Pitfalls of Buying Wine With Your Eyes

Don’t expect the label to tell the truth about what’s inside the bottle. Pretty labels can be misleading. Remember labels are marketing tools—not quality guarantees. A beautiful design might catch your eye, but that doesn’t mean the wine will impress your palate.

Similarly, don’t assume expensive means the wine is better. Price can reflect more than just what is inside the bottle. Vineyard location, packaging, production methods, and even marketing inflates the bottle price. Sure, you may find that lower prices wines are less reliable than high priced wines, but do not dismiss wines in the $20-$40 range and do not let your brain fool you that it tastes better when you know the wine is expensive.

Further, gold metals and high point scores don’t necessarily mean that the wine is something you will enjoy. It is worth understanding how the wine received these accolades. You need to ask: Who gave the award? Is it a critic you trust? Since there is rarely consensus across publications, look for a reviewer or critic whose taste mirrors yours, and follow their recommendations instead.

What you first need to do is learn your tastes. Consider taking notes about your purchases and tastings. Try to include information about the wine region, winemaker, aromas, and other features, e.g., like or dislike and food pairings. Take a quick photo of the wine label to help you to retrieve a memory of the wine and its characteristics. Over time you may realize that you prefer certain areas, winemakers, grapes, or certain aromas. Your opinion can serve as cues to share with your wine buyer when looking to purchase your next wine.

Quick Tips for Wine Shopping

• Don’t judge by label

• Trust your own palate

• Track your preferences

• Ask questions in-store

• Try before you stock up