Buying wine is what we’ll be focusing on in this installment of our wine 101 guide…
Most wine is bought in supermarkets, probably because they’re the easiest and most accessible option. Many of you likely purchased your few first bottles of wine at them and, attracted by familiar labels and low prices, you keep going back for more.
However, you won’t find much in the way of quality or range of wines at your average supermarket. Despite displaying different labels and originating from different countries you’ll find that they soon start to taste very much the same. This is because they are not the result of small scale agriculture; rather they are industrial products, made in the winery, not the vineyard, to a recipe.
A better option than supermarkets are regional and national wine merchant chains. Relying on these for the supply of some of your wine will result in a great deal more pleasure than shopping only at the supermarket. You’ll be able to find lesser known, higher quality wines. They have substantial buying power which allows them to offer a wide range of wines at prices that compete with supermarkets.
Try out small independent merchants too. In this type of outlet you will usually receive excellent and knowledgeable service and advice. It’s normal for the employees to have tasted the wines on sale, and so you can ask their opinion on any that interest you. Such service just isn’t available at supermarkets.
You also have the option of buying on the internet or through mail order. Rather than choosing from hundreds of wines at a supermarket or wine merchants, you could instead choose from tens of thousands. Delivery normally takes just a few days and postage charges are more than reasonable. For many, this is a perfect way to buy wine.
Alternatively, you could visit, and buy directly from, the wine producers. Meeting the people responsible for the wine and seeing first hand the processes involved in its making is invaluable; no wine review or wine label could possibly be as informative. Whichever wine producer you choose to visit, you’ll find they’ll be more than enthusiastic about you tasting their produce. In addition to being able to taste a multitude of wines, it’s also probable that they’ll be available at prices substantially cheaper than retail stores.
