Choosing wine is the topic for this part of our wine guide…
Choosing wine when there are such a multitude of bottles to pick from is no easy task. So, how does someone just getting started in wine know which to choose? The first step, as in all purchases, is to know what you like. Buying the best Pinot Gris available isn’t an ideal purchase if what you really like is Chenin Blanc. Therefore, what you need to do is taste a wine or two from the different types available (Shiraz, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, etc.), and figure out what you like.
Once you’ve found out which wine variety you prefer, you’ll need to delve deeper to know which bottles of it are good and which are just tolerable. Go to your local wine merchant and browse the section that stocks the variety of wine that you decided upon. Check out the blurbs on the wine racks. Discard the “winery notes” supplied by the winemaker (these tend to be marketing material) and instead focus on the handwritten notes provided by the owner (who will be honest as their reputation depends on it).
If there’s one free, ask an employee of the store for assistance. Tell them the type of wine you’re looking for and anything else that is relevant. You can be relatively specific about flavors and tastes that you like or dislike. They’ll have a good understanding of wine, and can make a reasonable guess at what would be best suited for you based on your preferences. They may even offer tastings to let you sample various wines to determine what your favorite is. Take down the details of any recommendations that you don’t purchase, or of any other wines that take your interest. You can then look out for them the next time you dine out or do some internet research on them.
Finally, keep in mind that there is no such thing as a universally perfect wine. It has everything to do with what pleases you. No wine reviewer or shop owner is going to have your exact taste in wine. There’s no guarantee that you’ll like a particular wine even if everyone else seems to love it. Similarly, you may likes wines that no-one else seems to like. So, dont feel overwhelmed when choosing wine; take your time, experiment, ask for advice and do research.
Want to know more about wine? Take a look at our free guide: Wine 101