Supermarket wines

I first got the idea for Wilson Your Wine Butler standing in the

supermarket staring down the shelves of wine. Some had special offer tags on them. Some seemed pretty expensive for something I'd never heard of before. Mostly it looked to me like a bewildering sea of mediocrity.

I thought to myself "Wilson; you know a good deal about wine and here you are looking at bottle after bottle without really knowing what to get."

And the thing is, I knew what I wanted. Something dry but full-bodied with lots of good red fruit that would go down nicely with a couple of slices of homemade pizza. I even knew which varietal to look for - a decent cab sav or some sort of bordeaux blend.

What I didn't know was what was going to actually be value for hard earned money. Because the only thing more disappointing than paying $15 for a bottle of wine and discovering it is lack lustre or not what you were looking for; is paying $25!

Standing there in front of those shelves, with some forgettable Eighties hit playing over the muzak speakers I thought "Now wouldn't it be great if someone who understood my tastes could just give me a few suggestions to get me started."

And that's the story of Wilson - but what about those supermarket wines?

Of course there are plenty of good wines on those shelves and a lot of bargains. But you do need to know what you're looking for. Is it a quality producer - like Wynns - whose Coonawarra wines are a definite supermarket go-to. These people produce excellent , cellarable wine - though this isn't it. But its tasty and comes in under $20. Penfolds, another iconic Aussie brand are equally reliable. For under $20 you're not going to have your socks blown off - but it will be a quaffable bottle.

Kiwis though like a bit of homegrown - and there are plenty to choose from in the NZ market. I like Mills Reef - reliable Hawkes Bay producer that you often find on the supermarket shelves. Tora Bay also usually produce a pleasant drop.

The thing with these wines is expectation - for $20 I expect something well-made, probably fruity and without much complexity - but with no faults. These are not generally the wines I'm taking to a nice dinner party - but maybe to a backyard BBQ or for a quiet glass on the couch mid-week. The general rule is probably better to wash down some tasty kai.

And the big question - what about those specials stickers?

Firstly, remember that the specials stickers are all part of a marketing strategy. But that doesn't mean there are not bargains to be had. The main part of the strategy is to get you in and browsing - so a wine marked down from around $20 to about $15 is likely to be good value - or at least not disappointing.

And what do you do if you do end up with a bit of a disaster? And let's face it - its happened to us all. Some basic guidelines - if its just a bit disappointing - not what you were feeling like or not quite as tasty as you hoped - get a cork in it or a top back on it and into the back of the fridge or even a dark cool pantry - it will be fine to slosh into the next casserole or soup you are making that could do with a little extra zing. If it really tastes bad - and here I'm talking granny's curtains or ballpoint pen ink (and yes, I really have tasted wines reminiscent of both those flavours...) then down the drain it goes. No one wants soft furnishing flavoured stew - so its not going to be any good for cooking either.

A final word - don't be afraid of supermarket wines - but know what you are looking for and the wine styles you like. I include a few supermarket wines in Wilson's Winners each month - there's lots of bargains to be had.

Keep an eye out here for more tips and suggestions for styles, regions and producers that will suit your tastes.