Buying Wine At The Wine Store

Walk into a wine store and you see all those hundreds of bottles everywhere. You want to buy wine and you ask yourself - “Where do I start?” I’ll tell you where.

To size up a store, you need to answer the following questions:

• Do they sell wine exclusively?
• Are they a large or small store?
• Will the store have the proper expertise to assist you in your choices?
• How do their prices compare to other stores?

There are four types of wine stores:

• Small specialty shop. Usually run by someone who has wine in their blood. Chances are good that they handpick the wines they sell. So, it is likely that you will find many good wines there. There are two other advantages to this small shop. One is that they will sell accessories as well so that becomes one-stop shopping for your wine needs. Secondly, sometimes they will have occasional tastings so you get the chance to sample before you buy.

  The downside to the specialty shop is that you may pay extra for their expertise. However, it may be worth the price. Another downside is that you may not find mainstream wines there and if you do, they will be pricey because they don’t buy them in volume. But let’s face it, you don’t go there to buy mainstream wine.

• Small wine department in a supermarket or convenience store. Here’s is where you get your mainstream wine at a more reasonable price. They will only stock what sells. And don’t expect to find fine wine here or any expert staff person to assist you. However, I’ve made quick stops here to buy a reasonable wine on the fly to a party. You can sometimes find decent $10 - $20 wines here and that’s all you need under the circumstances.
• Large specialty wine store. Offering expertise and a large selection, these are stores that specialize in wine and other liquor. For these reasons, I find these stores a good place to buy a good wine. If you want a mainstream wine, you’ll find it. If you want a hard to find Bordeaux, you may find that, too. Some even have a separate room with hard to find higher-end wines.

  And their staff can be helpful because that is all the store sells. Their prices can be higher since many of those wine bottles sit on their shelves for a while before being sold. They also have all the staff and overhead to operate the store.

• Wholesale stores. These are the Costco’s and Sam’s Clubs of the world. Due to the sheer volume they sell, their prices are quite reasonable. You can buy by the case or truckload if you like.

  The selections are also good but not quite up to par with the specialty stores. They are more interested in moving large quantities of the mainstream wines and thus stock more. But there are some bargains to be found if you are willing to look. Also, the staff will not be all that knowledgeable.

• Will not expose its bottles to excessive light or heat
• Will store its bottles on the side to keep the corks moist
• Will have a good selection and variety of wines from around the world
• Will be thoughtfully organized. Some will organize by varietal. Some will organize by region. Some will organize by taste (sweet in one section, oaky in another section, full bodied in another section, etc.).
• Will not have dust on the bottles
• Will have a knowledgeable staff
• Will not have excessively old or excessively cheap wines. They may trying to dump crummy wine.

If you have an idea of what you’re looking for, just head on over to where they have it. Assuming that you are in a specialty wine store, don’t be shy about asking the staff for help.

At this point, I will assume that you have a fair idea of what you are looking for and why.

• Do you want white or red?
• What kind of white or red?
• Wine for dinner or just for a party?
• What food do you plan to have with it?
• Gift for someone else?
• Curious about a particular wine?

And so on. Knowing as precisely as possible what you want will determine where best to find it and the staff person can help you do just that.

When talking to the staff person about a particular wine, ask if it is suitable for your needs mentioned above. Ask for a description of the wine. Ask what is special about it. Ask if it’s ready to drink now or if it needs to be aged. Here are some additional tips, strategies, tidbits, and guidelines:

• Whenever you taste a good wine, jot down the particulars like the varietal, vintage, producer, and region. Then you can look for that wine the next time you shop.
• If a desired wine is not available, ask if there is another wine that is similar. You may even like that one more.
• Keep an open mind and experiment. And do not be embarrassed about any lack of knowledge.
• If you want to purchase a highly rated and popular wine, try to find out when the shop will be receiving it and get there early.
• Check out less popular varietals. Cabernets and chardonnays are great, but try malbec or grenache or viognier or pinot gris. A personal favorite is Barbera. Quite good but not highly sought out.
• Try less prestigious regions. Again, Napa and Tuscany are great, but try Loire Valley or Sicily or Argentina or Chile.
• Check out “second labels”. These are wines that a winery deems to come up a little short to qualify for its primary label. But, it still may be quite good and sell for less. Look at the fine print near the bottom of label for a clue as to where it is produced or ask a knowledgeable staff person. A couple of examples are Carruades de Lafite from the renowned Chateau Lafite-Rothschild winery. Another is Hawk Crest from Stag’s Leap.
• Check out lesser known producers from great vintages. For example, 2005 was great for Bordeaux and 2007 for California wines. Chances are good that buying any wines from those vintages will work. And buying from the lesser producer may save some money.
• Buy by the case. While you would get a deeper discount by buying a case of the same wine, you can also get a discount by mixing and matching.
• Specialty wine store staffers should have a personal knowledge of the wines and not rely solely on ratings.
• Avoid the refrigerated wines. They could have been in there for months and thus may be numb and flat. Buy it off the shelf and cool it down yourself.

With a little knowledge, you’ll shop for wine like a kid in a candy store.

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