Wine Shopping 101 Some people aspire to be world-famous wine writers; others wine industry consultants or perhaps Sommeliers. But the majority of us don’t want to approach wine as a full-time career. Rather, we’d just like to be able to walk into a liquor store and be able to find a wine that we’ll like. But how is a person expected to know what to buy? A trip to the liquor store these days is a lot like a trip to the zoo – look around and you will see kangaroos, koalas, penguins and, yes, even the odd cat peeing on a gooseberry bush. As colourful and entertaining as these label images are, unfortunately they won’t do a darned thing to help us to distinguish the good wines from the bad. As the old saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover, and so goes the story of wine. You need to read the label to know if it will be any good. First off, it’s a good idea when shopping for wine to bear in mind the basics of geography. That is to say, know where the countries are on the globe. This will help you by differentiating the warmer wine regions from the cooler ones as warmer areas tend to produce fuller-bodied wines while cooler regions tend toward more austere styles, or “food wines” as they are sometimes known. The world of wine can be divided into two style categories: Old World and New World. If you are a big fan of one New World wine then chances are you will like others as well. Examples of such producing areas are Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and U.S.A., so look for wines from these countries if you’re already keen on this style. As producers of Old World wines, European countries are more likely to follow the winemaking techniques of their ancestors, resulting in wines of a more traditional nature. Look to Austria, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Spain for examples of historic gems. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and putting wines into categories of flavour profiles simply because of the countries in which they were made simply screams of generalizations. But this article doesn’t aim to give out Masters Degrees on wine, just to give you a general idea of how to find what you like. New World wines will tend to indicate the grape variety on the label more often than Old World wines, so this makes it easier for the devoted fans of Pinot Noir out there as they will often be able to find it clearly written on the front label. But there are Pinot Noirs from the Old World too – look for red Burgundies from France as they are made exclusively of Pinot Noir. Similarly, France’s Loire Valley Whites are made of Sauvignon Blanc and Italy’s Chianti wines are made of Sangiovese. If you’re a Chardonnay fan then try a white Burgundy or a Chablis (unless you’re a fan of the really buttery styled Chardonnay in which case you’d best stick to California and Australia), and if you like Cabernets and Merlots then try a red Bordeaux. Another good tactic is to look closely at a label for an indication of where the grapes are grown. This is not the same as where the winery is by the way, as the winery’s address will often differ from the vineyard designation. If a label is very specific as to the origin of its grapes, then it’s usually a sign that the wine inside the bottle will be good. After all, if the grapes come from somewhere worth bragging about then it’s probably worth trying right? Alternatively, if a wine label does not specify a region of origin but rather it just states the name of a country or a very broad ‘appellation’ like South-Eastern Australia (which covers about a third of the country in territory), then chances are it’s a very ordinary wine indeed. With all these buying tips in mind, it is important to acknowledge once again that every rule has its exceptions and I’m sure that there are many angry winemakers out there reading this article, upset that their wonderful wines slipped through a figurative loophole. But these wines need not go unnoticed; as every good liquor store has good staff on hand to help out with recommendations. So don’t be afraid to ask for help. Additionally, stores often have reviews or ratings posted right on the shelves next to the wines which can be a good guide, or you can turn to magazines like this one for specific descriptions of featured wines that will put you on the right track. On your marks, get set, get shopping!
Sérame Viognier $11 – $13 Penfolds ‘Koonunga Hill’ Chardonnay $14 – $15 Sogrape Mateus Signature $10 – $12 Masi Modello $11 – $13 Naoussa Grande Reserve Boutari $14 – $19 |
