. However, that is the worst thing you could do.
Just imagine if you found yourself at a Metro station in Paris and didn’t pick a destination because you didn’t understand the language. Instead of traversing the City of Lights during your stay you instead decided to visit Starbucks each morning and Panera in the afternoon for dinner. How boring and unfortunate your experience would be! Instead of being afraid of a fine wine store (or the large discount variety that stocks thousands of labels), take charge of your wine buying experience with these helpful tips. Having confidence in buying wine begins with a few basic lessons that aren’t as difficult to master as you might imagine.
- Have a specific price range in mind. This is the easiest way to whittle down the list. If you want something between $15-$25, then you have eliminated hundreds of wines that don’t require your investigation. If your budget is more flexible, be prepared to take a bit more time.
- Understand grape varietals. Most wine is made with one varietal and understanding the difference between grapes such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay is the first step. Some wines (Pinot Noir, Barbera, Gamay) are light while some (Merlot, Grenache, Tempranillo) are medium-bodied and others (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Red Zinfandel) are heavy handed.
- Understand wine regions. Wines that come from specific regions generally are of better quality than those from larger regions. For instance, a bottle of Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley is more than likely going to be of higher quality than labeled Sonoma County and most certainly of better quality than one labeled simply as California.
- Enjoy youthful wine. 90% of the wine producer in the world is meant to be consumed within the first year. Now, most fine wine is ageworthy and the finest wines can age for decades. However, if you want a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley that is full of rich fruit, supple tannins and jumps out of the glass – the younger the better. A wise man once said a bottle of wine is better drunk a year too soon than a year too late!
- Check for condition of wine. Check out the bottle of wine before you buy it. Is it full? Is the label and cork in good condition? If the wine is white, has it turned a few shades of gold? And if it’s red, does it appear more brick in color than it should? Chances are the wine has seen better days. Some of the best wines I have ever opened have had old, moldy corks and have lost a bit from their fill level. However, they were meant to be aged and were stored in pristine condition. Chances are the golden-brown 6 year old Viognier from California you have in your hand has seen better days.
- Use the label. Many of the finest wines (especially those from the New World) have a little story on the back. Read the back label for information regarding time in oak, sweetness level and/or other tidbits regarding its origin. Some of the cheapest and most undesirable wines on the planet read have “fresh and sweet fruit on the nose that goes perfect with meat, fish, cheese or any other choice for dinner.” Look for sophistication and be wary of BS.
- Check for importer. By law, all importers have to be listed on the back label of a bottle of wine. Sometimes I walk into a store and choose an unfamiliar wine from an unfamiliar producer, but I buy the wine because I recognize the importer. If the wine is imported by “John Doe Importing, Small Town, New Jersey” you probably don’t want it. The best importers to look out for: Louis/Dressner, Kermit Lynch, Rosenthal Imports, Eric Solomon and Becky Wasserman are a few to keep you busy for awhile.
- Trust your merchant. The best wine stores (and restaurants) have professionals that will work within price range, level of knowledge and desire to learn about new, exciting wines. Any merchant worth their salt will put your desires and needs first while working within an inventory that best suits your needs. If you feel like you have not been given the best guidance, simply find a different store – there are plenty of them.
- REMEMBER WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED! This is by far the most important lesson one can learn when trying to buy wine. Start with a region or grape and learn as much as you can about that region through tasting different selections. If you start to better understand a region or grape, the move onto a particular producer and taste through their wines. Inevitably, you are going to buy a bottle of wine you don’t like – remember that one as well and learn from your mistakes while enjoying a bottle of something different that satisfies your appetite and soul. Once you have developed that pattern – learn it and love it.
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