Toby Nation

If you are not in France, don't go French. The vineyards of France have some of the best grapes in the world for making wine. And the French have refined the technique to an art form, but it just doesn't translate into a good wine-drinking experience for Americans. Our palates are much less delicate (from so much McDonald's) and day-to-day wine is expensive to ship. A bottle of French wine that would cost you four bucks in France would cost you fifteen bucks here. Unless you are going to spend more than 50 dollars a bottle, it is best to go domestic. There are many more expensive wines for real wine aficionados that come from France, but they can be best purchased through a wholesaler or specialty wine-seller.