Buying wine at the Winery vs. Bottle Shops

I will be right up front and summarize this prattle for you. I prefer to buy my wine at the winery, or from wineries I have been to.

When I go to a wine bar or bottle shop, I never know enough about the wines to actually feel confident making a purchase. I like to see the winery and get all the details about the wine. I don't know how many bottle shops I've been to that can't give me much detail about any of the wines I'm looking at. I like to know so much, maybe I just like to be annoying, but I wanna know more than can ever fit on the back label. Plus, if you read my "about me" paragraph you'll note that I hate the stare down when I go into bottle shops.

When I go to the winery, the history, the terrior, the service, all places into how much I enjoy the wine. When I have a great experience, the next time I drink wine from that trip I get all warm and fuzzy. The opposite is true too, but I usually don't buy wine from a winery I have a bad experience from, and they are few and far between.

Have you ever asked a winery for the detailed notes on a wine? They are awesome, they usually include the details about the vineyards, how closely planted are the vines, how were the grapes harvested, when was harvest started and completed, how long were the grapes in a cold soak, was there a post fermentation maceration, etc. All that on top of the tasting notes really enhances my education of the wine I'm drinking. (NOTE: I'm an Oregon Foodie, I like to learn while I drink.) I can taste so much more than I used to because I am associating different things I wouldn't know buying just another bottle of wine. And what's better than having a whole story about the wine you've paired with the meal you're serving your new in laws.

And all of these details go into the value of a wine, not just the price the value. I can buy a $48 bottle of wine at the store and assume a 40% or more inflation over wholesale. I can go to a wine shop and assume 25% or more. I can go to a winery and buy a $48 bottle and know that all of that money, inflated or not, goes to keeping the little guy alive.

Anyway, I have never seen a bottle shop have in depth details or great stories about how the wine, the facility, or just the people pouring your wine came to be so delightful. Also, there are so many wineries that have little or no wine in distribution.

Not everyone can find the wines they like in their very own backyard, but if you get the chance, or love a wine from far far away...join the club. No really, join their wine club and get their wines directly from them, usually there is a membership discount and cool people to chat with about a common interest. Even if it's just by email.