FOXNews.com: Have no fear: Tackling your local wine shop

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Have no fear: Tackling your local wine shop Aug 7th 2012, 09:00 "What can I ask the sales associate without running the risk of looking foolish?", "How can I explain that I don't want to spend a lot, without coming across as cheap?", "What on EARTH do all of these labels really say?"   Walking into a wine shop can be quite an intimidating experience. Hundreds of bottles lining the shelves donning words you can hardly pronounce, let alone understand- showcasing colorful labels with pictures of everything from castles and landscapes, to roosters and rabbits. Where do you start? To make your wine shopping a bit less stressful, follow these tips and arrive confidant and prepared. 1. What are you in the mood to drink, and what's the occasion? You may feel as though you know nothing about wine, but you do however know what you enjoy and (usually) why you stepped through the door of a wine shop in the first place. Start with what you know; Are you in the mood for red or white wine? Will you be pairing your wine with food or drinking it on its own? Will you be giving it as a gift? These will guide the salesperson in the right direction on where to start. Not into white wine, but you want something more refreshing? Ask about chillable red wines. In the mood for something a bit on the sweet side, but still drinkable with food? A Riesling might do the trick. Having a grasp on what you personally enjoy, not what the 'wine experts' tell you you should, will only aid in finding the perfect bottle to walk out with. 2. Know your  budget, and feel comfortable speaking it A common misconception is that the more expensive a wine is- the better it is. There are many factors that go into a wine's pricing, and yes, quality does have a say on the price tag, but does not tell the whole story. If you request help at a wine store, typically the first question asked of you will be about your budget. How much are you willing to spend? More often than not, shops will want to up-sell their wines; Stay firm and confidant with what you are willing to spend. There are exceptional wines in the $11-$15 range, in both red and white varietals. South America and Spain are scoring very highly amongst wine critics; and both regions export a wide array of wine available at a lower price point. The next time you feel self-conscious about picking a wine from one of the lower shelves, feel confident to ask the sales associate what they think of some wines in that price range- It's almost guaranteed they have tried almost all of them! 3. Take advantage of your phone's camera You're at a restaurant and you order a glass of Cabernet, it is by far the best glass of Cab you've ever had! Unfortunately some wine lists don't tell you all the details of the wines by the glass, and some of us are more visual learners. Ask the server to bring the actual bottle to the table and snap a picture of it with your phone. Create a mobile album of your favorite wines, and have it handy when you walk into a wine shop. You will also be pleasantly surprised to see that the price you paid at that restaurant for the single glass, might not be far off from what you'll pay in a shop for the whole bottle!

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