Elusive Bottles

Here’s the scenario: You are at your local newsstand and you pick up any number of food/wine magazines. Be it Wine Spectator, Food and Wine, or Gourmet they will all have one thing in common: lists of best value wines, collectable wines, and smart buy wines.

The only problem is that many of these wines just aren’t available in the FM area. This is very frustrating and if you have ever gone to the wine store with a list of labels and vintages, only to find that none of them are carried, you know the feeling.

There are various and real reasons for this. Despite the fact that people in this area drink quite a bit of alcohol, not that many are drinking wine.
Also, of the people that drink wine (at home) on a regular basis, many are not interested in bottles over the 15 dollar mark. This put the wine buyers in a tough spot. They have to stock what sells and what is available, and availability is another problem.

Many wines cannot be legally imported to this area due to various restrictions (of this I’m pretty sure and if I’m incorrect please do let me know).

So the buyers have to sort through what is sellable and what is available. Sadly, there is not enough of a market in the FM area to justify selling boutique wines that are amazing. The stores, after all, do have to stay in business.

So where does this sad information lead us? Well, we can put a positive spin on it. Even if we cannot follow the buying guides of magazines, there is another option.

Go to your favorite wine retailer and develop a relationship with their wine expert. This would be the person who buys the wine or someone very knowledgeable about the wine they carry. Simply asking the right person can do wonders. These people know what the best value wines are, what the collectable wines are, and what the smart buys are.

Unfortunately, there isn’t an email listserv or website that lists the new wines that come into Fargo. But, once again, developing a relationship with your wine retailer can solve this problem. They can let you know what’s coming in and when.

It is a good idea to keep up with wine info through magazines and such, because sometimes the wines they list are available here. A simple phone call can reveal what’s in the area and how much it is.

Many (if not all) wine retailers keep a database of what is on hand it is very easy to search for a particular wine in this manner.

If all else fails, go by the little signs next to the bottles that have a Wine Spectator rating.

If this is too corporate for your hipster shoes, go by what’s organic.

If that’s to clichéd, go by favorite grape or blend.

Lastly, if that’s too boring, go by whatever bottle has the prettiest label (going by the prettiest label has worked surprisingly well for me).

Happy searching and don’t be afraid to ask questions.