How To Buy Wine

When I first started writing this blog I thought I would stick to a couple topics. I have realized over the last couple of months that my blog has become very random. So here are some random things from this week...

1. I let a gallon of milk go bad. I don’t think I have ever done that in my whole life.

2. People no longer make comments about my first name being “weird” it’s now my last name. Thank you Edward.

3. One of my friends told me this week that when she was in her 30's her mom told her she tried to abort her by riding a horse daily while she was in her first trimester. Apparently that was a myth back in the day. (Honestly I thought it was funny, she laughed but that is totally horrible to tell someone)

4. My friend just moved to PA and she informed me that in PA when you buy a six pack of beer it comes in 7oz bottles and all liquor stores are run by the State but all DMV’s are run independently. It is also illegal to sing in the bathtub. Welcome to PA.

Wine Part 6 brought to you by Quamut:

How to Buy Wine

Like I said before in some states you buy wine in a supermarket or wine stores while in other states local laws say you can only by from specialty stores.

Supermarkets

Pros – Good prices on wines

Cons – Limited in selection usually only has wines from large wineries, also many supermarkets improperly store their wines upright (dries out the cork).

Wine Stores

They suggest finding a good wine store to broaden your wine scope and then ask for advice from the people who work at the store.

Good Selection: The wine in stock should range across different wine types, regions and/or origins, and price.

Good Service: If someone makes you feel dumb for asking questions. Find someone else.

Expertise: Ask someone who has first hand knowledge of tastes and qualities of the wines in the store, they will be able to recommend different wines. They will be able to pick a wine based on your preference of taste, structure or texture. If they recommend a bunch of wines you do not like, find someone else.

Proper storage conditions: Make sure your wine is stored in a cool, dry, dark, constant conditions. Not in direct sunlight or near a cooling source. Wines should be NOT be stored upright.

Good prices: Most time you are willing to spend extra money out of loyalty and appreciation of a certain wine. Be sure to check to make sure the store prices have not been exorbitant.

Wine Rating:
The wine industry rating is as follows, good wine stores should post ratings next to the wines they sell.

95-100 = Extraordinary
90-95 = Excellent
85-89 = Very Good
80-84 = Above Average
75-79 = Average
70-74 = Below Average
69 or below = Poor

If you find a cheap wine with a high rating you may have found a steel. Quamut says to keep in mind that the ratings reflect someone else's taste, and taste is subjective. Just because the rating is high doesn't mean it will be your favorite.