General guide for picking wine at your local grocery store

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her209

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
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How do you pick which vineyard to buy your wine from if you don't know anything about them?
 
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djheater

Lifer
Mar 19, 2001
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I'm going to guess this thread will be full of people telling you never to buy wine from a grocery store.

Fvck them.

I buy a couple cases of anything under $5. If any of them are any good, I go back and buy 6-12 bottles of that one. 'course my family drinks a fair bit of wine so this strategy might not be effective for you.
 
glenn1

glenn1

Lifer
Sep 6, 2000
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If you know nothing at all about wine, you can use trial and error until you find one you like. If you do know a little about wine, you can generally look for vineyards that grow the varietals you like in the geographic area that works best for them. For example, if I'm looking for a red, I can narrow the scope down quickly by looking for a pinot noir produced in Willamette Valley.
 
K

kt

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2000
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Nothing wrong with buying wines from grocery store if they got what you want.
 
Zim Hosein

Zim Hosein

Super Moderator | Elite Member
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Nov 27, 1999
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Originally posted by: her209
How do you pick which vineyard to buy your wine from if you don't know anything about them?
Click to expand...

I am not a big :wine: drinker so when I need to buy some, I stay away from the grocery store and visit my local liquor store because I know that all I have to do is tell them my price range and they help me pick the best selection based on my needs. This is something that you really can't find at a grocery store in my experience her209.
 
K

kt

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2000
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If you really need to enlist help with picking a wine, I suggest going to BevMo! (if there's one around your area) because they have a fairly large selection and staff to help you narrow down the selection based on your taste.
 
Cdubneeddeal

Cdubneeddeal

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2003
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It can be very difficult to choose a good/decent bottle of wine from a grocery store. And don't even bother asking for help as most stores do not have a wine snob in house. However, you really can't go wrong with a wine that is made in South Africa or Italy. If they are really made in those two countries, they will be stamped accordingly (Red paper on the rim for Italian). Buying a domestic wine can be more difficult as there are so many vineyards in the U.S.
 
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rival

Diamond Member
Aug 19, 2001
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Few grocery stores here have some little info booths about wine and such where you can easily find out what goes well with what
 
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sjwaste

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Aug 2, 2000
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I use the trial and error method. I come from an Italian family, so we always had a lot of that in the house, but lately I've found that I'd rather pay $5-7 a bottle and make it an adventure. I tend to try South American or Australian wines, since I've found the most bargains there in that price range. If you're at the supermarket and want something cheap and almost certain to be drinkable, I've had more hits than misses w/ Chilean wines.

If I'm going to spend more, I try to go somewhere w/ either someone else, or a place who'll have an employee that can help me. For the amount of wine that I drink, I should probably know more, but I don't :)
 
her209

her209

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Oct 11, 2000
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How do wines from Napa Valley compare to wines from other regions such as South America? Does it matter when you are comparing two brands of the same types of wine?
 
CallMeJoe

CallMeJoe

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Jul 30, 2004
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I always go for the box with the most colorful art work. Everyone knows the best wines have the nicest labels.
 
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biggestmuff

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Mar 20, 2001
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1. Pick a bottle based on the label's write up, how nice the label looks and the price.
2. Drink wine
3. If you like it, buy it again.
4. Profit?

BLUF: sample many wines to narrow the list to your liking.

EDIT: Wait a sec. I just saw another post you made in another thread. You're from Fresno. Can't you find a local vineyard or winery nearby? Some of them have classes that teach these things.
 
edro

edro

Lifer
Apr 5, 2002
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I love Pepperwood and Twin Fin Cabernets. Each are under $8.
You just to need to try a bunch when they are on sale, and stick with what you like.
 
her209

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
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Originally posted by: edro
I love Pepperwood and Twin Fin Cabernets. Each are under $8.
You just to need to try a bunch when they are on sale, and stick with what you like.
Click to expand...
I don't know what I like. I've only tried Merlot and its a bit bitter. I think I'm more of a white wine guy.
 
Cdubneeddeal

Cdubneeddeal

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2003
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Originally posted by: her209
Originally posted by: edro
I love Pepperwood and Twin Fin Cabernets. Each are under $8.
You just to need to try a bunch when they are on sale, and stick with what you like.
Click to expand...
I don't know what I like. I've only tried Merlot and its a bit bitter. I think I'm more of a white wine guy.
Click to expand...

Try Pinot Noir then. Very smooth and most have a nice aftertaste of red cherries. Very delish.
 
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SampSon

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2006
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Since you're not really into wine, you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between good and bad, let alone vineyards.

Your best bet is to go to a store that is geared towards wine and talk to them. Sample as much as you can and ask the people who run the place.
Or you could always go with the trial and error method, which usually works really well.
 
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