I had a good friend that worked in a wine shop and learned a good bit about it. The weird thing about wine is that it varies in quality year by year to a surprising degree. The best thing to do is develop a relationship with the folks at your local wine shop, decide on a general price point, and learn what flavors you prefer. Most wine shops will do tasting events which are a great way to achieve all of these goals. Then your friendly wine seller will know what to suggest every year as the new vintages become available.