You don’t necessarily have to be an expert to buy good wine, but we end up using most of our time thinking about which wine to pick from the wide selection available in a wine store, that we miss out on a few important things. A bad purchase can make you double guess your wine choice and wondering what went wrong last time you were at the store, which is why you might want to consider the following tips the next time you’re out to buy wine.

1. Recognize wine flaws at the store
   

This may seem counterproductive, but trying to identify flaws within wine at the store itself will save you a trip back to the retail outlet. Inspect your bottle for any signs of air penetration or cracks. Every bottle must be filled to the neck with a little room below the cork or screw cap known as ullage. Any more than that is usually not a good sign.

2. Be aware of your Store’s Layout

More often than not wines will be organized on the shelves by the country of origin and in most cases the whites are kept separate from the reds. Knowing the specific layout helps make your decision faster and speeds things up for you. Try identifying wines for the times you would like to splurge, and keep in mind that there will be offers like a special discount or a wine and glass combo you might want to know about.

3. Wine storage

A good retail outlet always knows how important it is to keep wine in the right conditions. The quality of the wine can suffer if not handled well in its journey to the store. A few things to look out for is that the wine is stored at a temperature anywhere between 10⁰- 15⁰ C, wine bottles with a cork are stored on its side to keep the cork from drying out eventually oxidizing the wine. A well-lit store is a good sign but a well-lit display around the bottles is probably not, as there is a good chance the wine may develop some unpleasant flavours.

4. Ask for help

This wine tip is always overlooked. Visit retail outlets that  have well trained staff on the floor to help you make the right choice. They are well versed with the range of selection available at the outlet and after answering a few of their questions they might narrow down the choices to help you make your decision which otherwise could be time consuming and may be a bit intimidating.

The bottom line is that buying wine can seem like a task when you are new at it, but the more wines you try out the better you get. So, I would suggest not getting disheartened when you do not like a wine you bought from a store after spending all that time and effort. Instead, take that as a learning curve, remember the tips I mentioned above and have fun while you’re at it. Because at the end of the day isn’t wine all about having a good time?

Vidit Mantri
Tulleeho Beverage Academy