Finding a good wine shop
Elin Mccoy on six ways to determine whether you’re in capable hands when choosing the perfect wine
YOU can buy good wine anywhere, even in big-box chains, supermarkets, and convenience stores. But if you’re really interested in good vino, find an independent shop with an owner who loves the stuff, tastes what he or she is selling, and employs Un-snooty clerks happy to tell you what they know and become your new best wine friend.
Major cities such as New York, London, and Paris have lots of these boutique wine merchants. But just as with vendors for technology, jewellery, or cheese, a few do it better than everyone else. Here’s what to look for when rating your local wine store.
LAYOUT AND ATMOSPHERE: A look around can tell you a lot. If bottles are sitting in the sun, that’s bad, because light damages wines. If heat is blasting out of vents next to wine racks, just leave, because the wines are getting cooked. Dusty old bottles tell you no one really cares about selling wine they believe in.
Does the shop make browsing for what you want easy? I find the traditional geographic classification of bottles – Bordeaux, California, Italy – most useful. Others prefer organisation by varietal. A host of new arrangements aim at being less intimidating for newbies. Some shops match wines with themed kiosks – seafood, poultry, take-out Chinese – to help people quickly locate the ideal bottle to pair with dinner.
SELECTION AND POINT OF VIEW: A broad range of interesting, distinctive wines from different regions, varietals, vintages, and price points is a must. The key word is “curated”, meaning that buyers hand pick wines they like rather than mindlessly stocking best-selling and mass-market brands, the junk food of wine.
Does it carry a selection of grower Champagnes, not just the most advertised mainstream brands? Are there wines from less well-known regions such as Greece, as well as classic Burgundy and Bordeauxs?
Smaller shops, whose owner may be behind the counter, can sometimes be better places to stop by for a wine on the way home to dinner.
Browsing the racks of bottles tells you a lot about the buyer’s philosophy, just as a restaurant wine list reflects those of the wine director.
PRICE: Be upfront about your budget range, but good prices and regular deals count. It’s easy to check the going rate for bottles by visiting Wine Searcher. If prices are over the norm, head elsewhere. Regardless of how comprehensive the selection is, check a retailer’s variety of options. This is where the best values are and where curation really matters. I’m talking about the reasonably-priced interesting wines, not cheap plonk, that should make up about 20% of the store’s offerings.
You should also expect at least a 10% discount for buying a case, including for mixed cases selected by the staff, and perhaps a loyalty programme for regular customers.
ADVICE AND SERVICE: Look for staff descriptions posted next to bottles, or a section of staff favourites, much as in your favourite book store. Both are clear indications that employees are enthusiastic, in-the-know, and can offer help and educational shop talk.
The best advice comes from unpretentious, welcoming vino matchmakers who avoid being preachy and want to understand your tastes so they can find a bottle you’ll enjoy. It helps to ask questions – what they’d recommend with what you’re having for dinner, or a cabernet that’s not too tannic, or an alternative to chardonnay.
A cheery clerk should help any beginner find the words to describe the kinds of flavours he or she does and doesn’t like in wine. Maybe even pour a few tastes to demonstrate. Some shops keep track of what you buy to get a better handle on your likes and dislikes, which is helpful for both of you.
TASTINGS AND EVENTS: Who would purchase a car without a test drive? No shop gets a high rating unless it offers frequent (and free) in-store tastings, without pressure to buy.
DIGITAL RESOURCES: In this day and age, a good website with an online catalogue is required. You should be able to browse at all hours and even decide in advance what to buy. Some shops make this much easier than others. – Bloomberg