Tipping’s Tipples: Top 10 tips for buying wine

Mike Tipping has been writing about wine on a regular basis for 12 years now.

He lives in York with his family but travels widely in pursuit of wine, visiting vineyards and wineries and meeting winemakers, as far afield as Chile but mainly in Europe.

Today we are delighted to welcome Mike as YorkMix‘s wine writer.

Says Mike:

Mike’s first column will appear next week. But to start thing off, here are…

Tipping’s top 10 tips for buying wine

1. Supermarket own label wines often offer really good value

2. But beware supermarket promotions…

…you won’t always be getting a bargain.

3. Pick wines from lesser known areas

They usually offer far better value than famous name regions (such as Burgundy and Rioja).

4. Ask before you buy

Most wine merchants and shops have trained staff who can help with your purchase if you are unsure.

5. Like books and their covers…

…don’t buy wine just because it has an amusing or pretty label.

6. Try before you buy

Go to a wine tasting or two.

7. Don’t stick to the same old, same old

Wine is a voyage of discovery, so live a little.

8. Remember inflation

Appreciate that your £5 maximum spend will not get you as good a wine as it did in 1993.

9. Take note of wine critic recommendations

(Particularly this one).

10. For every rule there is an exception

(applies to all of the above except the last).