I wanted to find a New Zealand Red. The only thing I could find at my two local Vintners (one near work, one near home) was Pinot Noir, but I wanted something different. I went to Total Wine & More, one of those wine superstore type places.

I thought being surrounded by 8,000 different wines would put me in heaven, but it was a surprisingly disappointing experience. Instead of grouping wines by location, they group them by varietal. All the Cabernet Sauvignons in one aisle, all of the Merlots in another, etc.

To me, this makes no sense. There is a difference between a Cabernet Sauvignon from Spain and one from France, or from California. When I shop for wine, I often start with a region and a varietal in mind. Going through an aisle of Merlots looking for one that matches what I want is much more difficult under this system.

I did find a wine of interest, I will tell you all about it tonight, when I post my review.