It is not always easy to find a great wine. If you are unsure what you want, the vast variety of different choices can be quite overwhelming.

If you are purchasing a bottle for another person, as a gift or to take along when invited for a meal, the best idea is to ask the other person, the kind of wine they like best so that you avoid giving them a bottle that is not to their taste. Regardless of how well it is recommended, a fine bottle of Zinfandel is is unlikely to be a hit with a lover of Chardonnay.

It is much easier selecting something for yourself. All you need is to find a bottle you adore, whether that be an award winning reserve or not.

It takes time and experimentation to establish which is your favourite type of wine, but you will know instantly that it is the one, when you find it. Before the stage when you have established what you like the best do not waste money on expensive wine. If a bottle of wine is not your ‘type’, you will probably not like it however expensive it is. People describe an immediate emotional response when first experiencing a sip of a glass of wine that they love. This is when suddenly, you will appreciate the absolute passion so many people have for great wine.

There are extremely divided opinions over what should or should not be defined as ‘fine’. For a number of people, anything costing ten pounds or more is a fine bottle of wine. Other people using the same criteria of the price to identify a fine wine, might only consider a bottle costing 30 or more a fine wine.

As a word, ‘fine’ implies that a product is of excellent quality, but this too is subjective because one person’s perception of quality will be completely different to another. Many brands have developed a great reputation which permits them to market themselves as fine wine makers based on past success rather than the quality of the wine on its individual merit.

You can’t entirely depend on a company name as due to the nature of the industry, results are not always reliable. At the end of the day, it comes down to personal personal judgement and preference. If you really love a particular bottle you will probably describe it as ‘fine’. Your own experience of individual bottles of wine will lead you to what you like best.

For great advice and recommendations try visiting a specialised wine shop where you can pick up a wealth knowledge and information.

Want to find out more about wine? FINE has an outstanding range of wines covering all styles and major wine regions at competitive prices. We also have an extensive range of spirits from around the world as well as beers, lagers and ciders, a deli section with a difference and a range of Havana cigars. More information on our website.