An Expert's Advice For Getting The Most Out Of Your Visit To A Wine Shop

Visiting a wine shop can certainly be a little bit intimidating, especially if you are new to the wine world or feel like you're lacking expertise. For those of you who want to know how to navigate visiting a wine shop, Tasting Table spoke with an expert to get some advice. This expert is Andrea Card, who is a Senior Winemaker at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, where they are so dedicated to wine pairings that they recently opened a pizza and wine hotline to help you craft the perfect pairing.

When it comes to visiting a wine shop, Card is adamant about making use of the wine experts in the store and communicating clearly and openly with them so they can help you make the best decision. For example, Card advises that if you're looking for a wine to pair with food, then it's important that you come in prepared. Card said, "You should always know what cuisine you're preparing/having and what the primary flavor profiles of the dish are." Additionally, it's essential that you have a price point in mind, as that will help narrow down the choices.

Another key piece of advice from Card? Discuss what you already know you like about wine with the expert. 

Even if you're new to the wine world, you probably have a general idea about what kinds of wine you like — if you prefer it to be sweet or not and if you gravitate toward whites or reds. This information, even if it doesn't seem like much, will come in handy while you're at the wine shop.

Expert Andrea Card told Tasting Table, "Let the wine pros know what you typically gravitate towards when ordering at a restaurant or even when you just want to sip on a glass of wine. They'll want to steer you in the direction of a bottle you'll probably enjoy once they have a better idea of your personal tastes."

However, if you're concerned that letting them know your tastes will prevent them from suggesting less familiar options, Card assures us that there's no need to worry. She said, "It can also be fun to branch out and try something unexpected, which you can most certainly ask them for too."