The Auswine Forum

How does everyone find new, good wines to try? I personally use this forum to know about different wineries plus a good contact at a boutique wine shop to steer me in the right direction (particularly for overseas wine). How do you find out about good wine given there are so many wineries around the world?

Oh and instagram…

This forum and Instagram

Originally I struggled with the sheer volume of wines, so to 'get my bearings' mainly focused on firstly Australia, then NZ, plus South Africa. Over time it became easier to shift focus e.g. to Italy, Portugal, and then maintain minor interests e.g. a number of French wine regions, Germany, Spain, etc.

Whilst they helped give me confidence, I relied too heavily on books (the usual suspects producing annual guides). Over time I learnt to give them less credence. These days the only 'annual' I buy (but maybe only once every 4 years) is Hugh Johnson's pocket wine book. I has its own flaws and especially when you deep dive into a region, find it's missing many superb wines and often retaining some who have lost their way. Nonetheless, it can help highlight some of the lesser seen regions / wine styles.

Whilst big walkround tastings can be a rubbish way to judge wines, they can be wonderfully useful as a way to seek sparks of interest. i.e. rather than focusing on scoring, it's good to focus on how interesting a wine / wine region/style is - one to avoid, maybe try again, seek to try again, or even actively seek other similar examples.

Having your own frequent tasting group can be hugely beneficial. Pick a subject - say a grape or a wine region, and try different examples together. In time I realised I prefer a more diverse lineup, but for learning about grapes / regional wine styles, it's good to have that focus.

oh, and it's good to maintain that relationship with the wine shop, plus they may run tastings themselves, which can be just as good as having your own group.

A good merchant is a great source of new wine. If you tell them why you liked something, then they can hopefully recommend something similar.

As for the rest, then it’s just osmosis from all the media that is out there. I will buy blind based on reviews by some people, while a recommendation from others is one to avoid.

I read as much as I can and stick to a few basic rules about region, grape, winemaker, vintage.
I do listen to comments from people who I think understand wine - wine friends, good merchants, people on forums etc.

As an example - I bought DC Shaw wine from the comments made by Felix on this forum. Wouldn't know Felix if I bumped into him but have read a lot of his posts and respect his comments. He seems to know what he's talking about

I also speak to winemakers and ask them for recommendations.

I go to as many tastings as possible and treat it seriously to find find one or two new wines.

My cellar one.com perusal has given me much joy in finding great wines at a very fair price. On the winefront people give tips about special deals, like spend $300 and get 20% off, on right now. I took a punt on a NZ wine named Saving Grace from the South Island. Just brilliant wine around $15.

It's an interesting topic....
I try and visit as many wine regions as the hip pocket will allow as I find I like to taste wines before making substantial outlays.
I also have a group of people who have palates I trust. If they recommend a wine I normally will have a look.
As for forums, I pay more attention to the comments of people whose palates have been proven to be very good.
As for reviews/critics, this is where the minefield starts.... Which reviewer/critic do you trust? Halliday's points system is a joke and he has so many reviewers these days. As much as I hate to say it, I just don't really trust the guide anymore. Too many 97 point wines have been bang average. The Wine Front is much, much better and quite reliable, but I pay somewhat more attention to the comments section these days. Once again, looking for comments from people with proven track records. At the end of the day with impartial reviewers/critics, they each have a wine style they like or prefer and they will normally mark those styles up and mark down the styles they least prefer. If you find a reviewer/critic that aligns with your palate, you should follow them. I used to think that Jeremy Oliver was great, but he seems to have disappeared. He paid the price for not sugarcoating wines from big wineries.
As for retailers, same as critics. Find one you trust with a good track record of giving good advice and stick with them
I am becoming much more vintage centric as well. I am tending to steer clear of poorer vintages from regions. For instance, I have gone long on '21/'22 Grenache from Blewitt Springs and the Barossa. Sure, there will still be some excellent wines from poor vintages and there are countless examples. As there will be some poor wines from great vintages. But the law of averages say you'll strike gold more often if you stick to the better vintages from each region. I got stung in '11 from SA. I don't like too much pepper in wines and '11 being a wet, cool vintage was full of it as a rule. There were exceptions, but few and far between.
Cheers
Ian

Great topic.

Trial and error and finding reviewers and merchants whose tastes match yours. I love Winefront but gravitate toward Campbell and then Gary for my wine recommendations.

Winefront a great place to start - refreshingly independent. For older, hard to get wines I use MW Wines (auctions). And when not buying direct from the vineyard, I've secured some great wines from Melbourne retailer 'Cloudwine'. Oh, and don't overlook some acute palates on this forum.