This is a golden era for wine drinkers. Never before in history have there been so many wine choices. For much of history, wine was made locally and had to be consumed quickly before it became vinegar. But all that has changed with the improvement of winemaking technology, a greater understanding of wine grapes, better vineyard management and efficient transportation. Now wines from Chile, New Zealand and Spain are easily purchased at your local retailer, restaurant or on the Web.

Buying wine is a skill. Like buying produce, where you have to be able to pick out the ripe melons from the green ones, choosing wine at a restaurant can be challenging because the wine has to match the dish you plan to order. And that can be frustrating at times. It is always good to remember that light red wines like pinot noir go with beef, fish or fowl and champagne goes with everything.

The wine pricing at restaurants can be an issue. While most retailers work with a 30 percent margin, most restaurants operate on 300 percent margin. I have always felt that the majority of restaurants charge far too much for their wines. But the overhead for restaurants is so much higher than retail that they cannot operate without charging a markup. We are now seeing a lot of hybrid retail/restaurants, where you can purchase wine to take home or drink on premises by paying a small corkage fee, and where the wine is relatively inexpensive.

Wine lists usually have a large number of wines on them. It is always my hope that the wine buyer does a good job in matching his or her food with the wine on the list. When picking a new restaurant, it is a good idea to check out their wine list on the Web – most restaurants have their menus and wine lists posted on the Web. If their wine list doesn’t satisfy you, it is a good idea to find out what the corkage fee and the corkage policy are and then bring your own wine.

Buying wine retail – at a grocery store, wine shop or liquor store – is a mixed bag. For the most part, stores that offer a large selection do not give low margins and retailers who give low prices don’t offer any kind of selection. Most of the chain retailers offer wines only from the largest wineries, and the quality of their wine varies dramatically. As we know, great wines cannot be made in a large production manner. As much as we would like a wine that costs $8.99 to taste like Chateau Mouton, it is never going to happen. Most wines at a supermarket like Vons or Albertsons are wines that are made in an industrial manner, which means that a merlot from California that retails for $9.99 will have varietal characteristics and not much else.

Most grocery stores should be able to match the food you prepare at home with a lot wines that are good to cook with and to accompany your meal. However, if you want a classic Italian wine like a Brunello di Montalcino, you are going to have a difficult time finding it at most grocery stores. The only place you can find these types of wine is at a wine shop. In most upscale grocery stores, there are guides to help you match wine with food and they usually have a wine specialist there to answer your questions.

If you have a special order, many grocery stores can get you that case of whatever you want unless it is a limited-production item or it is a wine from a distributor that the store doesn’t deal with. If you order a case, remember to ask for a case discount.

The Internet has allowed access to a great deal of wine and the ability to shop to get a good price on great wines. Of course, some wines are difficult to get and there are some limitations with shipping. Wines are sensitive to changes in temperature; you should not have wine shipped during the hottest months of summer or during the coldest parts of winter.

I think it is best to buy wine from stores where you know how the wine has been stored and where you can taste the wine before you buy. Most wine shops have tasting bars.

Buying wine is an adventure. I think it is wonderful to find a good wine that you think is a bargain and then share it with friends and loved ones.