21.   Either buy a rack, or use a wooden case or sturdy cardboard box with bottle dividers that can be picked up at local wine shops.

22.   Every serious wine shop has a dogeared copy of Parker next to the cash register, and most wine drinkers have one as well.

23.   Everyone goes on the first foray, so that we all know where to find the supermarket, wine shop and outdoor market.

24.   Every wine shop has Christmas gift assortments, packed and ready to go, some in wooden crates, some in straw baskets, some in canvas tote bags.

25.   Every clerk in a wine shop gets an ear-chewing.

26.   Find a wine shop proprietor you trust, and try different styles to figure out what suits your palate.

27.   First Sip finds rare wines by faxing hundreds of wine shops nationwide, said Steven Dworman, its publisher, who also publishes Infomercial Marketing Report, another newsletter.

28.   For years, Austria was the forgotten nation when it came to wine, almost nonexistent in the wine shops and restaurants of America.

29.   From time to time, older rarities turn up in wine shops.

30.   Good wine shops now sell glasses and can offer expert advice on which ones to buy.