Help for the anxious, freaked-out wine shoppers

I came across this piece and immediately knew I had to share it with you, since many had mentioned the deer-in-the-headlights look you have when shopping for wine. 🍷

The snippets are below -- please refer to the full article for the whole enchilada.

Mmm...now I've got myself thinking about enchiladas and what I'd like to pair them them ...I guess I'm off to the local Mexican joint!

(via bonappetit.com) This is for those who used to hate shopping for wine. Five years ago, when I knew even less about wine than I do now, the simple process of going into a liquor store and selecting a bottle filled me with feelings of dread and inadequacy. Staring down the wall of unfamiliar bottles at whatever random store happened to be in between the train and the house of whoever was hosting a dinner party that night, I'd hem and haw and fret endlessly.

Did I recognize that bottle of Pinot Noir? Was it was actually Pinot Noir I liked or...something else entirely? Wait...what is Pinot Noir?? The process would usually end with me grabbing a random bottle that was vaguely in my price range, paying, and leaving feeling like a clown. (A clown with wine, but still, a clown.)

But then I made one small modification to my wine-buying routine that changed everything. That is to say, I created a routine: I stopped shopping at whatever random store happened to be closest when I needed to purchase wine. I picked a wine store and became a regular. And in doing so I learned so much more about wine and, more importantly, about what I like to drink.

When I became a regular, buying wine became a pleasure. And I can't recommend it highly enough.By picking one store—ideally one that's small and serious about wine, and carries stuff made by independent producers—and sticking with it, you're really just solving a math problem. If there are a gazillion different bottles of wine in the world, what are your chances of going into a rando liquor store and finding something you've had before and know you'll like?

So the next time you want to buy wine, try this: Find an appealing-seeming shop that's relatively convenient to you—near your house or your work or your gym—and walk in. When somebody asks you if you need some help, say "You know what, I don't really know anything about wine, but I like drinking it. And I'm going to start shopping here more often. If I tell you about some things I've liked before, can you help me find something similar in this price range?" And they're going to do just that.

And that, my friend, is the start of a beautiful friendship.