1. Where do you start from? You would like to choose a bottle but you are surrounded by hundreds of them. There should not be any rush when choosing wine, for the best choice is not necessarily the quickest. Shop owners arrange their selection after variety, origin and price and usually indicate these criteria on the shelf. Even if there is no indication to that, just take your time and have a look: the wines will be arranged in this manner even if the shop owner has decided to challenge your intuition.

2. Special offers – to buy or not to buy? A wine in promotion is not necessarily one which is not sought after and therefore has been discounted. Major wine producers usually negotiate a number of promotional actions with their distributors. This gives wine lovers a good chance to taste and discover new medium-priced wines. Of course, exceptionally high quality wines are not promoted in this manner.

3. How to choose the right wine for an occasion? Your starting point is choosing the right shop. The best choice would be a specialized shop for wine and liquor; there usually is an excellent selection with clearly defined categories. Also the consultants have first class knowledge and skills to guide you while choosing.

4. Should you trust the wine consultant? It is good to have an advisor at hand; on the other hand, always remember that taste for wine is strictly individual so if you choose to rely on a consultant’s recommendation you take the risk of finding the wine not to your taste. If you are choosing wine for an informal occasion consider the recommendations – after all, the world of wine is vast and one should always use the opportunity to try something new. If you are buying wine for a special occasion, or for someone special, however, do some research in advance: consult with an expert or a publication that you trust.

5. Old vintage. In Bulgaria it is commonly believed that there is nothing better than aged wine. However, blind faith in vintage from the last century with its special labels and dusty bottles can be tricky. In many cases the fermenting process of certain wines makes beneficial ageing impossible and the quality of the wine does not improve with time. So, if you prefer to avoid bold experiments first seek the opinion and evaluation of experts for the old vintage of the particular type of wine you are interested in. After all, special selection wines are often quite high-priced and research will help you avoid a bottle of lesser quality.

6. You do not know any wine experts but need to choose the right wine urgently? Well, we have good news: internet provides free access to a number of Bulgarian and international specialized publications. There you can make the right choice by referring to ratings and evaluations, as well as the medals from recognized wine contests; also you can enjoy comparing your personal impressions with that of experts.

7. Are bag-in-box wines of lesser quality? No, 3- and 5-litre boxes are a comfortable format which has been well received by regular wine drinkers. The blend is the same, only the quantity and packaging are different. On the other hand, if you don’t drink wine that often, or if you are after diversity of flavours, the small 375 ml bottles could turn out to be a wiser choice.

8. How do you choose the right wine for a certain type of food? The old saying “White meat with white wine, red meat with red wine” has been discarded recently as old-fashioned. We have a well-developed wine market which means we can leave this old belief behind. According to recent trends when choosing wine one shall not be guided by the colour but by the structure of the wine. And it makes sense, doesn’t it? It seems more reasonable to use food texture and wine body as a starting point. A velvety taste and consistence of a meal would definitely require a mild, round wine; fresh salads and starters would match up better with fresh, juicy wine, be it white, red or rosé.

9. How much do you have to pay to make sure you are not buying a lesser quality wine? Also, how to know a certain wine is not overpriced? Finding a good quality wine on a shelf below 5.50 leva would be a pleasant surprise. Many wine lovers will tell you wines within this price range are not made of grapes; what they might not know, however, is that Bulgarian law states that any beverage labeled “wine” a product of grapes fermentation. The tricky part comes at the higher end of the price range. A reasonable price for an everyday wine should be in the between 12 – 15 leva. That is how you get out of the mass-production and head for wines that claim to be special.

10. Knowing more about wines will help you make a better choice but is not it too much of an investment? Learning and expanding your knowledge about wine can become quite an enjoyable hobby. Good specialized shops organize thematic tastings in the right environment and the right tools. Also, try to learn more about wine varieties, origins and new products from magazines, web blogs and books. These topics are not highly specialized and the quality of the information provided by these media is good.

Final words: wine can reveal a world of emotions and diversity before you. There is no other beverage that owes so much to its origin. Do not be afraid of experiment – it is good to know your local wines and varieties but discovering what is hidden behind Torontés, Cava, and Eiswein can bring you not only enjoyment and knowledge but also a pleasant topic for conversation. Keep a record of the wines that have impressed you and with time friends will start seeking your advice when choosing the right wine on the market!

Elissaveta Zaharieva