Choosing a wine is often like sticking a pin in a list of Grand National runners. And that’s if you are in a restaurant. In an off licence the choice is at least ten times more daunting.
Your odds of choosing a winner vary wildly, and can often be dictated by the provenance of the wine. Choosing a Chilean red will give you odds of roughly 3/1 of picking a winner. Safe, reliable, ‘gets over the line.’ On the other end of the scale is a premium red Burgundy. Here the odds are more like 100/1. And you may as well make that a steeplechase, with the number of hurdles getting in the way – vintage, producer, readiness for drinking, all of which make the going a lot more soft.
At around 8/1 you will find Rioja Reserva. Wines like St. Emilion and Sancerre come in around 12/1. Everyone’s favourite, Chateauneuf du Pape lies around 20/1. The trick here is to follow good producers – think of them as trainers. If you don’t, then you should hedge your bet by backing each way.
For the risk-averse, select New World wines, where the full form guide is listed on the label – grape variety, tasting notes, what to serve with it. Australian reds give reliable odds of less than 10/1. If you can buy in at around €15-20, and you will be backing a winner for sure.
So what are the top tips for backing a winner when buying wine?
The novice punter will follow popular household names like Red Rum, Imperial Commander, Kauto Star. This is a safe but unexciting tactic, which rarely gives a wow factor, but makes you feel that you are part of the action.
Choosing a good producer is akin to following trainers like Willie Mullens and Jonjo O’Neill. These guys invest heavily behind delivering winners, and are consistently good over time. Websites like winedoctor offer reasonable profiles.
Some people follow jockeys, which are in this case, winemakers. Ruby Walsh might be considered the Peter Lehmann of this world – both work hard, perform well above par, and are legends in their own lifetime.
Pedigree is often used – a new wine from a reliable stable is often worth a flutter – the recently released Penfolds Koonunga Hill 76 is a good example.
Studying form is for hard-core punters. Get the inside track by taking a wine course. The best are professional WSET wine courses, which offer wine training in key characteristics of all the key varieties and wine styles, wine tasting, and understanding the jargon. Premier Wine Training offer a range of wine courses in Dublin.
If you don’t have time to take a course, tips from reliable sources can often deliver real winners, and the more informed your tipster, the better! Use press write-ups and blog recommendations, awards and form guides (like Oz Clarke’s pocket wine book) to give insider tips. Some of the best wine tipsters in the business are to be found in good independent wine shops. Like bookmakers, pretty much every town in Ireland has one.
Now I’ve shared my tips on buying wine, some Cheltenham tips please!
© Premier Wine Training, 2011
