Tips on Shopping for Wine Birmingham
Tips on Shopping for Wine
Tips on Shopping for Wine
Unless you set out for the wine shop with a specific bottle of wine in mind, you will have to make a buying decision based on limited information. Your goal is to bring home a wine you will like, at a price you feel comfortable with. Sometimes you may end up with a bottle you've had in the past, just because this was the most informed selection you could make.
Getting Information
You can find reviews on wines on TV, in newspapers and magazines and on dedicated wine websites, but sharing your experiences with friends is one of the best ways of gathering recommendations.
Some shops have informative cards on the shelves and many wines have detailed descriptions on the back label. However, these are often composed by the wholesaler or the wineries themselves, and may be little more than marketing hype. Sometimes they might be written by the staff in the shop itself, based on personal tasting and recommendations - these are far more trustworthy, after all, they want you to value their opinion and return there to shop as often as possible.
If you want to know about any of the wines in a shop, ask. If you shop in a merchants with enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff, they will be delighted tell you about their wines.
Many wine merchants hold regular wine tastings. Some are formal occasions, others simply a matter of opening a few bottles for customers to sample during shop hours. Surprisingly few merchants will pressure you to buy any of the wines being tasted, and its certainly a worthwhile opportunity to be able to taste a wine without having to buy it first.
Making a Choice
If you can't get any good information from a shop worker or display, here are some good tips:
- Know a Grape: If you like Pinot Noir but can't find your favourite bottle, you could try a bottle from a different producer.
- Know a Region: If the Chardonnay you like is from Gisborne, New Zealand, try a different Chardonnay from that same region. Climate and soil, terroir, play a big part in winemaking.
- Know a Producer: If you like Cono Sur Pinot Noir from Chile, you may like Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon, since the two wines are made by the same producer, using the same philosophy.
Shop Styles
Although every wine shop is unique, there are two variables that might help you decide which type you should choose.
The first variable is money. Big shops can take advantage of huge-quantity discounts at the wholesale level. The bigger the shop or chain, the bigger the discounts it is likely to receive.
The second variable is expertise. Assistants with expertise cost more money to employ than unskilled personnel. The greater the level of expertise in a shop, the higher the labour cost. Wine shops of any size with excellent service generally cannot afford to offer much of their stock at rock-bottom prices.
1. Specialist Merchants
These companies have built up their contacts with the world's top winemakers, and so are ofte...