Good wines??

[Psyber]

A lot of the non-chain local wine shops have Friday night tasting sessions.
They are free - you just need to look like you may buy some sometime, and perhaps do so occasionally.
You get to taste small amounts of several wines and over a period of weeks can compile your own list.

Or as JAS said, tour the regions. There are many places were there are several wineries very close together.
The approach varies - Nepenthe, Hahndorf Hills, and Shaw+Smith, are very close together, and at the first two you just stand at the counter, look at the list, and tell them which you would like to taste.
The other one charges you $14 and serves you a few wines with the cheeses they think are appropriate.
I think that is a bit pretentious of them, as well as being perhaps an attempt to save on self-promotion costs.
So, I said, " No thanks!" and went to the next one down the road.
[I figure I'll decide what I eat and when, and I was there to taste wine not cheese.]

[brod]

Evans & Tate Classic White (especially at less than $10, if you buy half dozen)

[Dutchy]

tonights choice of lubrication

[Macca19]

The other one charges you $14 and serves you a few wines with the cheeses they think are appropriate.
I think that is a bit pretentious of them, as well as being perhaps an attempt to save on self-promotion costs.
So, I said, " No thanks!" and went to the next one down the road.
[I figure I'll decide what I eat and when, and I was there to taste wine not cheese.]

Its a 'wine flight' and has become a popular thing over the past 3-4 years. A lot of wineries do this now. Considering most wine is consumed with food, its a good way to taste the wine the way its likely to be drunk.

Usually its done with a premium range, not the whole range though....though Shaw & Smith is a high premium quality winery and can afford to do that, because two of their 5 wines are the best of their variety in the country.

[Psyber]

The other one charges you $14 and serves you a few wines with the cheeses they think are appropriate.
I think that is a bit pretentious of them, as well as being perhaps an attempt to save on self-promotion costs.
So, I said, " No thanks!" and went to the next one down the road.
[I figure I'll decide what I eat and when, and I was there to taste wine not cheese.]

Its a 'wine flight' and has become a popular thing over the past 3-4 years. A lot of wineries do this now. Considering most wine is consumed with food, its a good way to taste the wine the way its likely to be drunk.
Usually its done with a premium range, not the whole range though....though Shaw & Smith is a high premium quality winery and can afford to do that, because two of their 5 wines are the best of their variety in the country.

I saw it as either suggesting they were not confident in their wines selling themselves, or as a form of putting on dog.
Or, of course, as a form of sales pitch, selling the "experience/prestige" rather than the product.
I don't need guidance in selecting a wine, nor to spend a lot more time on tasting than necessary, just for the ritual...
I wanted to taste the wines in isolation from food and decide for myself what I think of them.