Hmm, when I was asked to contribute to a site called BrokeAss Gourmet I have to say that I wondered “why ask a dumbass wino to help with that?” Then I realized that, although I own a wine shop I’m not a wino (the other part – ?) and that I know quite a bit about wine that won’t break the bank as that’s what I specialize in. OK, not such a bad fit – perhaps they’ve thought this through.

Without guidance as to subject matter such as matching wine to meals, types of wine to look for, what is a grape, etc. I’m going to start with something simple but important:

Have fun!!

Nothing about looking for wine, buying it and then enjoying it with a date, friends, or family should be a pain in the BrokeAss. Take your $10 bucks (more or less also works) with you to a shop that isn’t intimidating and that has someone who actually knows the wines. I admit this tends to rule out your local supermarket or chain store selling wine but going there is like going to the pharmacy looking for cold medicine – 600 different types across 12 feet of shelf space and who knows which one works better for what. The prices aren’t so hot either.

A good shop helps you sift through all that selection and should nicely guide you to something cheap (yes cheap – not inexpensive) but good and fun. There are a lot of wines out there that fit that bill and many of them will work with whatever you’re going to cook and pair the wine with.
So, don’t be intimidated, set your budget and go find some wine. Oh and be adventurous – I’ll talk about that next time.