Page 46 - Wine Spectator (January 2020)

The

A B C S

of

BUYING

WINE Four strategies

to get the wines

you want

A transactions. And auction houses are curating both precious finds
wine lover could easily spend a lifetime exploring
and more mainstream wines of impeccable provenance.
what the the wine world has to offer. So who wants
to waste time and energy trying just to find the
The first step to bagging the wines you want is to ask yourself
what wines you seek. The answer to this basic question will guide
bottles—time that would be better spent enjoying
them! We understand. Wine Spectator editors are
asked time and again: “Where can I buy that great wine you wrote your buying strategy and in some cases provide you several avenues
to explore. In the following pages, we detail four sources to con-
about recently?” In this issue, we give some answers. sider when wine shopping, discuss the strengths of each and ex-

Fortunately, these days there is more than one route to obtain- plain how best to navigate them. And at the end of the story, we’ve
ing the wines you desire. In addition to the timeless method of included some results and reader feedback from our recent online

plumbing your local wineshop, there are myriad online retailers poll “How Do You Buy Wine?”
whose wares are literally at your fingertips. Wineries themselves We hope you’ll be inspired to explore new opportunities and
are no longer at the far end of the distribution chain but have be rewarded with the satisfaction of a successful hunt—and, of

opened their doors to tasting room sales and direct-to-consumer course, delicious wines.

44 47 50 53 56 58 59

Flowchart: Brick & Online Winery Auction Survey Reader

Where’s Mortar Retail Direct Market Results Feedback
My Wine?

42 WINE SPECTATOR • JAN. 31 – FEB. 29, 2020