When you aren’t really a ‘wine-drinker’, it can be hard to buy a bottle of wine which is good quality - price is not always an good indicator of a good bottle of wine! So, here at BlueAustral, we have put together a quick list of tips which should help turn you into a more savvy wine buyer.

Price
First, work out a budget - how much do you want to spend? At low prices, branded wines will probable dominate the shelves. Hardys, Jacobs Creek and Penfolds are wines which are accessible, tasty, consistent wines at the expense of being a little dull. Our top tip is that branded wines use promotions as a regular marketing strategy, so it can be worth waiting for these to crop up before you buy.

Cheap wine doesn’t have to be boring - there are plenty of interesting wines around that do not break the bank. If you are looking for a cheap, interesting wine, you are better off avoiding the well-known regions. A cheap bottle of Bordeaux is generally disappointing, so maybe go for something from Southen Italy or the lesser known regions of Spain.

Specialist Merchants
If you have a little more room in your budget, there are plenty of good wines to choose from. However, many of these wines are unable to produce their wines in large enough quantities to be able to supply supermarkets. Therefore, it is advisable to go to a smaller wine merchant who should have a good supply of mid-range wines for you to choose from.

If you have a local wine merchant near you, cultivate a relationship wth them. Hopefully, they will start to learn about what you and your palate likes and they will be able to make recommendations. As most local wine merchants are also passionate about their product, you may also learn some interesting facts from them!

Smaller is better?
Smaller is often better when it comes to win. Fine wine isn’t manufactured - it’s a slow, delicate process. Most wines are not scaleable because they are limited by the size of the vineyards, and it is often unfeasible to plant larger vineyards. Because of this, many fantastic wines are only produced in relatively small quantities, and are therefore only stocked by smaller shops. Leave the beaten track and you may be surprised!

Wine Critics
It is always interesting to see what wine critics have to say, but do not follow everything they say. Learn what critics have the same palate as you, and follow their recommendations. Remember that not everyone has the same palate so different people will enjoy different things. Wine is not a science, it’s an art!

Many newspaper critics will also only review wines which are readily available, which means that some of the smaller, more interesting wines will not get covered - it’s not that they don’t want to cover these wines, it’s a case of what the general public can get a hold of.

Stock up
If you are new to wine, do not stock up too much in the beginning. You will find that your palate and tastes will change over time and you do not want to be lumbered with lots of bottle of wine that you don’t like. You should also try out a variety of wines in the beginning to work out what your favourites are - it would be a shame to stock your cellar full of one wine and then find out later that your true passion is for something else!

Bins and Sales
There is no shame in plundering the bins for sale wines! Many merchants will try and sell their excess stock twice a year, normally January and August. This is an excellent time to pick up some bargain varieties of wine that you haven’t tried before. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye out for the new lines as decent wine tends to sell quickly. Get yourself on a wine merchant’s mailing list so that you are the first to hear about their new stock and their latest wine bargains.

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