KEY POINTS:
Buyers brought to a standstill by supermarket superfluity should seek expert advice
Paralysis induced by making decisions is a nasty disorder that's doing the rounds.
Anyone who has ever been daunted by the wall of wine found in most supermarkets might have experienced the symptoms, which start
with a period of visual disturbance where kangaroos, hills, monkeys and rivers swirl before the eyes.
Sufferers seeking professional assistance can feel deeply alone until panic triggers the random grabbing of a bottle before bolting from the drinks aisle.
Excessive choice is cited as the cause of this malaise.
There's an easy remedy - find a specialist wine shop and get help from their knowledgeable staff. Then you'll discover that wine buying is an adventure rather than an affliction.
Although good independent wine stores do offer a wide range, you're less likely to be disappointed because their selections are largely hand-picked for quality and interest.
"If we love it, we sell it," is the motto of Grey Lynn's Wine Vault, which encapsulates the approach taken by such quality-focused people who are driven by passion and not purely profit.
An intimate knowledge of the wines they stock means they're able to suggest something to suit individual preferences and occasions, as well as leading customers to pastures new.
"A lot of customers are guided by us and are willing to try new wines," says French fine-wine specialist Peter Maude, who knows many of his customers palates as well as the wines he sells.
We're lucky to have a wealth of wine merchants on our doorstep, or just a mouse-click away. These vary from single shops to the quality chain Glengarry which, despite its size, is a family-owned enterprise in an increasingly corporatised world of wine.
A few - including Peter Maude, who brings in some of the greatest wines of France - specialise in just one area. Some focus on less-mainstream New Zealand wines.
Others list lines from throughout the world. Caro's is one of these and they are not afraid to go off the beaten track to import from new producers and emerging wine regions. While the Caro brothers sell plenty of homegrown products, European wines make up a sizeable chunk of their trade - as do online sales, and those unable to visit their Parnell store can browse and buy from their informative website.
Another operation of a European bent with a strong online presence is Wine Direct. Aiming to entice drinkers into broadening their horizons through their diverse array that ranges from wines for everyday drinking to top-level treats.
French wine can be difficult to decipher, making advice from those au fait with its complexities invaluable if you are interested in exploring its appellations. Maison Vauron, headed by Frenchman Jean-Christophe Poizat, is another establishment well qualified to explain to customers all about the varied selection of French wines available from the Newmarket shop.
Education plays a prime part in the service offered at Takapuna's First Glass. On top of a good spread of wines - where chardonnay and shiraz are particularly well represented - proprietor Kingsley Wood leads weekly wine tastings that are as entertaining as they are instructive.
It is wine merchants such as these who help communicate the diversity that's at the heart of wine.
Choice, which has never been so wonderfully wide, is something in which to rejoice - and certainly not something to bring about malaise of the modern shopper overwhelmed by options.
Independent selection
What Gris should be
Domaine Albert Mann Alsace Pinot Gris 2005 $33.50
Tradition and innovation combine in the eighth generation of vignerons at Albert Mann, a forward-looking estate imported by Maison Vauron. This fresh and dry biodynamic pinot gris has pure ripe pear fruit and a twist of white pepper spice on a slippery textured palate. Just what good pinot gris should be.
* From Maison Vauron.
Hot Stuff
Via Jaraba Crianza La Mancha 2003 $25.99
A robust tempranillo-dominant blend that's one of the many exciting Spanish wines stocked by Caro's. From one of the new wave of quality producers in the country's arid interior, it's a rich mouthful of fruitcake and spice underpinned by earthy and leathery notes.
* From Caro's.
Rhone Ripper
Domaine de la Mordoree La Dame Rousse Cotes-du-Rhone 2005 $19.95 Southern France is increasingly producing smart wines that offer great value for money, like this Cotes du Rhone that has been sought out by Wine Direct. It's full of ripe, concentrated black cherry fruit and finishes with an attractive savoury spice.
* From Wine Direct.
