For the last few years and until its recent closing, I was the Manager and Wine Buyer of The Cheese Shop in the Paseo Nuevo Mall. At The Cheese Shop, I selected wines for our tasting bar and retail wine shop that married with our selection of over 200 specialty cheeses from around the world. I specialized in imported wines, specifically from France, Italy and Germany. This was my first position as a buyer, and I learned so much from the experience researching and understanding dozens of different varietals and countless wine regions, and making these accessible to our customers. The biggest lesson I learned on the job was that, in the vast majority of cases, people don't drink imported wines more often because they lack a guide and are afraid of making a bad decision. More of my own opinions at
whatsdrinkingatlatour.blogspot.com