Our government liquor store has begun holding special promotional events which feature wines from different places. So far we have had events for Bordeaux wines, Chilean wines, and (the latest) wines from British Columbia, where I live.
Real wine experts would dismiss such events as blatant consumerism on the part of the store and as a sign of amateurism on the part of someone like me. So be it! I find them an excellent form of guided learning. I supposed I could spend a lot of time and money trying out a lot of different wines (sounds like fun, actually), enjoying the good ones and hating the bad. But this way, with a bit of preselection from experts, I can try a variety of good wines set at a variety of price points.
I’m not going to buy the $1,300 Bordeaux and I’m smart enough to know that the $20 Sauvignon Blanc from BC is probably not going to be as enjoyable as the $40 Pinot Noir from Chile (Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir—it was fantastic).