Wine is created for many reasons. Some winemakers are in it for the cash. Some are gentleman with easy retirement money who come to town, purchase a vineyard, and call themselves winemakers. Some are in it for the party. (Hey, if you're the one providing the booze, who is going to say anything bad about you.) But the wine you should be seeking no matter what, is that of the purest, the true masterpiece creator.
How do you find this most amazing wine? Simple. Drink wine. Not just the one you like to drink, but several. The broader experience will lead to the greater experience. I do of course have some favorites, but I also enjoy a good two buck chuck once in awhile. In my own meager collection I have several, hundred dollar bottles of wine. I have tasted the wine from several, thousand dollar bottles. I will still sometimes drop by the local supermarket and find the cheapest bottle I can. Why? To have a comparison. If I only drank reds, or if I only drank Viognier, I would be limiting myself to only one good thing without appreciating the others.
Let me stop rambling and offer some practical advice. If you are new to wine there will be one that makes itself obvious to you. It may be a Merlot, or a Sangiovese. For me, I will always have a bottle of 2007 CabSav in my collection. This was the first bottle I found I actually enjoyed (being a former beer man myself, it was hard at first to adjust). When I found it, I made a note of it, and when I would go out to taste, I would be sure to try the '07 CabSav. I would be able to compare wine styles from that point and became very familiar very quickly with the CabSav as a grape. What it could produce, its characteristics, and so on. Then I tried others and the journey continues.
My advice is if you want to get a fast grip on wine, pick a varietal or year or region and work your way out from there. Don't overload right away by trying a South American SavBlanc and then the next night try a Missouri Zinfandel. Instead try sticking with SavBlanc for a week or two then move on to something new.
Whatever it is you are trying, it is going to be good. Maybe not always good tasting but good that you are growing in your knowledge of wines. It can be fun, rewarding, and when someone at a party says something about the wine, you will have something to say based on personal experience. Good Hunting! Cheers!
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