How many times has this happened to you: You’re standing in a wine shop trying to decide what to pick up for the weekend and the sheer quantity of wine becomes overwhelming.  So you just grab something that’s on sale and end up disappointed.  When I first got into wine, this happened to me all the time, so I put together these helpful tips for picking great wine at great prices.  I hope they come in handy.

1.  Go with what you know- Put me in front of a store full of California Cabernet and I will be able to find you the very best value every time.  Fill that same store with French Burgundy and, chances are, I will come out with a loser.  Likewise, if you’ve enjoyed the wine of a specific vintner in the past, gravitate toward their wines.  They probably have the same winemaker and use the same grapes every year.

2.  Get familiar with the vintage chart- Wine of a particular region can vary greatly year to year, so do yourself a favor and get to know Robert Parker’s vintage chart.  It gives you a general idea of the quality of wine produced in every major wine region for each of the last 30 or so years.  Because of this chart, I know to avoid 1998 and 2000 California Cabernet but to seek out 2000 and 2005 Bordeaux.  Great wines and bad wines are produced every year so this isn’t a definitive source, but it’s a good start.

3.  Use your smart phone-You’re paying $79.99 a month for that iPhone, so use it!  If a particular wine catches your eye, search Google Shopping and see if you’re getting a good price.  Remember to include the vintage in your search.

4.  Look at the ratings- Some people will tell you that ratings are total junk.  I disagree wholeheartedly with this thought and here’s why:    The raters have trained palates and, generally know a good wine when they drink one.  While it’s true that I’ve been mislead by wine ratings, if you have never tasted a wine before, professional ratings are a great start.  If you’re looking for a particularly good value, find a wine that received an 89 point rating from one of the major publications.  An 89 point rating isn’t high enough to generate much buzz- and thus raise prices- but it means you are likely buying a solid wine.

5.  When you find a wine you like, buy up- One of the greatest joys, and biggest disappointments in wine, is that it’s new and different every year.  So if you find a wine you love, buy it up, because once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.   I happen to enjoy the 2006 Monte Antico Toscano Rosso, and at $8.99 per bottle, it’s an indisputable value.  So I bought a case, and I will continue to enjoy it until it’s gone.

So how do you pick good wine?  Comment on this post to share your favorite wine picking tips.