What’s the best way to buy wine? While there is no right answer for all people, here are some ideas to think about. Personally, I like to purchase wine directly from a winery I visit. There is something about remembering the experience and the occasion of visiting a winery. Will it cause you to remember the winery tasting room, vineyards, staff, camaraderie with other visitors or the landscape? Whatever you remember will add to the experience of tasting the wine as you pair it with dinner or sip it after dinner.

If you can’t buy wine at a local winery, consider joining a club membership. There are many different wine club memberships. Some wineries charge for a membership while others do not charge. Benefits vary from winery to winery but usually include several wine shipments to your home. Unfortunately due to archaic laws in some states, some consumers in the US are unable to avail themselves of this opportunity.

Consider becoming involved with a barrel program. Some wineries encourage people to purchase an oak barrel and they are rewarded with benefits. Benefits vary with each winery. For an example of a barrel program, visit The Winery at La Grange in Virginia for details.

Wine stores can be a good source of wine and if you’re looking for wine outside of the US, a good wine store is the place to go. We have two local wine stores that I consider to be good, because the owners are very knowledgeable about the wines in their stores. If you are looking for a wine to pair with a particular food, just mention it and they can quickly guide you to a selection of wines. Curious about a wine you heard about but not tasted, the owners are not afraid of telling you what they really think about the wine. Compare that to walking into a wine store where the staff members don’t know much about wine and just want to make a sale. Choose your wine store carefully.

You will most likely discover that one of the most expensive ways to purchase a bottle of wine is at a restaurant where prices may be three times what you expect to pay. Consider purchasing a wine and enjoying it with a home cooked meal and candlelight.

Sounds good to me.