Imagine being a 25 year collector and drinker of “fine” limited production wines from Italy, France, and the United States, then abruptly switching from these “artisinal” wines to drinking mostly mass production wines sold at stores like Safeway, Costco, BevMo, Cost Plus, Long’s Drugs, and Trader Joe’s.

So, why would a long-time wine collector switch focus to buying “chain store” wines (175 bottles and counting - over the last 5 months)? Partly, it’s education, but it mostly relates to my new venture (The Wine Shelf - http://www.thewineshelf.com) which provides consumers specific what to buy and where to buy information on wines sold at Costco, Cost Plus, Trader Joe’s, Longs Drugs, BevMo, and Safeway.

The Wine Shelf also covers some local San Francisco Bay Area (Marin County and San Francisco) grocery chains, plus a couple of leading independent wine stores in San Francisco (K&L and The Wine Club).

Are You Lost in the Wine Department?

If you’re a confused wine shopper you are not alone. Don’t let it bother you a bit. If it’s any comfort, the uncertainty and confusion about wine is universal among consumers. There’s a lot of wine out there; in fact it’s overwhelming.

The Wine Shelf is for those overwhelmed consumers who want to enjoy good to great wines, and don’t have the countless hours of tasting and research required to discover what wines represent the most compelling value. I’m happy to report that in Safeway, Cost Plus, Trader Joe’s, Costco (and other chains) there are a ton of interesting wines, at all price segments, from France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Portugal, Australia, and of course, the United States.

So, it is in that spirit that I invite you to poke around The Wine Shelf to read firsthand about the 160+ wines that are sitting on shelves in Marin and San Francisco, waiting to be discovered by you.

I Want to Hear From You

Let me know what you think of The Wine Shelf. I can be reached through this blog, or via the Feedback tab at the top of each page on the site. And, finally, we’re just getting started here. Our list of how we can deliver the world’s most relevant and helpful wine information to wine consumers is growing by the hour!