It goes without saying that prohibitive duties on alcohol would always steer wine folks in the country towards simpler fare for sustainable tippling. We all sipped our first drops of wine, most likely box wine, from the supermarket shelves or the humble local off-license right round the corner. The former boasts the economies of scale to keep prices affordable (usually but not necessarily), and it proves to be most accessible/less intimidating to the frugal and budding wine lovers too. Whilst its selection can be a letdown, some well-made high-volume labels do scream good value, once you've learned to sidestep generics churned out by cash-rich mega corps. Naturally, few grocers in upmarket neighbourhood up the ante by stashing exorbitant trophy wines in a temperature-controlled cellar, catering to the deep pockets of discerning expats and connoisseur alike.

On the contrary, what independent merchants may lack in volume they usually more than make up for with better, more varied selection, and essentially value-added service. Say a keen enthusiast sure doesn’t mind paying marginally more to a chatty merchant with whom he enjoys a rapport for either he carries hard-to-find labels, or the education and experience-driven approach of a knowledgeable professional have been a boon. Loyal patron most certainly gets to taste whatever good stuff he’s pouring from time to time. What’s more, the odds are you can do worse than buying in wine shops. Just look for the telltale clues of warm ambience, intense lighting and wrinkled label in supermarkets deprived of expertise to tend their wines. It’d be sacrilegious for a savvy merchant to mishandle his bottles, seriously.

Without a doubt, some of the more serious wine commoners would eventually graduate beyond the confines of supermarket aisles. If smitten by wine bug, you may involuntarily succumb to the occasional splurge on finer appellations your seasoned merchant praises so fervently. If you have had felt the urge to frequent wine shops, to forage wine warehouse for bargains, to attend tasting or even consider joining private wine club, welcome to the domain of oenophile.