First, start by asking yourself, what do you want from wine? Do you want a new hobby or are you just looking for Mr. Goodbottle of red?

My last gig as a wine director, in a specialty food store not a restaurant, we had any number of ways in which we completely overwhelmed people, whether the wall of olive oil or my little library of wine and beer. Choice is great, but choice can be daunting.

That’s why wine shops have tastings, so customers can try bottles that the wine buyers are excited about–free of charge and feelings of insecurity. This is where everyone should start to expand their wine horizons. Check your local wine shops online or sign up for their newsletters; every wine shop should have a free weekly tasting. Look for shops that feature a variety of different grapes and places at their tastings–the bigger the variety, the better for you. Since most wine tastings turn into social hour for regulars, don’t be intimidated if you don’t know anyone. Just stand near to the pourer if you’re feeling a little shy, and conversation will take care of itself.

See, all you have to do is make a weekly stop into your local shop and in no time they’ll know your face and your tastes. Bingo, you’ve got your own staff of personal sommeliers. And please don’t think you need to drop a wad of cash every time you go. Even your weekly two bottles of $10 red counts. Make sure you start USING the employees. “I really like this $10 Gruner Veltliner from the tasting the other week (and at least TWO ADJECTIVES why), what else should I try?”

Keep in mind that wine shop employees may get to TASTE many of the fancy bottles for sale in the shop, but very few can afford to BUY them. All we shop employees absolutely live for the grapey values that stick their heads up and out from the crowd. So use that fact to your advantage. If you make a habit of your local wine shop, you’ll barely have to learn anything about wine at all. Knowledge will just accumulate gradually as you gradually figure out what you like and don’t like, bottle from bottle, tasting to tasting.