I Don’t Know Anything About Wine. Help!

Walking into a wine shop can be a little intimidating.

There are hundreds of bottles. Labels you can't pronounce. Grapes you've never heard of. And suddenly you're standing there thinking, “I just wanted a bottle of wine. Why is this so complicated?”

Good news: you don't have to know anything about wine to shop at Thief.

In fact, helping you find something you'll actually like is kind of our thing.

“I like sweet wine.”

Great! That's actually useful information.

We can point you toward wines that have a little sweetness, or wines that are fruity and approachable without actually being sweet. And if you're not sure which you mean, that's okay. We'll figure it out.

“I only drink red wine.”

No problem.

We'll ask what reds you usually like. Big and bold? Light and fruity? Something in between? From there, we can find something familiar or introduce you to something new without sending you completely out of your comfort zone.

“I don't drink Chardonnay.”

We hear this one a lot.

And here's the thing: you might not hate Chardonnay. You might just hate a particular style of Chardonnay.

The same grape can taste wildly different depending on where it's grown and how it's made. So tell us what you didn't like about it, and we'll find you something else.

“I need a bottle for dinner.”

Perfect. What's for dinner?

Food is one of the easiest ways to narrow things down. Tell us what you're making and we'll help you find something that works with it, whether you're cooking an elaborate meal or ordering pizza.

“I need something under $20.”

Also easy.

There are fantastic wines at $10, $15, $20 and beyond. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a great bottle. Tell us your budget and we'll work within it.

“I'm bringing wine to someone's house and I have NO idea what they like.”

We've got you.

If you know anything about your hosts - what they eat, what they usually drink, or even just whether they're adventurous - we can help you make a good choice.

And if you know absolutely nothing? We can work with that, too.

“I want to try something I've never had before.”

Now we're talking.

Tell us what you normally drink and how far outside the lines you're willing to go. We can find something that's different without being too different.

Or, if you're feeling adventurous, we'll happily point you toward something completely unexpected.

The Most Important Thing to Know

You don't need to know the difference between Syrah and Sangiovese.

You don't need to know what “minerality” tastes like.

You don't need to have a favorite wine region or know how to properly pronounce Gewürztraminer.

And you definitely don't need to walk into a wine shop pretending you know more than you do.

Just tell us what you like.

We'll ask a few questions, pull some bottles, and help you find something you'll enjoy.

Because wine isn't a test.

It's supposed to be fun.

And if you leave Thief with a bottle you can't wait to open, we did our job.