When you shop for wine, are you set in your ways? Do you only drink one particular brand of California Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio? How about you Cab and red blend drinkers? Have you ever tried a Bordeaux? If you only drink one type of wine, I want you to do something for me the next time you visit Binny's. I want you to try something new. We have all tried wines we didn't like. Do not write off that particular type of wine. I sure did, and I really wish I didn't.

When I started drinking wine, (and before working at Binny's) I wanted to try as many different wines as possible. I started off with the sweet stuff and then ventured into dryer whites and reds. The more I tasted the more I got used to dryer wines. I was reading about how Spain was making incredible wines. I went to my local wine shop and randomly picked up a Spanish red. I got it home and popped it. It smelled like burned rubber, tar and bandaid's. It didn't taste much better, either.

This experience made me avoid Spanish wine until I started working at Binny's. The Spanish wine I had was just bad. There are bad wines made in all countries, and unfortunately I picked a bad one. Now, my favorite wines come from Spain. There are a lot of wines that drink much better than they cost; especially from Spain.

If you are a Pinot Grigio drinker, try a Sauvignon Blanc. If you are a Sauvignon Blanc drinker, try a Torrontes from South America, Hungarian Furmint or a Spanish white. If you are a Chardonnay drinker, try a White Burgundy or a Viognier.

For reds, if you drink Pinot Noir, try a Spanish Grenache, Cru Beaujolais or Red Burgundy. If your drink Merlot, try Spanish Monastrell. If you drink higher end Cab's, try a higher end Bordeaux.

The next time you're visiting Binny's, don't do your usual bottle. Talk to a wine consultant, (we're friendly) and we will help you out.