Wine Habbits - Chime in!

This is a place to talk about your wine shopping habits, good and bad. What prevents you from trying something new every time? What are some fall-back wines if you are overwhelmed at the store? Are there people whose wine recommendations you will trust without trying the wine yourself first? (Insert your question here)?
I must admit, the reason for this forum is in part selfish because I want to know how I can help people try new wines and to care more about where the wine they drink comes from. But know that I will only use the knowledge I gain here for constructive purposes.
There is nothing inherently wrong with having 2-buck chuck as your fall-back, or standard wine purchase. I just know from working in the industry that there are SOOOO many other wines at any price range that can be a much more fulfilling experience.
Leave snobbery at the door. This is not the place. This is for newcomers and connoisseurs alike, as long as you can enter this discussion with an open mind and a respectful attitude.

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Permalink Reply by Stacy Buchanan on April 6, 2009 at 10:35am: Well, the one thing I'd say, is try to not have the knee-jerk reaction, but take an extra minute to browse when you're shopping for wine.

Argentina is known for it's great Malbec, Washington state is known for amazing riesling, Spain has Tempranillo on lock-down, etc... but not every producer in these respective areas can maintain the status quo of varietal excellence.

So next time you see a Pinot Grigio from Delle Venezie, Italy... or a Cab Suav from Bordeaux, France... don't jump on it, take an extra second or two to discern and see if there are any others from that area that are truly superior.

Rant over. :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Angela Locati on April 8, 2009 at 2:21pm: An interesting stat on wine buying habits:

Women buy more of the wine in a household. Men buy the more expensive bottles of wine.

For me? I am a creature of habit, I like Italian varietals and so that's what I buy and seek out to try. However; wine tasting on Wednesday at Vintage Cellars is a great way for me to try new wines. I can't go out when other wineries are open because so is our winery.

As far as a fall-back wine: I tend to buy Sleight of Hand: Spellbinder because it was awesome, affordable, and yes, had an Italian kick. Other great ones I fall back on are from Abacela, everything from Malbec, Tempranillo, and Syrah to their red blends. These wines are always easy to drink and under $20.00.

I only buy expensive wines as gifts for others. For me they have to be really rare or special like Insania, by Geoff Tate, which isn't that expensive but still $35.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sue Redenbaugh on April 10, 2009 at 12:15pm: I just tried 2 new wines from a big box store - I picked medium prices ($10-$12) and chose Australian wines thinking I would get more for my money that way.....wrong! They are pretty bad in my opinion - chemically tasting, rough - one is a Shiraz, one is a Sauvignon Blanc (which is slightly better) - their only redeeming quality is that basically they are alcohol so the more you drink the less you care! I'll get the names if you want to know what they are. I was very disappointed! My fallback - Kendall Jackson Sauvignon Blanc or Edna Valley Chardonnay for every day.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Erica Walter on April 10, 2009 at 12:23pm: Isn't it strange how cheap white wine somehow isn't as bad as cheap red wine. I mean, more often than not. There are some good'uns and bad'uns in just about every price category, but bad white wine tends to be more palatable than bad red wine. I wonder why that is?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jon Wollenhaupt on April 15, 2009 at 8:48am: I tend to frequent two wine shops in San Francisco almost exclusive because of the great personal service they provide. The two stores are the Jug Shop on Russian Hill and The Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant. Because of the on staff expertise, I will try almost anything they recommend. I often tell Florie at the Jug Shop or Debbie Zacharias at the Ferry Plaza that I'm looking to expand my horizon and want to try something new. I trust their palates and knowledge. I will sometimes try something new based on a review in the Wine Spectator, but I most often go to my experts. Florie at the Jug Shop is an Italian wine expert and has taught me so much over the years. The weekly Wednesday night wine tastings at the Ferry Plaza are an awesome way to learn and be exposed to new wines. You always have the chance to chat casually with the host wine maker or expert. Tonight's host is Luciano Landi, "Master of the Marche". Maybe I''ll see you there.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Stacy Buchanan on June 4, 2009 at 11:42am: Jon, I think you bring up an awesome point: personal service. That's often times how I buy a lot of wine: referrals from friends or family (or like in your case a trusted source). Of course it helps if they aren't breaking my bank ;) haha... But seriously, I wish there were wine shops around Walla Walla like you described in your area.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Elena Abbott on April 20, 2009 at 7:14pm: OK Sasha... I hope you meant it when you said you want the embarrassing truth for constructive purposes. And I only admit this because I want your suggestions and a guiding hand. When I am overwhelmed in the wine aisle or store, I tend to turn around and buy a 6-pack of beer. I know this doesn't make sense, because at $9 a pop for a good 6-pack there are a gazillion excellent wine choices behind me for a similar price. But I know $9 beer like the back of my hand and know so little about similarly-priced wine. I know how to avoid bad beer. But I don't know how to weed out bad wine, except by trying it. And who wants to bring home a nasty bottle by accident? Can you give me some recommendations or tips?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Laurence Davidson on April 21, 2009 at 6:42pm: My recommendation is to experiment with your local shops ad find out who's recommendations fit with your palate. If the retailer is not asking you questions, or seems too quick on the draw, they are not really paying attention to you. As a past retailer, I looked at each customers palate as a key to understanding what makes them tick - not only when it comes to food, wine, beer, sake, etc... but in life in general.

With that said, I am a bad candidate for this discussion. I tend to geek out a bit - I follow the vintage reports pretty carefully twice a year and make a little note to myself. For instance, if Argentina is having a great year - 2006 is a good example - I know that almost everything I pick up, whether it's $9 or $50 a bottle, is going to be pretty darned good. Will they all fall into line with what I like? More than likely not. But at least I know the quality will be there and that's really what I look for when tasting. In reverse, I know that 2008 was a disaster for Bordeaux. I will not experiment with these wines even though it is very true that in bad years, great winemakers will still produce something worthwhile. I will wait to see what the bargains are and read some reviews rather than subject myself to being the guinea pig. Nothing like a tart, thin, sour Bordeaux to put me in a foul mood ;)

My fall back wine? Vieille Ferme COtes du Ventoux ina box! It rox!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Allison Bennett on April 22, 2009 at 2:41pm: It is great to meet you all here!
The trick is to find a GREAT wine at a GREAT PRICE ($20 and under) that tastes like a $50. bottle! Share it with friends with great food, great conversation and great memories!
A great way to try new wines is to join a wine club. Find one that is no commitment and has a great price! Ours is only $28.50 for 2 bottles a month and NO commitment! The greatest thing is that if you don't like a wine, we'll replace it for free (and you keep the original bottle!) Cancel anytime.
We are in the top 5% in the world.
Check out my website and try it out! I know you will not be disappointed (I will even give you a 3rd bottle for FREE with your first shipment) www.TheWinePrincess.com; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jessyca Frederick on May 20, 2009 at 11:59am: I think a buying strategy is in order if you're trying to break the habit of always buying your fallback wine.

I recently wrote about my personal buying strategies at my blog. My two main strategies include how to get values at the grocery store and how to buy using the Wine Spectator Vintage Ratings chart.

Personally, I like having some fallbacks around because sometimes those experiments go awry and after you pour a bottle of undrinkable wine down the sink you need a trusted friend to drown your sorrows in!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sasha Bobylev on June 2, 2009 at 11:19am: It's Wine tasting season. I realized this about myself: Instead of tasting through 10 wineries, I prefer to visit 2-3, buy a bottle, and sit in beautiful wine country with friends, watch my dog run around and chase butterflies or play with winery dogs, and drink a nice bottle of vino. Life doesn't get much better than that.; ▶ Reply to This