So Many wines, So Little Time...
HOW CAN YOU SELECT A WINNER!

"Remember what grapes you like best, what area they usually come from,
and what price range fits your budget and taste."

   The first thing you should think about is what you like in a wine. It’s as simple as what grape you usually enjoy, whether you like the taste to be lighter or heavier, and if possible, what taste descriptions are usually given to the wine that you drink. For example, knowing if you like a Riesling that tastes sweeter or one that tastes lighter and not so sweet, can be a big help when choosing a new Riesling.
  Wine descriptions on a menu, or on the back of the bottles,  or on the description tags that sometimes hang in front of the bottles can give you clues as to the style of a wine. There are red Zinfandels that are described as “rich and smooth,” and there are others described as “peppery and food friendly.”   Remembering the taste that you like helps determine which Zinfandels you would be happy with.
  If reading the description of a wine leaves you baffled and confused as to whether the Chardonnay you would like is the one that is “fresh peaches and apples” or the one that is “buttery,” then there is another way to help you make your choice: The ratings a wine has received from a recognized wine magazine or wine critic . The problem with this method is that certain magazines will rate a wine higher or lower depending on how much that winery advertises in their magazine. Or your palate simply may not be similar to that of the wine critic.
  In these cases, it is trial and error when relying on a particular magazine’s or critic’s ratings of “90 point” wines. But if you try  wines that are rated highly by your source of choice and you enjoy those wines, you have a very reliable method of picking rated wines that you will like.
  Some of the best wine rating sources  are Wine and Spirits magazine, the Wine Enthusiast magazine, the Wine Spectator magazine, and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. All of them have rating sheets or inserts that describe and rate the wines that the panel or individuals have tasted and scored. They are the most common ratings posted on wines in your local wine shops.
  What about the wines that don’t have a rating or a description? This is where your knowledge of what you like becomes important. Remember what grapes you like best, what area they usually come from, and what price range fits your budget and taste.
  The wine steward or owner of a fine restaurant will know the wines they offer and will be glad to assist you in making a decision. Many wine shops or grocery stores have  wine buyers who know most of the wines they sell. They will help you pick out a wine they think you’ll enjoy based on what you have described to them of your preferences.
   There isn’t any other source as informative as your nearby wine tasting shops. Whenever you have the chance to sample wines, you will benefit greatly from remembering to save your preferences in a book, journal, or by simply making a note to yourself. The important facts to remember are what the wine was, how it tasted, what winery made it and what area it was from. The more you know about the wines you like, the easier it becomes to buy a wine that you haven’t tried and know that you’ll most likely enjoy it. Picking a wine is not an exact science, but when you have knowledge of the descriptions that fit your wine tastes, you will have the ability to recognize those words on the label or description tags, or the wine score or critic rating that you can rely on to purchase with confidence.